Ronald Reagan once said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language were “I’m from the goverment and I’m here to help”. Whilst Reagan only needed nine to get his point across, most rowers only need three: “Erg test tomorrow”.
Hyperbole aside, the erg is, as many coaches and sports professionals will tell you, the most accurate measure of raw power available. Telemetry can be faulty, but when you sit on that seat and set the timer, there really is nowhere to hide, no pretending to pull hard no escape from the split on the screen.
There was once a time, within the lifetime of some, that the erg either did not exist or was under-utilised. This is that story.
The beginning
Believe it or not, the earliest concept of an ergometer goes back to 4th century Athens. In order to keep his sailors fit and honed in the art of rowing all year round, Admiral Chabrias built wooden frames on board ships.
Jumping forward some 15 centuries and the first patent for a rowing device was awarded in 1872 to WB Curtis, often dubbed since as not just the father of the erg, but the father of amateur athletics itself. Curtis’ design was slightly different from the modern day. It was a flywheel that was connected to a series of ratchets. But, its bare bones formed the basis of a design that was constantly bettered in the several decades afterwards.
The commercial rowing machine
In the early twentieth century, with the explosion of interest in collegiate rowing in the USA, commercial rowing machines began to appear on college campuses as a way to mimic boat conditions.
The introduction of the Gamut 2 in 1971 proved to be the climax of new devices. The machine, which is still used in certain rowing clubs even today, enabled coaches to physically see an athletes power delivery throughout the stroke on land. Tanks of course existed, but the Gamut gave a slightly more individualised approach to coaching. However, the flaw of this design remained its fluidity and portability. Given the sheer size of some machines, having twenty or more in one room as one would have now, was impossible.
That was until the 1980s. A decade that saw a revolution in fitness culture also saw the pioneering of a new technology that would prove revolutionary for the erg: air resistance, a concept first launched by Australian manufacturer Repco in 1980.
During the decade, a certain company by the name of Concept 2, operating out of Morrisville, Vermont, created an ergo consisting of a bicycle, which had a moving seat and a flywheel to create air resistance. There was also a speedometer that allowed an athlete for the first time ever to see their power in real time.
Further advancements
The Concept B went further, using a Performance Monitoring (PM) display, which included strokes per minute and total workout times.
Each of the first two Concept 2 ergs were also significantly cheaper than most on the market at the time . The Model A was sold for $600 when the going rate at the time was $3,000, so shifting stock was not an issue.
By the year 1990, the company expanded to oar production, to the production of rowing slides in 2000, and the Ski Erg in 2009. The success of this was such that Concept 2 now holds 28% of the overall rowing machine market worldwide. Most rowers will have probably used a piece of Concept 2 kit several hundred times over in their rowing careers.
The power of the humble erg
The importance of the erg cannot be overstated, not just for its use as a training tool but also as a method to widen the reach of the sport. Most public gyms have at least one rowing machine, allowing access without the need to attend a rowing club, which can be expensive and time consuming.
So, the next time you hop on an erg and set the screen for a test or steady state, just have a think about the hours of innovation to make that first stroke possible.
And remember: ergs don’t float
