Dynamic Rower for sale - has anyone tried it?

[Bob S.]

And, as others have noted, the potential global and US market for dynamic ergs is extremely small compared to the market for static ergs. Most erg buyers simply aren't even aware of or concerned with issues of better OTW simulation or possible back injury/strain considerations.

From my own point of view, the reduced foot print is also a major consideration. I currently use slides because of back strain concerns, but have to use them in a very cold garage because they take up so much space. There is still a problem of the new, dynamic erg taking up more storage space than a D or E, but that is not a big concern for me.

Bob S.

[scullerjim]

I ordered a Dynamic in early November and received it on Dec. 20. As you would expect from the folks at Concept 2, the instructions were clear and it went together without too much fuss. Not including unboxing, it took me about an hour and 15 minutes to assemble. Also as you would also expect, the build quality of the Dynamic is just as good as their "static" rowers and their oars.

We headed out of town for Christmas so I haven't been able to spend much time with it yet, but my first impressions are very good. I have used a "D" on slides, and although the "feel" of the two is similar, I prefer the Dynamic. It seems to have a slightly lighter load (and it should), and I like the fact that there's essentially no return force on the handle -- just like in a boat.

My wife, that has never rowed on water and previously had only used a static erg, has also been using it. She picked up the technique pretty quickly and says she likes it. Although, she has commented that it feels "harder" -- as in, she feels like she has to work harder to maintain the same pace that she typically sees on the static erg. To me, this means that technique on the Dynamic is very important!

Hope this helps...

[Bob S.]

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the post, Jim. That's the first real feedback that we have had on the forum about the dynamic erg.

Bob S.

[Nosmo]

I thought for sure it would be there given that C2 strategically blocked both Rowperfect and Oartec from exhibiting at the Worlds in NZ.

I guess they decided they aren't ready yet judging by all the negative feedback.

What are you talking about? How did C2 "strategically block" the others from exhibiting? references please. Without some evidence this sounds like a drive by pot shot, especially because it is by someone with one post.

[slwiser]

Takes for the Dynamic Erg feedback.

[bloomp]

Hope this helps...

Indeed it does Jim, I've spent a very limited amount of time on the prototype at CRASH-B's and enjoyed it but until now I've not read too thorough of a review. I just recieved a pair of slides so any purchase in the future would have to be a dynamic erg... That'd be the distant future for this broke college kid.

Happy Holidays.

[Rockin Roland]

I thought for sure it would be there given that C2 strategically blocked both Rowperfect and Oartec from exhibiting at the Worlds in NZ.

I guess they decided they aren't ready yet judging by all the negative feedback.

What are you talking about? How did C2 "strategically block" the others from exhibiting? references please. Without some evidence this sounds like a drive by pot shot, especially because it is by someone with one post.

Logic tells me that because C2 were a sponsor at the Worlds in NZ and Rowperfect and Oartec were not, they had exclusive rights to display their product.

[PaulG]

Any feedback from early adopters? I am very interested in hearing from people who have been using it for a while and how it feels on their back.

Pau

[macroth]

Not a full-time user, just tested it in Paris this weekend at the European IRC. I really had to pull with my legs to get back to the catch, which felt weird. Maybe it wasn't set up properly? Other than that, it seemed liked it would be easier on your back in the long run, compared to a stationary C2.

A friend of mine who came to watch me race tried the normal C2 then the dynamic. Never rowed, not very athletic. He got the hang of the stroke rather quickly. Not perfect technique, of course, but passable. After a couple of strokes on the Dynamic erg, his technique was just as good. Hardly any seat movement. This has me wondering if the Dynamic erg really is going to punish the gym rats and non rowers, like some people think or hope, if it ever becomes the standard for competitions. Time will tell, but this very short test seemed to indicate that while the feel is different, you still don't need to know how to row "well" to use it. I guess this is an advantage if C2 plans on selling it to gyms and not just rowing clubs.

[JRBJR]

While the customer reviews for the C2 dynamic erg continue to slowly trickle in, I located some rather informative videos on Youtube by Carlos Dinare, the Seattle rowing coach and Rowperfect RP3's US rep. Most are HD-quality videos of him and others on the new RP3 (the all-stainless steel Belgian model), including a few comparison tests between the RP3 and a static Model D with several rowers/ergers. He promises to have a side-by-side comparison test of the RP3 and the C2 dynamic erg on his "rowperfect3" Youtube site within the next few days.

