Trying to improve my RowErg technique, especially for longer endurance sessions.
This is what my stroke currently looks like at around 29–30 SPM.
What stands out to you?
Anything I'm doing well, and what would you change first?
Don’t hold back – looking for honest feedback.
What do you think about bringing the Backyard Ultra format to Concept2 ergs?
One hour. One loop. Complete the distance before the hour is over.
Miss the cutoff? You're out.
The last athlete remaining wins.
We're currently testing this format and would genuinely love feedback from the Concept2 community.
Would you try it? What distances or rules would you change?
I'm planning to complete an ERG ULTRA (long-duration endurance challenge backyard style on the Concept2 RowErg, SkiErg, and BikeErg), and I want to build my own evidence-based training plan instead of just copying what others have done.
So far, I've worked through these books (see photo):
The Cyclist's Training Bible – Joe Friel
Training Essentials for Ultrarunning – Jason Koop
PEAK – Dr. Marc Bubbs
Endure – Alex Hutchinson
They've been incredibly helpful for understanding endurance physiology, periodization, nutrition, recovery, and the mental side of ultra-endurance.
Now I'm looking for the next level, especially books that are highly relevant to:
Concept2 RowErg training
SkiErg training
Endurance physiology
Training science
Long-duration pacing
Fatigue management
Strength training for endurance athletes
Are there any books you consider essential reading?
I'm particularly interested in resources that are more scientific than motivational. If there are rowing coaches, cross-country skiing coaches, or exercise physiologists here, I'd love to hear what books shaped your training philosophy.
Looking forward to your recommendations!
Last Sunday I rode 125 km on the Concept2 BikeErg, matching the shortened IRONMAN Frankfurt bike course, which was reduced due to the extreme heat. The entire ride was tracked with the Ergultra.com app.
It got me thinking: How well does a BikeErg effort actually translate to riding a real road bike?
Obviously, there are no factors like wind resistance, rolling resistance, bike handling, climbing, or aerodynamics indoors. On the other hand, the power output is consistent and there's no drafting or coasting.
For those of you who train on both:
How do you compare BikeErg distance to road cycling distance?
Do you use power, elapsed time, calories, or another metric to estimate equivalency?
Is there a rule of thumb you've found to be reasonably accurate?
I'd love to hear your experiences and how you approach the comparison.
Hey everyone,
I recently completed a planned 6-hour ultra test to try out the "Erg Ultra" format. The goal wasn't to push to absolute failure, but rather to maintain a controlled, steady pace across the entire duration.
The format is structured so that you have a specific distance target to clear per hour:
8 km SkiErg + 19 km BikeErg (any time remaining before the hour strikes is your rest period).
I used the ergultra.com app to track and manage the sessio. It ran smoothly in the background without being intrusive and did a great job keeping the rounds organized.
The stats after 6 rounds:
Total Distance: 81.00 km (24.0 km SkiErg / 57.0 km BikeErg)
Moving Time: 4h 22m (the rest was transition/break time within the hourly windows)
Averages: Avg HR: 116 bpm | Avg Watts: 96 W | 2,879 kcal
The main focus was rhythm and pacing control while switching between the standing pulling motion and cycling. Overall, it felt really solid and sustainable.
What distances do you usually target for your long endurance sessions? Do you like combining different ergs in a single workout, or do you prefer to stick strictly to one machine?
A friend of mine runs Backyard Ultras. The real ones — out in the woods, 6.7km every hour, last one standing wins. He does one of the biggest ones in Germany every year. Every time he comes back with these stories about the mental game — the moment at hour 14 when your brain starts negotiating with you, when it's 3am and there's only two of you left.I've been listening to these stories for years thinking: why doesn't this exist on the erg?
The format is perfect for Concept2. Fixed distance every round. Miss the cutoff, you're done. Last one standing. Simple, brutal, and the kind of challenge that's completely different from anything else you can do on an ergometer.
So I tried it on the BikeErg.Set up the Backyard Ultra format: fixed distance per round, hourly cutoff, keep going until you can't. This was my first real test — not going all out, just seeing if the format holds up over a long session.200km later, I can confirm: it works insanely well on the erg.
The thing that surprised me most is the pacing game. On a BikeErg, you can't just cruise — the pace drops off a cliff if you lose focus for 30 seconds. Every round you're doing mental math: "Can I afford to recover this round, or will that cost me the cutoff?" It's the same chess game my friend describes from his runs.
The problem was: no tool supports this.
PM5 can't do timed rounds natively. ErgData can't do it. Nothing out there handles a Backyard Ultra format on an erg — let alone across multiple ergs. So I built an app that connects to the PM5 via Bluetooth and runs the entire format: automatic round detection, transition countdowns, real-time tracking. It also supports a "Triple" mode where you rotate between RowErg, SkiErg, and BikeErg every round.
After this test confirmed everything works reliably over 200km, I filed a US patent for the multi-erg Bluetooth orchestration tech. The ability to sync multiple PM5s simultaneously and handle automatic transitions between ergs.
Now I'm curious:
Has anyone here ever tried something like this? A long-format endurance session on the erg with Backyard Ultra rules?
Would you be interested in doing something like this?