Indoor Rowing Coach?

Do you have a Concept 2 Rowing Ergometer?

No I don't. I use a Hammer/Finnlo Water Rower.

Sorry, can't help with that...

+1 for Concept2. No other rowers should exist. 

At the risk of dragging this too far off topic, as someone who's been shopping for rowers lately, I keep seeing concept 2 as being the "only" rower anyone should ever pick. I'm just curious why that is? Why would I pick it over something like, for example, a Sole SR500 that seems to beat it in almost every specification (at least, comparing spec sheets), for about the same price?

I almost pulled the trigger on the Sole rower last week, but got cold feet because I keep seeing nonstop recommendations for Concept 2, so I'm wondering what in the world makes it so much better than all the others

It appears to be a pretty well made and supported product. Probably much like Sonos Speakers are for Multiroom audio. This doesn't make it "the best" or even "the vest for you" though. I looked at the Concept rowers when I was shopping for a Rower two years ago and decided on a different brand due to the noise level of the air resistance rowers. My water based rower is much quieter which is important if you use it in a small room and/or don't want to annoy your neighbors or family.

Hi, the C2 is kind of the standard for tests amongst rowers. I‘m not aware of any championships not leveraging it as standard device. Whether it is closest to rowing, people are disputing. Certainly not the most beautiful and least noisy one. But certainly a great deal from an overall performance, build quality and row feeling pov. Hope that helps.

It does help, thanks!

Yep that's kind of where I'm at, too. Concept 2 looks awesome, and there's definitely something to be said about it being somewhat of an "industry standard" device. Just not sure if it's right for me yet. I likely need to dig deeper down the youtube rabbit hole before I make any decisions, lol. Thanks for your input!

Home rowers don't get a ton of use, so there isn't as much long term data on a lot of non-Concept2 rowers. That being said, Sole makes good stuff. I have their F85.

The Concept2 RowErg is the rower to get for these reasons:

• The resistance feel is great. It actually has that "on water" resistance feel. Like, from a stand still you need a lot more force to get moving. You feel that initial break. The start of the stroke has much more resistance than the middle or end of the stroke. This rewards smooth and consistent movement. Magnetic rowers feel linear and weird compared to the Concept2. Like, the Hydrow and NordicTrack magnetic rowers feel alien after using a Concept2
• The resistance is very easy to adjust, as opposed to water rowers where you have to add or remove water. I basically keep it on one setting and my girlfriend adjusts it to hers. Not really a thing you do while rowing.
• It's very durable. Crossfit gyms use these. I'm not saying crossfit is the be all and end all, but they go hard on their stuff. Lots of explosive power goes into these machines and they last. You can't really abuse them with just rowing.
• Parts are easy to get, Concept2 supports their products, and they make upgrades and retrofits available for fair prices.
• Doesn't need to be plugged in.
• Breaks in half, can be stored vertically and takes up very little space. When I was in a small apartment I stored mine in a small closet.
• Connects very well with the Garmins for power, distance, stroke rate, and stroke length.

Reasons not to get a Concept2 RowErg:

• Cost. If you don't want to pay $1,000, there are cheaper options that will still get you rowing.
• Noise. It's loud and the sound isn't pleasant. That Sole uses magnetic resistance, and a much smaller fan. It's way quieter. Water rowers still make noise but it's more pleasant. Machines that use pure magnetic resistance can be near silent. The rails make noise and if it's on a second floor, you'll probably hear it through the floor.
• No smart subscription services. I consider this a pro, but some people like classes, or games in their rower.
• It looks like gym equipment, utilitarian and cold. Some rowers out there look pretty nice and you wouldn't feel the need to put them away.