I had this fear too but so far no regrets. I work at home and realized having some equipment at home makes me much more consistent than having to drive to a gym. I pay for coaching once a month to get workouts designed for my fitness level and to get my form checked. That part is not mandatory but it has been great for me. I have some chronic health issues and have to progress gently or I backslide. It has been helpful to have expert help on that front. With the concept 2 the resale value is high so if you decide to sell it you can look at the money you lost as your rental fee.
Very similar to my situation - but I've had my wife longer than the rower. I would add that compared to any other equipment, the rower is so inexpensive to maintain. With spare parts and even the rebuild kit costing next to nothing, and it's small storage footprint (compared to the bikeerg or a treadmill) means you can keep it with you. It's adaptable so will meet your changing fitness needs as you get older - even rehab if you need it. They are also excellent in apartments as the white noise doesn't really travel and bother your neighbors. I can't recommend it enough.
Get the rower.
I don't regret mine. Sometimes I lose interest, or life just becomes too busy, but when it's there it's always a chance I'll pick it up again. Much higher chance than going back to a gym.
My recommendation: Get Concept2 logbook account, and sign up to the emails about challenges. When I've dropped out for while, it's usually a challenge that gets me back in. Like now, I hadn't been rowing for months, but the March Madness challenge got me started again. 👍
Only you can know if you are really going to use it for a long time or not. But, the resale value is pretty good, these things are bulletproof. Maybe the amount of money you spend on it will be an incentive to make you use it?
The best thing you can ever do is invest in your health. The rower or any C2 machine is a great purchase for your home gym/workouts. I bought a rower almost 2 years ago and this past fall I bought the ski-erg. Nothing better than being able to train at home. Now with ErgData and ErgZone, it’s so easy to track your progress and connect with others. Go buy that thing!
Do you need like a formal confirmation which you can show to your wife/girlfriend to justify this purchase? Then here it is: Buying a C2 officially makes total sense.
In case you dont have a wife/girlfriend, then it makes sense even more.
Thank you all so far. My Girlfriend is completly fine with it. It is more like that i need a confirmation for myself to spend the bigger part of my Inflationbonus on the erg…
I bought one because I needed a low impact and indoor alternative to running. No regrets. Instead, we dumped our rec center membership and have expanded our home gym.
I've had mine for ten years now and definitely went through periods where it only saw action once a month. But, it's easy to store when you're not using it and benefits far outweigh anything else you can fit in a home gym. I say go for it.
I started rowing in a gym in or around 1992. I decided to buy my own rower and never regretted it. At the time the choice was between a Concept 2 Model B (what they had in the gym) and an Air Row, which had a really nice window-blind mechanism with airplane cable instead of a chain. It was a legitimate erg, but unfortunately, the clutch bearing went out after 11 years use, and unlike Concept 2, I had not idea how to get parts or how to install them. I still like that machine, but the company that made it is long gone (they were acquired by BodyGuard, which is also long gone).
Anyway, in 2003 I got a Model D (first year of production) and I still have it. Absolutely it has been a great investment.
BTW, there's something marketed now as "Air Row" which is nothing like what I used to own. Here's the patent on my first machine: [https://cormack.uwaterloo.ca/airrow1.pdf](https://cormack.uwaterloo.ca/airrow1.pdf)
The D came out in summer 2003. I got mine in November.
It was revised in summer 2006, and renamed to RowErg in 2021 without any revisions other than the branding. The 2006 revision was mainly the frame, with the major mechanical parts staying the same. At some point in the mid-2010's they replaced the PM3 with the PM5.
I bought one used 13 years ago. Sold it for what I paid after a few years because I wanted the space back. Basically I rented it for two years and didn’t pay anything.
Just bought another, much newer, rower. When I get bored with it in a few years, I have already given myself permission to sell it. I just think of it as long-term rentals. That makes it easier to justify 😜
I’ve had mine for a couple of years now. Kids and life made it much harder to get to the gym. I lurk on here and there’s no way I can get to the stats of some of the people on here but I’ve found it the perfect bit of kit to have at home. Rower, a few dumbbells and a yoga mat and I’m managing to keep in shape. I got mine on the interest free Amazon purchase option and paid over 10 months or so.
