How to Clean a Concept2 to stop you ROWING AT 10!

[@JonMcIntosh-b8g]

Altitude awareness! From Nathan at Concept2 support responding to my query as to why my "clean" Model D shows a 185 drag factor at a 10 damper setting: Thanks also for including your location as this is actually the key to the reason for your difference in max drag factor. In looking up Fort Collins it appears that you are at an approximate elevation of 5000 feet. When at higher elevations with lower air pressure you will get a lower maximum drag factor. A max drag reading of 185 is right about what I would expect for this elevation so no further cleaning is needed. If you were to take your Model D on a road trip to a location closer to sea level you would find that the maximum drag factor reading would increase closer to the 220 reading mentioned.

[@rowalong]

I think you need to take your erg on a road trip and find out what 0 feet would give you!!

[@JonMcIntosh-b8g]

interesting experiment, not likely to happen, but appreciate the suggestion!@@rowalong

[@steve5407]

and what is drag factor under sea level!?

[@emilyhatch1348]

I'm in Colorado Springs and I'm so glad you posted this!

[@neilcampbell4931]

“Years of dirt, sweat, FEAR!” 😂

[@jamesray5293]

20k subscribers - congratulations John, hugely deserved and long overdue given all the life changing content you provide. Thank you for this one on cleaning, and for the 400+ other ones too.

[@rowalong]

Thanks. It's quite amazing to think that 20000 people have clicked the sub button. Even if that doesn't actually translate to views, it's still quite awesome!!

[@RayBowers]

Exactly what I needed to hear! Time to go tell my gym to clean their machines so I can get better than 70!

[@rowalong]

You got this! Stay strong, and don't let them give you any of the "We have a company that services them" nonsense!!!

[@edithharmer1326]

Educational! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and talent! 👍👍👍👍

[@petermorrison4838]

What a great video John. I migrate to Bangkok for the northern winters and have been trying to explain exactly the same to my Virgin Active gym here for the past two years. The max drag factor was 95 - 100 on the two machines so no wonder they had fallen into disuse. This year I’ve had success - gave them the number of the local service agent and now both machines are as clean as whistles and I’m rowing at DF 125/130 with lever at 5. Now all I have to do is get them to replace the totally dud PM4 batteries so I don’t need to row to get enough electric power going to reset the date every time I turn up - or better, to upgrade to PM5s.

[@rowalong]

Well done!! Sometimes getting a gym to service their machines is like trying to turn the tide with a toothpick !!!

[@josh2915]

Just cleaned my machine. Cheers John. I am back at 215 and ready for the CTC 200m sprints. Boom Boom Pow

[@rowalong]

Go get em cowboy!

[@chrisjbarrow]

Great video, definitely agree. Gyms need to get on top of knowing how to maintain and clean a rowing machine. I came across a gym in Newzealand while on holiday, 5 of the 6 rower's were unusable do to Very low drag factor.

[@mikethomas9424]

Congrats on 20k subscibers

[@rowalong]

Thankyou!

[@nmacog]

We have some of those Nigel Tufnel Concept 2s at our school !

[@rowalong]

Haha!!

[@potterportraits]

my drag factor on my last 30 minute row was between 210 and223 without moving the lever. I row at 10 my goal for this year was and is one million meters. I am trying to build muscle and burn fat. that is why I chose to row on 10. i'm not trying to set any world records just trying to beter myself.

[@rowalong]

And that's totally valid. Just make sure you're using your legs as well as your upper body to overcome the high drag factor.

[@pokrec]

I clean my machine after each workout. Of course, without disassembly, I just use a wet cloth. The best way of keeping things clean is to clean them after each use. I always set drag factor with my PM5, not with digits on the drum. Lately I train with lower drag factor and with HR monitor rather than with keeping the 2k+x pace, because I feel, that with years passing my fitness fell down a bit after doing almost all your workouts for almost 3 years. I am just unable to keep the pace at the level that was quite manageable 2 years ago in spite of constant and systematic workouts. Maybe I am just getting old? Over-trained? I don't know, I just work with Maffetone's method for the time being.

[@johnnewman2472]

Just a thought but would a vacuum cleaner work on that mesh to clear the worst of it out without having to take the mesh off? Something like a Henry hoover nozzle?

[@rowalong]

Yup, in my instace, that would have worked perfectly as it wasn't really that dirty. The problem really is gyms and crossfit boxes where there's been years of dust and sweat sitting on the mesh - it's welded to it at that stage! So really needs taken off and cleaned properly.

