New Indoor Rower - From Lewis Hamiltons Dad

[Valgozi]

So a new kid on the block (maybe) for indoor rowers?!

http://www.floatrower.com/

The screen for the rower looks like a tablet, so maybe what the PM5 should have been?! It seems to come with RowPro/LiveRowing and ErgData/PainSled functions as standard.

Will be interesting what the build quality of the machine is like, home gym or rowing club / public gym bomb proof?!

There was a advert for it in R&R magazine so maybe prices and launch dates sometime soon?

Video of its PR photo shoot here, you can see Anthony Hamilton feature a few times - http://www.bjpphotography.co.uk/float-rower-video/

Anyone seen it in action yet?

[Sarah Harbour]

Interesting. Hadn't heard of it (clearly wasn't paying enough attention when I skimmed through R&R!).

Struggle to see it catching on for public gyms - just don't think that gym rowers will be bothered about the 'feeling like a boat', and any who are competitive will want to know their C2 scores as that's obviously the standard used.

Interesting innovation with the separate flywheels and the fact they're saying it's useful for scullers. I'm not sure I'd necessarily be bothered with separate handles if I'm not making the arc on the way forward though.

Will be interesting to see how it compares to the RP3. It isn't particularly clear how you can calibrate the output to a particular rower weight and boat class, which is where the RP3 is useful in comparison to the C2.

Sarah

[Henry Law]

On 04/01/17 17:31, Sarah Harbour wrote:
> Interesting. Hadn't heard of it (clearly wasn't paying enough attention when I skimmed through R&R!).

Nor me!

What differentiates it from C2 or WaterRower? The "wobbliness" of it,
presumably. I suppose the idea is that rowing clubs would buy them in
preference to "traditional" machines, but would they be good enough to
allow instruction/improvement in on-water technique? Possible, I
suppose, but I'm sceptical. Two handles as an aid to sculling
instruction? Well, maybe; but without arcs and a crossover it's just
too different from the real thing.

Building strength in the core muscles, probably; but it's an expensive
way to do that.

As you suggest, I can't see the indoor rowing fraternity wanting these
at all: not comparable to every other machine in every other gym, and
what benefit would they see from the wobble?

--
Henry Law n e w s @ l a w s h o u s e . o r g
Manchester, England

[madmar...@gmail.com]

Seems like lots of new ergo machines on the market.

http://www.oartec.com/oartec-dx/

[James HS]

It has a few innovations - the split handles will allow a sculler to get a different experience - cross over if you want to and I like the hand height recording as often hand heights are too low.

The wobble is useful - i have modified my dynamic with a 'coreperform' seat that I used on my fixed head (sold) which wobbles me 10 mm either side of the pivot and I can really feel this after a 60r20 acting on the core stability muscles.

About time a tablet interface was used which presumably could interface to wireless - the PMs have always been a bit clunky.

however, it is BIG! and looks slightly over engineered - when thinking about storage in a club etc

Whereas the oartec looks like a cross between the rp and the C2 dynamic - so then it will depend more on the monitor.

What I really miss from my fixed head was something I put on called a 'c breeze' which threw all the air back at me and cooled me down - the fan on a dynamic is in the wrong place so I get no air for all that work :)

plus would be nice to have somewhere to put a drinks bottle and a towel and a phone ...... oh my god, I feel cup-holders coming on everywhere :)

[Valgozi]

A review of machines and price -

C2 Model D - £860
Water Rower - £949 (From £749)
C2 Dynamic - £1190
Oartec DX - $1895 USD (Pre-Order $1695 USD)
Rowperfect RP3 - £2150
Coffey SimulatOar - $2450

FloatRower - £???? I wonder where it will fit in!

The Oartec DX was finished a while ago but with the release of the PM5 they decided to update the monitor.

Didn't realise that the RP3 uses a tablet / phone as well. Its unclear if you get this with the machine or use your own.

[usbrit]

wow I had no idea a RP3 was close to 3 times the cost of a C2!!

[Valgozi]

Tracked down an approx price on this rowingmachine review blog - http://www.rowingmachine-guide.com/blog

£3000 is indicated for the FloatRower

[A. Dumas]

On 05/01/2017 21:10, usbrit wrote:
> On Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 4:57:06 AM UTC-5, Valgozi wrote:
>> C2 Model D - £860

>> Rowperfect RP3 - £2150

>
> wow I had no idea a RP3 was close to 3 times the cost of a C2!!

That's exactly 2.5 times.

[Sarah Harbour]

The C-Breeze fits nicely on my RP3 - I just didn't realise for about 3 years until Tom pointed it out on Twitter!

Sarah

[James HS]

Thanks for the tip and how annoying :) (for me) - the C2 dynamic fan is behind me - might fit it on and see if the air can be funnelled anywhere useful :)

[Rebecca Caroe]

Hi Val

>
> Didn't realise that the RP3 uses a tablet / phone as well. Its unclear if you get this with the machine or use your own.

RP3 you use your own tablet (Any Android tablet that has an on the go cable is compatible).