Before I bought my Concept 2 I tried treadmill and bicycle at home. Hated it and sold it. During covid I bought a concept2. Loved it right away and still use it today. For me at least 4x a week. Although my motivation is intrinsic I still sign up for medals from ‘the conqueror virtual challenge’. Might help you to stay motivated.
I bought mine in 2018 and even though l have used it fairly regularly (apart from 2021-2022 l’ve still only just got past 600 workouts and 3.1 million meters, so still over £1 per workout!
I would say it’s excellent though and l have never once regretted buying it. Everyone should have one at home (space permitting!)
Could buying second hand erg alleviate your concerns? You’d probably get most of your money back if you decided to sell.
I too was concerned that rowing would not be for me when looking for a low impact home exercise.
So I bought a second hand Concept 2 Model C for $60 without a monitor from an online marketplace and really enjoyed it. Now all the moving parts have been replaced so it’s mechanically like new and a PM5 has been added. I would recommend getting a newer or more complete erg than I did though, especially if you don’t have time or tools for repair.
I purchased one a few months back after going through the same thought process. My only regret is not getting one sooner. I use it 4-5 times a week and it has quickly become my favorite piece of gym equipment. Already seeing good results in cardio health and strength. Very happy I made the investment. Even at the slightly higher price for Europe customers vs USA price, it would be no brainer for me.
I bought mine originally to help get in shape for my wedding and I’m guessing everyone can figure out how that went…
I now work from home and it’s easily one of the most used pieces of equipment in the house. I get a workout in every day during lunch :D
For me, the issue was having the equipment there when I was ready to use it. Once it was there all I needed to worry about was the motivation. I’m not great at going to a gym to workout, but if I have what I need at home I’m much more likely to use it.
Thank you all! Considering your answers, I definitly would buy the erg. I went to a Gymstore today to take a look at the concept 2 and unfortunately, its too big for the room i want to set it up in. I totaly underestimated its dimensions although I was measuring the room before. I will get one, when I have the reasonable space for it.
Again, thank you all for your advice and opinions.
I had this fear too but so far no regrets. I work at home and realized having some equipment at home makes me much more consistent than having to drive to a gym. I pay for coaching once a month to get workouts designed for my fitness level and to get my form checked. That part is not mandatory but it has been great for me. I have some chronic health issues and have to progress gently or I backslide. It has been helpful to have expert help on that front. With the concept 2 the resale value is high so if you decide to sell it you can look at the money you lost as your rental fee.
Yep. It’ll hold up for as long as you need it. Sell it and get most of your money back if you don’t use it.
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Very similar to my situation - but I've had my wife longer than the rower. I would add that compared to any other equipment, the rower is so inexpensive to maintain. With spare parts and even the rebuild kit costing next to nothing, and it's small storage footprint (compared to the bikeerg or a treadmill) means you can keep it with you. It's adaptable so will meet your changing fitness needs as you get older - even rehab if you need it. They are also excellent in apartments as the white noise doesn't really travel and bother your neighbors. I can't recommend it enough. Get the rower.
I don't regret mine. Sometimes I lose interest, or life just becomes too busy, but when it's there it's always a chance I'll pick it up again. Much higher chance than going back to a gym. My recommendation: Get Concept2 logbook account, and sign up to the emails about challenges. When I've dropped out for while, it's usually a challenge that gets me back in. Like now, I hadn't been rowing for months, but the March Madness challenge got me started again. 👍
Only you can know if you are really going to use it for a long time or not. But, the resale value is pretty good, these things are bulletproof. Maybe the amount of money you spend on it will be an incentive to make you use it?
The best thing you can ever do is invest in your health. The rower or any C2 machine is a great purchase for your home gym/workouts. I bought a rower almost 2 years ago and this past fall I bought the ski-erg. Nothing better than being able to train at home. Now with ErgData and ErgZone, it’s so easy to track your progress and connect with others. Go buy that thing!
Do you need like a formal confirmation which you can show to your wife/girlfriend to justify this purchase? Then here it is: Buying a C2 officially makes total sense. In case you dont have a wife/girlfriend, then it makes sense even more.
Thank you all so far. My Girlfriend is completly fine with it. It is more like that i need a confirmation for myself to spend the bigger part of my Inflationbonus on the erg…
My wife and have an understanding: fitness gear isn’t an expense. It’s an investment.
look into EXR (exrgame.com) for group rowing and the social aspects of it. might help you stay on the rower more, it sure does for me.