[dlj]

FYI:

Just got mine yesterday. I'm a novice indoor rower who just started a month ago on an old concept2 in the gym and really liked it.

Takes up less space, works smoothly, and I can't tell a ton of difference.

[PaulG]

I climbed aboard the C2 Dynamic erg at CRASH-Bs to give it a ride. First I stood off to the side and looked at it for a while. Aesthetically this is one ugly piece of equipment. At least on the stationary ergs the form tells the function. You can see the flywheel with a handle attached and a seat on a track below it. It doesn’t take long to figure out how that thing works. It even looks a little like a boat sitting close to the water with the front half and the flywheel somewhat reminiscent of an upraised bow. The dynamic erg looks insect-like; all angles and arms and sitting high in the air. It almost reminded me of a praying mantis the way the monitor is projected out into the air. You really can’t see how it works until you get aboard. Can someone explain how the handle and foot stretchers are linked to the flywheel? Furthermore, although the deployed footprint is much smaller, the dynamic erg will not fold up into a relatively small space like a stationary erg will. Ok, no one buys an erg for its looks, but this is one strange looking piece of equipment compared to something like the Oartech slider. But, I think the C2 dynamic erg is less expensive.

Once you get on it you can feel the value. It feels much smoother than a stationary erg as you don’t feel the chain around the cog as much. Also the seat is moving very little which decreases the vibration you might feel. I really couldn’t tell much about the noise level but I expect a listener in the room would say it is quieter, but the erger might say it is louder because the flywheel is right below you and closer to your ear. The big difference is that you are not feeling the inertia of reversing the mass of your body with each stroke. If you are rowing well, your hips are moving very little. In fact there are now small shock cords attached to the seat to keep you in the middle of the small track for the seat travel. The biggest difference is how fast you can increase your rate. I got up to at least 48 spm without a tremendous amount of difficulty as a 54 year old lightweight. That’s because you are not hauling your body weight up and down the track each stroke. Also my force curve was fairly symmetrical as opposed to the early peak that I usually see when really working hard. However, I did find a down side to this. On a stationary erg you can use the downhill slope of the track, the tension on the handle, and the momentum of your body on the recovery to get into a compressed position for the next stroke. This won’t happen on the dynamic erg as you have to use your hamstrings and hip flexors to bring the foot stretcher back to your hips at the catch. I felt this when I noticed that my feet were completely flat on the stretcher at the catch. Usually I am slightly on my toes. I’m pretty sure I was not compressed as much as usual at the catch and was possibly shortening my stroke because I could not use the forces described above to achieve my normal position.

So would I buy one? Probably. It feels much easier on your back because you are not dealing with the forces of reversing your body mass on each stroke. Also times in sprints will probably be faster because you can hit your target pace much faster. OTW folks generally say that it more closely resembles the feel of a single scull, but my OTW experience in my ocean scull is too different to verify that. Anyone with a history of back problems (like me) or who wants to train primarily for OTW should consider it. If you are perfectly happy with your stationary erg, I would keep it.

[Bob S.]

I climbed aboard the C2 Dynamic erg at CRASH-Bs to give it a ride.

Good review! Thanks for posting it. Many of the points you mentioned would apply as well to a standard erg on slides, but that has an enormous footprint compared to any other indoor rowing system and, while it can be dismantled and stored, it is a lot of work and nuisance to do it. The look is of no consequence as far as I am concerned. The inner workings were a mystery, but all that has been explained in detail and makes reasonable sense.

Bob S.

[Slidewinder]

Thankyou PaulG for the excellent review of the C2 dynamic erg. I have yet to try it, but I agree that it is "one ugly piece of equipment". Even if the machine feels great, aesthetic considerations would affect my purchasing choice.

I enjoy cycling for example, but I would never purchase an ugly bicycle - regardless of how it fits and feels. A machine should not just satisfy functional requirements, it should also be a pleasure to behold.

[PaulG]

Furthermore, although the deployed footprint is much smaller, the dynamic erg will not fold up into a relatively small space like a stationary erg will.

I took a closer look at the pictures of the dynamic erg and watched the C2 video again. There are wheels behind the flywheel and a bumper at the back of the seat track. It looks like it could be tipped on end for storage which would decrease the footprint even further. Anyone know?

Paul