History of the Concept 2 Rowing Machines Part 2

Evolution of the Concept 2 Rowing Machine

There are currently four models of the Concept 2 Rowing Machine and each one has improved on the last. The idea for the indoor rower was developed by two brothers, Peter and Dick Dreissigacker, both who are avid rowers and in 1976 were in training for the Olympic trials in pairs rowing. They were designing their own oars in the back of a bread truck that doubled as their home.

While the trials for the Olympics did not go as planned, the carbon fiber oars that they developed did. The Dreissigackers moved in their combination home and office truck from California to Vermont to set up a shop to make carbon fiber oars. They bought an old dairy barn and began the process of converting it into a shop and producing rowing equipment, starting with oars. Since that time the company has grown and expanded to include many different types of products for both land and water rowing.

• 1977 the first set of carbon fiber oars were used in the World’s Championship.
• 1978 colleges and universities began using the Dreissigacker oars for competitions with outstanding results.
• 1980 the brothers look for ways to keep rowing over the long Vermont winters and experiment with a bicycle nailed to the floor and a pull chain. The concept of the rower is developed and improved.
• 1981 the Model A, known then as the Rowing Ergometer was produced. It was made largely from bicycle parts.
• 1982 the C.R.A.S.H–B rowing club in Boston called to discuss setting up an indoor rowing race.
• 1984 the Dreissigacker brothers moved out of the barn and into a commercial facility due to the overwhelming response and demand for the Model A.
• 1986 the Model B rower was developed that added a better, safer design including a flywheel cover, more natural rowing movement, and a performance monitor.
• 1991 saw the introduction of the Model C rower. More streamlined and ergonomically designed the Model C rower became very popular for both club and home fitness use.
• 2003 was the year the final version of the Concept 2 Rower was introduced. The Model D rower is the most advanced of all the rowers that Concept 2 offers with a powerful performance monitor, heavy duty construction, ergonomically re-designed handle, quiet performance and impact-resistant flywheel cover. There are significantly more damper settings available on the Model D rower than on any other rower model. The chain can be easily removed for cleaning and the outlet strip is made of stainless steel to prevent any rusting.

The Model D PM3

One of the most unique features of the Model D Concept 2 Rowing Machine is the powerful PM3 that is included as a standard feature on the model. This advanced performance monitor is a menu-driven onboard computer that takes all the tedious paperwork and logging out of the rowing exercise. The PM3 uses a C2 logcard that allows you to set up your own personal training workout and use a simple push of a button to start it up rather than having to reprogram every use. In addition the C2 logcard can be removed and the program downloaded to your personal computer for additional data monitoring.

Next: Indoor rowing competitions