Clothing Question

[Brewster]

I'm presently just starting into using a C2 at a local gym, but I'll be getting my own C2 in the near future. Thus far, I've been making do on my short, beginner-type sessions with cheap generic gym shorts. I've read that wearing quality rowing trou (like those from JL Racing, Boathouse Sports or Sew Sporty) is highly recommended. My question -- just how important are those quality rowing trou and how much comfort-benefit-whatever do they really provide? In case it matters--I'm an overweight old guy getting into erging for shape/condition improvement and hopefully(?) weight loss purposes. There won't be any competition or on-the-water rowing in the future for me.

[G-dub]

I'm presently just starting into using a C2 at a local gym, but I'll be getting my own C2 in the near future. Thus far, I've been making do on my short, beginner-type sessions with cheap generic gym shorts. I've read that wearing quality rowing trou (like those from JL Racing, Boathouse Sports or Sew Sporty) is highly recommended. My question -- just how important are those quality rowing trou and how much comfort-benefit-whatever do they really provide? In case it matters--I'm an overweight old guy getting into erging for shape/condition improvement and hopefully(?) weight loss purposes. There won't be any competition or on-the-water rowing in the future for me.

The only reason I where close fitting shorts is due to two things that most males have. I don't wear rowing clothes, but use a sports brief and a pair of Nike shorts that are like biking shorts without the butt pad. If y are comfortable in your shorts, and the boys stay where they should, I would stick with it.

[Brewster]

I use a quality, dense closed-cell foam pad on top of the C2 plastic seat. The pad lightens up on hard seat-induced butt discomfort and I haven't had any problems so far with the boys wandering out of place and getting mashed, but so far I'm only doing 5-10 minutes sessions. I have a few pairs of cycling shorts (compression shorts with that cycling style "chamois" butt-pad) but I wasn't sure if they'd be right. The chamois works on a bicycle saddle, but that's a lot different than a C2 plastic seat.

[G-dub]

Bike shorts don't work - or at least the padding doesn't make sense. Stick with what is comfortable for you until it isn't!

[Carl Watts]

Compression type skins work pretty well, they are cheap but they are thin and don't hold much sweat. I had some proper rowing outfits made and they use a different "Lycra" type material but its thicker and you have the option of a double layer in the seat. These are really nice to row in. Avoid anything cycle related as the pad in them DOESN'T suit the rowing action for some reason. Also I have some New Balance running shorts made of the similar material. These look like bike pants but have no pad and they are also great.

http://www.oarsome.com.au/products

[Brewster]

OK--thank you. I figured the cycling shorts would be wrong. That unique “chamois" of the cycling style shorts just didn’t feel right for a C2 seat. I’m glad I got that much right, which is an encouraging thing. I suppose after I spend ~$1K on a C2, worrying about spending another ~$40 on a pair of rowing-specific shorts is silly.

Side question: I find it necessary to triple-check every word I write here to make sure The AlmightyAutoSpellCorrect doesn’t “correct” what I’ve written into some hideous butchery of the language. Does this piss anybody else off the way it pisses me off? Note To Mods: Please forgive my candor.

[sekitori]

OK--thank you. I figured the cycling shorts would be wrong. That unique “chamois" of the cycling style shorts just didn’t feel right for a C2 seat. I’m glad I got that much right, which is an encouraging thing. I suppose after I spend ~$1K on a C2, worrying about spending another ~$40 on a pair of rowing-specific shorts is silly.

Side question: I find it necessary to triple-check every word I write here to make sure The AlmightyAutoSpellCorrect doesn’t “correct” what I’ve written into some hideous butchery of the language. Does this piss anybody else off the way it pisses me off? Note To Mods: Please forgive my candor.

As stated before, wear something that feels comfortable. It does not have to be designed specifically for erging. I wear inexpensive nylon tricot running shorts. They provide no cushioning at all but combined with a high density foam rubber pad on the seat, I feel quite comfortable.

Side answer: I agree completely. Among other things, it consistently wants to correct words like "erging'" and "erg" to "urging" and "urge". After I correct them and preview what I've written, spellcheck often reverts back to its original correction which I then have to change again. This already has happened three times since I started this post. Like you, that pisses me off--immensely.

[Bob S.]

Side answer: I agree completely. Among other things, it consistently wants to correct words like "erging'" and "erg" to "urging" and "urge". After I correct them and preview what I've written, spellcheck often reverts back to its original correction which I then have to change again. This already has happened three times since I started this post. Like you, that pisses me off--immensely.

Another one: erger ends up as eager. At least it did this time - up until now it has always ended up as merger. Fortunately the word erg itself comes out unchanged, since it is a well-established word - with a different meaning, of course.

[Brewster]

Thanks for the advice and especially for the confirmation that I’m not the only one who get irritated by TheAlmightySpellChecker. I try to be at least a little bit articulate, but when The Mighty Machine keeps “correcting” me (despite its frequently being incorrect), I sometimes get irritated. Oh, well... Such is life in online forums.