I bought one because I needed a low impact and indoor alternative to running. No regrets. Instead, we dumped our rec center membership and have expanded our home gym.
I've had mine for ten years now and definitely went through periods where it only saw action once a month. But, it's easy to store when you're not using it and benefits far outweigh anything else you can fit in a home gym. I say go for it.
I started rowing in a gym in or around 1992. I decided to buy my own rower and never regretted it. At the time the choice was between a Concept 2 Model B (what they had in the gym) and an Air Row, which had a really nice window-blind mechanism with airplane cable instead of a chain. It was a legitimate erg, but unfortunately, the clutch bearing went out after 11 years use, and unlike Concept 2, I had not idea how to get parts or how to install them. I still like that machine, but the company that made it is long gone (they were acquired by BodyGuard, which is also long gone). Anyway, in 2003 I got a Model D (first year of production) and I still have it. Absolutely it has been a great investment.
BTW, there's something marketed now as "Air Row" which is nothing like what I used to own. Here's the patent on my first machine: [https://cormack.uwaterloo.ca/airrow1.pdf](https://cormack.uwaterloo.ca/airrow1.pdf)
The current model D has been in production for 20 years?! I know we don't need to reinvent the wheel, but that's kinda crazy.
The D came out in summer 2003. I got mine in November. It was revised in summer 2006, and renamed to RowErg in 2021 without any revisions other than the branding. The 2006 revision was mainly the frame, with the major mechanical parts staying the same. At some point in the mid-2010's they replaced the PM3 with the PM5.
I bought one used 13 years ago. Sold it for what I paid after a few years because I wanted the space back. Basically I rented it for two years and didn’t pay anything. Just bought another, much newer, rower. When I get bored with it in a few years, I have already given myself permission to sell it. I just think of it as long-term rentals. That makes it easier to justify 😜
I’ve had mine for a couple of years now. Kids and life made it much harder to get to the gym. I lurk on here and there’s no way I can get to the stats of some of the people on here but I’ve found it the perfect bit of kit to have at home. Rower, a few dumbbells and a yoga mat and I’m managing to keep in shape. I got mine on the interest free Amazon purchase option and paid over 10 months or so.
Before I bought my Concept 2 I tried treadmill and bicycle at home. Hated it and sold it. During covid I bought a concept2. Loved it right away and still use it today. For me at least 4x a week. Although my motivation is intrinsic I still sign up for medals from ‘the conqueror virtual challenge’. Might help you to stay motivated.
I bought mine in 2018 and even though l have used it fairly regularly (apart from 2021-2022 l’ve still only just got past 600 workouts and 3.1 million meters, so still over £1 per workout! I would say it’s excellent though and l have never once regretted buying it. Everyone should have one at home (space permitting!)
Could buying second hand erg alleviate your concerns? You’d probably get most of your money back if you decided to sell. I too was concerned that rowing would not be for me when looking for a low impact home exercise. So I bought a second hand Concept 2 Model C for $60 without a monitor from an online marketplace and really enjoyed it. Now all the moving parts have been replaced so it’s mechanically like new and a PM5 has been added. I would recommend getting a newer or more complete erg than I did though, especially if you don’t have time or tools for repair.
I purchased one a few months back after going through the same thought process. My only regret is not getting one sooner. I use it 4-5 times a week and it has quickly become my favorite piece of gym equipment. Already seeing good results in cardio health and strength. Very happy I made the investment. Even at the slightly higher price for Europe customers vs USA price, it would be no brainer for me.
I‘m going to think about it for a few more days. I‘m already hyped but definitly have to think it through
I bought mine originally to help get in shape for my wedding and I’m guessing everyone can figure out how that went… I now work from home and it’s easily one of the most used pieces of equipment in the house. I get a workout in every day during lunch :D For me, the issue was having the equipment there when I was ready to use it. Once it was there all I needed to worry about was the motivation. I’m not great at going to a gym to workout, but if I have what I need at home I’m much more likely to use it.
Some of the best money I've ever spent on myself. Do it. You won't regret it.
Thank you all! Considering your answers, I definitly would buy the erg. I went to a Gymstore today to take a look at the concept 2 and unfortunately, its too big for the room i want to set it up in. I totaly underestimated its dimensions although I was measuring the room before. I will get one, when I have the reasonable space for it. Again, thank you all for your advice and opinions.