[Closed] Recommend me a Rowing machine

Go to is a Concept, but expensive even 2nd hand.

Concept2 is the standard, it's expensive but they hold their value really well so if you ever need to sell the total cost of ownership would generally be a lot lower than a cheapie whicb are worth naff all once you've taken then out of the shop.

Go to is a Concept, but expensive even 2nd hand.

@richmars yep, second hand as expensive as new ! New ones going on fleabay for more than they are new from the concept shop, due to the waiting list and production delays due to shutdown etc.

Used concept 2 or waterrower. They won’t be cheap but you’ll get your money back. Basically the kickr of indoor trainers.

I’d pay full whack just to annoy the dozens of watchers on every eBay lot 😉 . You want something currently desirable and in short supply. You’ll have to pay. See puppies.

Personally, I like the waterrower more and I used to row 50km a week on a concept 2.

Edit Bluetooth powercal will allow you to connect to Zwift via iPhone. The ant version also works if you use a pc.

https://www.cyclepowermeters.com/powertap/powertap-powercal.html

You can use it for any activity, not just cycling and running! Any.

Don't know if they are any good but I really like the looks
nohrd water rower

Bought a second hand Model D Concept 2 for £250 from a gym which had gone bust a few years before this Covid bollocks. Eventually had to put a new monitor on it , so thats another 100 odd on top of that.
But, the rower I bought was low mileage from a womens gym, so for less than £400 i got a nearly new Concept 2. Its getting a hammering since the gyms closed.
Maybe , with things the way they are, gyms will be going bust? Keep an eye out on ebay and word of mouth , might be worthwhile.

Cheers @TiRed really like the look of the waterrower. Thanks for the link to the Bluetooth powercal.

Anyone know How the waterrower compare to the concept 2 ?

Prices do seem to be crazy - there is a 19 year old Concept 2 with knackered screen near me currently at £575!

This seems to be only mid-price air rower that is sort of available and maybe half a chance of getting spares.
https://www.nordictrack.co.uk/rowing-machines/nordictrack-rx800-rower

I got a Concept2 just before first lockdown. As people have said, the price second hand barely makes it worth not going new.

Well it looks like wait for a concept 2 model D - have got on the waiting list just in case.

Or get a second hand waterrower, which do look very swish and almost good enough to have on display, but I have no knowledge of how they feel compared to a concept 2.

@dc1988 that certainly seems to the the case, some lucky few are flogging them new for a hefty premium on fleabay - before they’ve even been dispatched from concept !

I brought one of these as it was cheaper and available, although appears to be out of stock atm.

https://www.jllfitness.co.uk/ventus-3-rowing-machine.html

It’s been good to use at home and stands upright when not in use.

One advantage of the Concept2 is that it has a global community and there's lots of challenges, leagues, etc throughout the year.

Concept 2 are expensive new but hold their value. The newer monitors have bluetooth and the ErgData app is ok.

Concept 2 here, we bought it new due to the high used prices, over £800 I seem to remember, GF really wanted it but I've used it more.
The waiting list was a couple of months IIRC.

Nice bit of kit, splits in half to sort of stow it out of the way but it does take up a fair amount of space. Love that it needs no power, would be nice if the head unit synced easily with Strava or similar though. Not the end of the world.

would be nice if the head unit synced easily with Strava

The ergdata app on your phone will upload to Strava.

as everyone says concept2 D. ive had one for a year or two. as a fitness tool they are very good but you need to be pretty strong willed to stick with it as they are neither fun nor interesting. there is no Zwift equivalent. i did download some software on my laptop but a boat on a straight bit of water isnt that exciting to look at.
if youre so inclined, as i am, you can obsess over your 'drag factor' which helps while away the time. mine hasnt been used for a while since we got into zwift but its just occurred to me that if i turn mine around it will face the big TV on the wall we use for the zwifting....so i could watch the telly.

there is no Zwift equivalent

Pretty sure Zwift is looking into it, though - DCRainmaker mentioned it at some point.

Have a waterrower at home and have used the c2’s at gyms for years.

The waterrower has a more natural stroke but a less comfortable handle, I swapped ours out for a c2 handle.

The waterrower doesn’t like sub zero temps where the water can freeze, it damages the seal on the water tank and it’ll leak. It’s a ~£35 fix if your practical.

The monitor on the older ones isn’t great and won’t do hr monitoring.

The more modern ones do ans I think you can get an app and link to phone or tablet but I don’t have that version.

