Concept2
Concept2, Inc. is an American manufacturer of rowing equipment and exercise machines based in Morrisville, Vermont. It is best known for its air resistance RowErgs, which are considered the standard training and testing machines for competition rowers and can be found in most gyms.
Competitive events using Concept2 Ergs include HYROX competitions, the CRASH-B Sprints, the British Rowing Indoor Championships competitions, and historic CrossFit Games events. Concept2 also manufactures oars for sculling and sweep rowing, as well as three other flywheel-based exercise machines: the SkiErg, the BikeErg for cycling, and the StrengthErg for strength training.
History
Concept2 was founded in 1976 by rowing brothers Dick and Pete Dreissigacker. The two brothers trialed for the American team for the 1976 Summer Olympics. While preparing, they modified their oars with carbon fiber in an attempt to go faster. When they were not selected for the team, they founded the company and started selling carbon fiber oars. Their first office was in the back of a bread truck until they bought a farm in Morrisville, Vermont, United States.Equipment
Oars
When the Dreissigacker brothers first began selling oars, they were well-received by the rowing community. Concept2 quickly established itself as a major players in the market, and in 1991, the company came out with oars with asymmetrical blades. These were dubbed "hatchet" blades, and became popular so quickly that, by 1992, most of the Olympic crews were using them. Many elite rowers use Concept2 oars, and along with Croker oars, they make up the majority of oars used in international competition.As of May 2024, Concept2 manufactures oars with a variety of blade designs, including their Comp, Fat2, Smoothie2 Vortex Edge, Smoothie2 Plain Edge, Big Blade, Macon Blade, and Bantam Blade options. The company also provides various options for oar handles and shafts.
Ergometers
Ergometers are called such because of how they measure power output. Competitive athletes rarely refer to the machines as "indoor rowers," but use the names "erg" or "ergo" as abbreviations for ergometer. Concept2 sells a variety of ergometer machines, including various models of the RowErg, as well as the SkiErg, BikeErg, and StrengthErg.RowErg
In 1981, the Dreissigacker brothers had the idea of making an indoor rowing machine made mainly from bicycle parts. It had a moving seat and a flywheel which used air for resistance. At the time, the indoor rowing machines on the market cost $3,000, but the brothers sold theirs for $600. The product was an instant success, with numerous iterations having been released over the years including the Model B, Model C, Model D, Model E and Dynamic.The Dynamic RowErg, first released in 2010, is unique among its peers due to its having a moving foot stretcher rather than a moving seat. This sets it apart from other RowErg models and results in less body mass movement, simulating on-water rowing more accurately.
Until 2006, the company produced and sold only one model of RowErg at a time. That changed in August of 2006 when Concept2 began selling a new prosumer-oriented Model E alongside their Model D. The Model E had higher and sturdier legs than the Model D, as well as a higher price. In early 2021, it was announced that the Model D and Model E would be discontinued and replaced by the "RowErg" and "Elevated RowErg" respectively. The "RowErg" will be identical to the black Model D, with only the name and graphics changing. The "Elevated RowErg" will be exactly the same as the "RowErg", but will have taller front and rear legs, meaning the seat will be 20" from the ground, rather than 14". The renaming of the Model D is partly to achieve consistency across the range, with the SkiErg and BikeErg.
Various modern models of the RowErg are used for indoor rowing events such as BIRC and CRASH-B. In 2018, CrossFit officially named Concept2's D & E models the official spec rowers for The CrossFit Open and Games. This followed an investigation which discovered that rival manufacturer Xebex's machines were "significantly easier than the competition standard," resulting in an official declaration that the Concept2 was the specification manufacturer.
Friction-prone areas of Concept2 Ergs are coated with nickel for longevity of the parts. Nickel coating also assists in lubrication and maintenance.