Advantages: Ease of use and worlds best
Disadvantages: Huge! Very costly.

...I am what you would describe as a fitness freak and have used many pieces of gym equipment. The Concept 2 Rower is bar far the most superior rower I have used. I use the Model E which is a newer version of the rower and immediately recongised by the frame being higher off the ground allowing a raised seating position which in my opinion is a far more natural and comfortable position. This rower is fitted with a performance Monitor known as PM4, simply the key pad you enter the distance/time and so forth. Being wireless enabled allows you to actually race another rower using a concept 2, as well as wireless heart rate monitoring. The rower even has a game function which allows you to actually add some enjoyment into your workout, it consists of a simple fish game where you must avoid the larger fish and eat the smaller ones... Read review

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Advantages: Nice Design, Good Workout
Disadvantages: Not as good as similar priced ergos, Water Goes Green

...I bought my Water Rower a couple of years ago. As a rower I thought i'd use it at home for some additonal training. It is quite expensive... but good quality ergos are.. The water rower is well built and nice to look at. It is more comfortable than other ergos but lacks some of the functionality of conventional rowing machines like the Concept 2. The paddle make a satistying "Swoosh" noise when you take a stroke. The main problem with the water rower is the difficulty in calibrating it. It is difficult to compare your times on it with another rowing machine because the resistance is inconsistent. In order to alter the resistance you must fill up the tank with more or less water. The computer which allows you to program your workout is not as advanced on some rowing machines. It does not give you a "Split" for instance (your time... Read review

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Advantages: Many
Disadvantages: Few

...Last summer, I decided that I needed to get fitter – I wasn’t overweight (quite the opposite in fact) – but I knew that I wasn’t as fit as I could be. I tried working out for a couple of months, but it just didn’t suit me. I wanted something I could do at home, so that I had the flexibility to do it at whatever time of night or day suited me, and so that I didn’t have the effort of travelling to a gym or sports centre. I toyed with the idea of an exercise bicycle, and whilst researching available models, I stumbled across something I had never considered before. Whilst in search of the ideal exercise equipment, I browsed through the listings of rowing machines, and spotted something called a Water Rower. It sounds kind of obvious on paper, but I had personally never heard of this particular type... Read review

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Advantages: good action up the slide
Disadvantages: seat is a little hard

...Prior to using the Delta Airmaster Rower i had mostly been training on the concept II indoor rowing machines at my local gym. However after finding out what an effect these machines had on my physic i decided to buy a rowing machine. Regretfully i was unable to get a concept so i began to search the market. Pretty soon i found the very well rated Delta Airmaster Rower and was soon hooked after the trial period and decided to buy one straight away. I soon fell in love with the smooth action as one rows up the slide and found the read outs very informative. However one thing to note was that the seat was a little uncomfortablke but this was very easily fixed by seeding off for a new one. Overall i would recommend this product to people of all ages who seriously plan to get fit. But the people who will really gain benefit are those who... Read review

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Advantages: A great symbol of the best of British Sportsmen
Disadvantages: none

...Who could fail to be deeply moved by the dedication, the application to his sport, and the monumental achievements of Steve Redgrave? FIVE Olympic Gold Medals, in each of five successive Olympics over a period of 16 years is a monumental achievement by any standards. He has been the inspiration for so many of our established and would-be rowers for so long. Ever in his more mature years, he stillranks as best in the world. His dedication to the sport he loves is a shining example to every aspiring athlete in any discipline. Yet he is still very unassuming, and has a wonderful personality. He deserves a knighthood for services to his sport and to our Country as a whole. I would nominate him as minister for Sport, and depose Tony Banks, but doubtless this is another of my thoughts that Tony Blair would disagree with!... Read review

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Advantages: Great up and coming sport, healthy life-style and making friends
Disadvantages: Hard work and time consuming

...instead of football during their teen years at local clubs. The is also a massive and vibrant community in London and generally in the Thames valley region (especially Henley) that trains for rowing almost obsessively. Teamwork As mentioned previously, rowing is done with other people in boats of 2, 4 and 8. In 'rowing' boats a person holds a single oar (know in rowing terms as a 'blade') in two hands, rather than an oar in each in 'sculling' (oar known as a scull in this discipline). Rowers therefore have to have a partner to counter the effect they have upon the boat, so one rower has a blade out on the left, whilst someone needs to counter that effect by having a blade on the right; the two people need to work together by taking a stroke at the same time to push the boat forward. All this whilst facing backwards... The more people... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: GREAT FUN AND KEEPS YOU FIT
Disadvantages: SEEN AS AN EXCLUSICE SPORT

...I started rowing when I went to university (see my review of Durham) and enjoyed the chance to learn a new sport. Rowing is seen by many as an exclusive sport for the rich society types that populate Oxford and Cambridge but this is completely untrue. It is only in England that this view is prevalent, in Germany, America and just about every other country that rows it is seen as a hard sport, but a sport that is open to all. It's true that there are some idiot public school rower types about but isn't that true with almost everything? Rowing is split into two different disciplines; sweeping (one blade (oars to the rest of us)) and sculling (two blades). Boats can have 1, 2, 4 or 8 rowers and most larger boats have coxes too (the little people who steer and shout a lot!). Rowing may seem like a fairly boring sport but there always seems... Read review

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Advantages: Good solid bike with lots of information on built in computer
Disadvantages: Size and cost

...In a vain attempt at getting fit, whilst not spending a fortune at the local gym, we purchased a York 2 in 1 Cycle Rower. We actually brought ours from eBay for £150.00 but if you are buying new you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of £260.00 at the cheapest search on Kelkoo. ##THE LOOK## This is a very solid bike/rower and is therefore by default very heavy. This is reflected in the look of the machine and you have a very solid, sturdy piece of equipment, taking up a relative amount of space in your living room. Ours is situated at the end of the room, by my desk, so is not too intrusive, but if you have a smaller room I would suggest a smaller bike as this really is quite a beast. The makers suggest in the guide that you should place the bike on an exercise mat or similar due to the fact that it has mechanisms... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Sturdy robust machine combining bike and rower features
Disadvantages: Needs sufficient space and heavy to shift around

...the LARGE package arrived was if I would manage to fit it together OK on my own, as I am by no means an expert in anything DIY related. However the instructions were musician-proof and with a little judicious balancing of the apparatus against a wall at one point, I was able to complete assembly. I certainly agree with the other reviewer about how robust and sturdy this machine is. She has described the features in great detail already, so suffice it to say that I'm on my