There is another monitor option called smartrow that I think you can option from new now for more ££

It’s harder to adjust the resistance as its add/remove water.

Spares availability is good.

In a heated shed/garage or in the lounge the waterrower is fine and I’d say the better option if used in the lounge

We got ours for a couple of hundred at the start of lockdown and C2’s were already silly money spent another ton on replacement parts and re-sealing the tank and it gets used daily

The C2 is the gold standard and if not being used in the lounge I’d go with one of these if available at a reasonable price but don’t discount a waterrower at the right price.

I have a waterrower and they are quite good, mines old, bought new twenty years ago.

They are a lot quieter than c2, handle as mentioned not the best, easy to store vertically. Foot rest I believe has improved, mine is basic.

Apps there is the odd one, but WR have always relied on looks and feel rather than data. If you want a swift/ app experience go c2

Something I got into whilst rowing is listening to podcasts, which I download from Spotify. No idea why, but the conversation takes me away from the rowing far better than music.
Anybody got any recommendations for podcasts, by the way?

Just saw this thread. Concept 2 for the reliability, the huge community, the rankings, the C2 challenges, the various Facebook groups, the Pete Plan ( a thing of creeping horror but satisfaction)

Prices are crazy ATM. Jump on the C2 wait list and buy new. £850.

Important to nail the technique. An average fitness rower with good form can beat a fit strong guy thrashing away.

I am biased - I rowed at school and we had a model B. I bought my model D after a bad crash where I broke my pelvis and couldn’t run any more. I think rowing is very complementary to MTB ( all round conditioning, leg work, core strength/posture)

Perfect lockdown kit as well. There are apps etc but I find a structured plan plus the shed load of data the PM5 gives you is absorbing enough.

Prices are crazy ATM. Jump on the C2 wait list and buy new. £850.

Mate has been on that list since October. Still no rower.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/V-fit-Tornado-Air-Rower-Rowing-Machine-r-r-p-390-00/151058378853?epid=1312710763&hash=item232bc7f065:g:~ZwAAOSwc6ZcWVuG

Got one of these 3-4 weeks back.

It's no concept 2, but it's ok for the cash.

Mate has been on that list since October. Still no rower.

Yeah I put myself on the wait list for a C2 bike erg around that time, still nothing. I probably won’t bother with the bike erg. I’ll just ride my bike once lockdown and mud recedes.

Quite fancy the ski erg though..

I use C2 at work and a Waterrower at home.

Both expensive, and you'll be lucky to find them in stock anywhere right now.

The C2 is a great machine, but very industrial. It is the go to standard though, and easily repairable/servicable at home. The monitor is way better than the Waterrower.

Waterrower, a different feel to the C2. My daughter rows for her college at uni, and says it has a more boat-like feel. It's also quieter, takes up less space when stood on its end, and looks more like furniture than machinery, if that's a thing.

Overall, for home use, I'd go waterrower. Anything else I've tried all just seem to be a bit pants.

Important to nail the technique.

It'll feel horrible to begin with, watch plenty of videos, but figure out how to stay comfy. Don't try too hard when starting out, be happy with slow speeds. Do intervals, about 500m and a minute rest, repeated to get you technique dialled in without getting too tired. As it's an exercise that uses nearly your entire body, your lungs and heart hit their limit before any single part of your body.

Hard to look past a quality second hand Concept2 as, if you look after it, you'll sell for similar.

Would mostly agree with all of the above re the Concept 2. Ive used gyms all over the country and literally every decent gym will have at least one of them sitting in the corner. They are good but at the same time very unremarkable. I do wonder why it seems so hard for other manufacturers to produce something equally as good at the same price point.

For me the negatives are: uncomfortable seat, foot straps that come loose (and Ive found that on every well used machine) and a surprising variance in resistance from machine to machine - maybe its the air? In the gym?

I’m just about to find out as Ive ordered one of these:

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/infiniti-r100-rowing-machine-by-bodymax

Doesn’t have Bluetooth like the C2 but does have a HR function and at the end of the day you have to ask yourself if having endless stats on Strava, for example, are actually going to help your fitness and conditioning. For me the answer is no, I just record the effort and bung it on Strava manully.

I wanted one now and whilst I can afford to, I cannot bring myself to stump up plus 50% and more to profiteers on EBay. Or buy some over priced baggy unit thats been rusting in someone’s shed.