[@DaveNeve]

Hello. when you measure the drag factor of the machine (before your rowing session in order to set it to what you want), does it matter where the lever is at the moment of measurement?

[@rowalong]

The result you'll get is where the lever is. So if it's at 1, and you measure it at 100, and want it to be 140, you know you have to raise the lever (probably to just past 5). Or if it was at 10, and showed 220, you know you have to reduce it. But no, it doesn't matter where you take the measurement, it'll always be the same at that setting. (so if you check 1, then jump to 10, then back to 1 - you'll still get the same result at 1)

[@BiggameRob-l1n]

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[@clonmult]

In experience, public gyms effectively NEVER clean their ergs properly. Never take the cage cover off, never clean the blades. And they also never oil the chain either - I had an erg at a public gym many years back where I got a DF of 120 at "10", and then part way through a row the chain decided to just not straighten and it tied itself up .... Thankfully I haven't used a commercial gym erg now in many years, just mine at home.

[@rascott1970]

Those are high DFs for the Hyrox folk. Is that what hytox requires?

[@rowalong]

Yeah. Or at least; they stipulate 5,6,7 in the rule book. No idea how clean the machines on the race floor are - but it’s best to train expecting them to be clean. It’s only a 1000m though.

[@davidfleming9243]

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[@Robert-kr4fi]

This is the easiest video you've made, looking forward to this later. I'm not even going to wear sports kit!😅😅

[@rowalong]

Haha. Well, I want you to hold a squat position while you watch the whole thing.

[@AienAristeuein]

Wow, the C2 rower I use at my gym is 4-5 = drag factor 95-100. And I thought that one was dirty. Also, no one at the gym knows how to row with even remotely proper form, including the PTs. Also they don't know how to clean the rowers. Or update the software. The C2 rowers do not get a lot of love.

[@rowalong]

No, they don't. And it's a real shame. PT's wouldn't be let loose on a deadlift without training - so why not treat a rowing machine the same?!?

[@sotampacane]

It would have been a better showing how to clean the blades. This was about 6 minutes too long otherwise. Also-have no clue what you mean at the end about Male pro settings. That is baffling. Why would I need to take the DF up to 140-150 as an open male. You never explained why that is your preferred number. I’ve always been around 130 for most workouts and that has worked well. You turned a video about cleaning the machine (and never actually showed the tough part) into a thirty second increase DF advert at the end.

[@rowalong]

Two reasons for not showing the blades. 1) Unless they're absolutely caked in dirt, they don't need cleaned - and because of the changes of knocking the counterbalance weights out of alignment, I left it out so people didn't needlessly damange their machine, and then blame this video! and 2) My machine was clean, and there was nothing to show. As to the DF - I'd already said that the recommended setting to start off at and then adjust for your preference was 130 - and then you must have missed the next part at where I said "If you're racing HYROX..." HYROX stipulates that the lever is set to 5 for women, 6 for open men and pro women and 7 for pro men. Which is total nonsense, as without knowing how clean that machine is on the race floor, there's no way to know whether 7 is going to be lighter than the machine you're training on. So with the assumption that they're using clean machines on the race floor, that then means the DF numbers I said in the video. It wasn't an advert for increasing drag factor, it was race specific information for those who do HYROX competitions (and can be hugely affected by the misunderstanding of how the lever works).

[@sotampacane]

Interesting because C2 doesn't mention damaging the machine and shows a quick vacuum process while Dark Horse actually goes to elaborate lengths taking the entire cover off and cleaning it thoroughly. I've only had to do mine twice in 3 years and it was barely dusty as all. But I am going to my local Y tomorrow to clean all 3 machines out on the floor in hopes of goosing the DF. But I will be careful not to damage anything. I don't want that on my conscience. I also appreciate the clarification on the DF/Hyrox matter. I clearly didn't listen closely enough.

[@rowalong]

If nothing else, this gives me the opportunity to make a follow up video, cleaning the blades. @@sotampacane

[@sotampacane]

@@rowalongI look forward to seeing it. I went to my YMCA today with my oil, rags, phillips head etc and cleaned 3 C2 Model D's. DF at the start ranged from 130-165 and by the end they were low 200. I'd guess if I did more to clean the blades it could have gone higher, but I was happy when I left. Thanks for the help

[@elizabethbrignoni7448]

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[@hairlesscactus]

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[@gregfrance1548]

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