Rail trail marks

[dbelleisle1]

Hello,

I have a one month new Concept2 E rower and I noticed that the rail is beginning to get trail marks on it. Is this normal? Are they preventable?

Thank you,
Belle

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

It's normal, it's not really preventable but you can easily clean up the erg after each use. In fact it's a good practice to do so. I've seen people use all sorts of things from windex to disinfectant wipes. Really you can use anything.

[jamesg]

Simplest is to clean with just plain water and a roughish rag/paper, used on both track and rollers. No chemicals or oil are needed, but could cause damage.

We all see the black marks but they are not a comment on the quality of our rowing, just seem to be fillers such as graphite used in the rollers, maybe combined with dust etc.

[rowbike]

I've used water, windex and oil, and have found baby oil to be the best for me. Baby oil is not too thick, and like other oils it prevents the bumps and little pieces of dust or whatever that buildup is that would make it feel like there was gravel on the rail. It has always been perfectly smooth with oil on the rail.

Oil seems to capture the dirt and dust, much like motor oil does for an engine, while windex allows it to form annoying clumps on the rail affecting the rollers. I still get the dark trails in the film of oil, but they don't affect the smoothness, and wipe right off since the dirt is in the oil and not actually stuck to the rail.

[dbelleisle1]

The trail marks that I am referring to are white in color.

[rowbike]

White? Do you mean the marks in the stainless steel track from the rollers moving back and forth? That is going to happen since there is no lubrication between the rollers and track, it's just marring of the finish. Using oil on the track seems to reduce, but won't eliminate them.

[Carl Watts]

Just wipe the rail and rollers with a damp cloth before each row.

I would not use any oil as it attracts dust and will cause the rollers to skid instead of rolling on the bearings.

You get a bit of black on the white rollers, this is from the stainless rail wearing very slowly and hence the marks on it. If you keep the rollers and track clean then everything last a lifetime and doesn't need replacing. I did change the roller bearings on my model C and went to a Japanese rubber shielded bearing.

[rowbike]

"I would not use any oil as it attracts dust and will cause the rollers to skid instead of rolling on the bearings."

Can't agree with you on that. I have been rowing with oil on the track of my C2 for the past 1M+ meters and the rollers have never skidded. If they had, I would not have suggested that someone else apply oil.

I'm talking about a thin film of oil as in polishing the track with it, not a pool of it. Dust will fall on the track regardless, but it will be encapsulated in the oil preventing it from clumping up and causing bumps, keeping the rolling surface smooth. When the oil gets dirty, just wipe it off an wipe on new oil. Oil has never caused any skidding or slipping on the rollers for me, and shouldn't as long as the roller bearings are working properly since friction remains greater with the track.

Nothing wrong with using water to wipe the track if preferred, but other methods do work as well.

[Carl Watts]

You don't want oil on the rail.

The black and anything else on there like sweat is water based so you only need a damp cloth to remove it. Wrap the cloth over your finger and rest your hand on the seat with the finger touching the roller and just move the seat left and right and the rollers come clean very quickly. Its a 30 second job before each row.