My money-no-object purchase would be this:

https://www.technogym.com/gb/skillrow.html

Way better than the C2 but also 3.5 times the price

Looked at some of the other “immersive” subscription solutions but unless you are into getting barked down the screen at for £35 a month its still just rowing.

a surprising variance in resistance from machine to machine – maybe its the air? In the gym?

This is a result of lack of maintenance. If you let dust collect in the fan then you need to increase the damper lever setting to get a given drag factor. Easily fixed by removing the side grill and getting to work with a hoover nozzle. Needs to be done annually really. Most gyms don’t bother.

Way better than the C2 but also 3.5 times the price

It’s 4 times the price. Is it 4 times as good as a C2?

User review ( admittedly from the C2 logbook forum on FB) suggests it’s a good machine but the seat is uncomfortable and the monitor has no memory or ability to program workouts.

For the price you could buy all 3 concept2 ergs ( row, bike and ski) and have change. I suspect technogym’s business model is more around leasing their kit to gyms.

The gym near me got rid of their Concept 2's and replaced them with the Technogym machines. I was so disappointed with the new machines I bought my own Concept 2. I didn't like the Technogym at all, the rowing action/feel was kind of OK but not quite right, the settings over complicated and as mentioned already you can't program it properly, some intervals are possible but you need to faff about hooking it up to an app on your phone.

It cost me but it's worked out great for lockdown. Concept 2 all the way for me.

Ordering wise I know that there's currently a 15 week waiting list for a new one.

I've used a Concept 2 and they are very good, but I got myself a Bodymax Infiniti rower. They're air / magnetic machines and very well built. Has similar reach and length as the Concept. Only downside is the bar is slightly narrow, has a huge range of workout features,can be personalised too for your own fitness ability.

For those on the waiting list, check your spam and junk folders. I had same issue, joined in Sept, still nothing then checked folders and found a December dated email with the link in January which still works.

“ It’s 4 times the price. Is it 4 times as good as a C2?”

I said it would be my money no object choice. If you’ve got plenty of cash and you think its a better machine - so what? Bit like bikes really 🙂

Also, it ain’t 4 times the price at present - unless you are prepared to wait months.

Like I said, I’m not prepared to wait months, I don’t have cash to burn on the techno gym and I’m not going to line the pocket of folk peddling C2’s for upwards of +50% on list because they aren’t worth £1300+ to me.

I shall find out tomorrow if my decision was wise or not but amateurs post sounds encouraging.

OP, whereabouts are you? If you’re in the South-West, I have a one owner Model C Concept2 which isn’t getting used since I injured my back - just after getting a new PM5 monitor for it.

I have the joy of a C2 AND a WR in the garage - my Mrs used to be a pro rower ! I can’t remember where the WR came from but it’s drained and she doesn’t use it any more. The C2 gets an absolute battering and never misses a beat. I’m even allowed to use it sometime and have that critical tutting applied to my rubbish technique ! Her power numbers are mental which is impressive for an old bird (she won’t mine me saying that) and she absolutely loves getting on Zoom with her old rowing mates and having a ‘Pull’. Anyway her advice is a C2. It’s quite magnificent to watch someone row with really good technique.

We've borrowed a C2 from school. Has been great, but now I want a C2 Dynamic. A few on Ebay occasionally at basically new price.

It’s quite magnificent to watch someone row with really good technique.

A bit like skilled cyclists, especially cornering.

I have christened my fitness regime of the last year or so, "NBC2". Nothing to do with nuclear, biological, chemical but rather 'nervous breakdown concept 2'. Didn't want a turbo like all my friends as cycling is for fun and I wanted more full body workout. Then used an other-brand gym rower on holiday in 2019 and got hooked again after rowing properly at university. The other-brand had the feet placed too far apart for my hips to be comfortable. The Concept 2 gets ragged three times a week by me, 30km total, and my wife is quite partial too. Best €1000ish I've ever spent, 10 kg of lard dropped on the floor in very short order.

critical tutting applied to my rubbish technique

yep - rowing form Nazis are the worst! I'm one of them. You'll often find me commenting on Youtube videos of pro MTBers using the C2 rower as cross training , actually pulling fairly decent splits despite their shocking technique

now I want a C2 Dynamic

These look good but I believe are less bomb proof than the static machine due to more moving parts. You also don't get the comparison with others worldwide in the rankings.

They are really for on the water rowers who want to more closely simulate rowing OTW.

there's new breed of rowing machine coming out, following the Peloton model. For example the Hydrow - looks very high quality, twice the price of a C2 and comes with a monthly subscription which is required to make it at all useful. Nice big iPad style screen with images of you in a boat on a river. It's streamed workouts only and you cannot program your own sessions which is a bit of a flaw (other than the cost).

But there's definitely a market for all this stuff...not sure if Hydrow is available in the UK yet

The original rowing machine 😀

twice the price of a C2 and comes with a monthly subscription which is required to make it at all useful.

WTSF?? I get the idea of a subscription, but how tf do they make the actual rower twice the price of a Concept 2 (which isn't exactly cheap)?
I'll be v surprised if it hits the popularity of Peloton, but as I keep reminding the wife, people are idiots...

I’d definitely recommend the water rower for a more natural feeling stroke and it’s also so much quieter for home use than a Concept. Pair it with the SmartRow wheel for more accurate stats and a better app with races and comparisons like the Concept.

Zwift did say on a twitter post a few days ago that 'rowing is imminent', but what they meant by that was 'someone has lost their mind and is not allowed to use the twitter account again', which they further clarified with:

https://twitter.com/GoZwift/status/1365753761235361796

Zwift did say on a twitter post a few days ago that ‘rowing is imminent’, but what they meant by that was ‘someone has lost their mind and is not allowed to use the twitter account again’,

RowedBiker app turns your C2 into a power meter. I connected that to another device to try and make Zwift work. Then I turned to my normal bluetooth powercal.

Thread ressurection alert!!

Although I have to admit that my concept2 rower sits idle for a fair part of the year I have to say it's a great thing to have.
Just completed the C2 Mud Season Madness which is to row at least 5k on at least 25 days in March.
I've lost some weight, toned up and feel much better than I did 8 weeks ago.
I'll not be stopping for a while yet but I may take a day off...... Perhaps 😉

My concept2 has been the best pre-lock down #1 purchase. Bought is second hand with 100km on the clock and it is now at nearly 700km. The machine itself is 16 years old and runs like new. Technique and variation of the type of workout keeps it interesting. Everything from 100m sprints and half marathons. It has the power to destroy me in 4 minutes if desired!

quick update - struggled to find a second hand one that wasn't either well used and/or virtually the same cost as a new one.

So I joined the loooooooooooooong waiting list for a new concepot2 and it will arrive next Tuesday, been a long wait - impatient to get going on it, when it arrives.

Been a very long time since I last rowed, I'm sure it will all come flooding back (hopefully), but may have to google proper form, as I suspect things have moved on in the intervening decades.

From my memories of training on Concept IIs is that to get the best benefit from training you need a tape player. The only incentive for a prompt start to the session (usually an hour 'piece' on the machine) was to be the first there so you could get the machine next to the tape player. That automatically gave you dispensation to get up every 20-30 minutes to turn over the tape.
I much preferred being in an actual boat!

Had a concept 2 for ages. Must be 15 years now. No problems and still works well. Probably get most of my money back if I sold it now...

@pete68

Had a concept 2 for ages. Must be 15 years now. No problems and still works well. Probably get most of my money back if I sold it now…

I suspect in these mad times, you may get back significantly more than you paid for it 15 years ago.

Thought I'd bump this on the back of the more recent thread.

Lots of comments about shocking technique. I'm visiting my (new) local gym tomorrow for my first go on a C2, I need it to help strengthen my posterior chain etc. as physio says it's an ideal 'complimentary' activity.

What is a poor technique? Reading the Concept 2 page, it sounds like you start with shins vertical, arms straight, shoulders back. Push with legs, straighten upper body until slightly past vertical, pull with arms. Inhale on drive?

To recover, straighten arms, let upper body rotate forward, flex legs, exhale?

What's the common mistakes?

If I join gym then hopefully the personal trainer might spare me some time to focus on technique, but no guarantee she/he is an expert...

Ta

Common mistake is mixing up when you move arms and legs, so your bent legs are in the way. So long as the basics are ok you'll be fine. It's not like there are 7 others doing something different.

What is a poor technique?

They are just legitimate crossfit techniques.

I've had my name on the waiting list for two months or so and earlier this morning I received an email earlier titled 'Place your Concept2 order now' so I did - may even be with me by the end of the month as I asked for despatch on the 26th.

If I join gym then hopefully the personal trainer might spare me some time to focus on technique,

I'm not sure they would based on what I saw at the gym where I used to be a member.

The Concept2 user forum is pretty friendly and if you upload a short video of your technique they'll give you helpful advice.