RowedBiker can make your indoor rowing workouts more interesting by connecting your rowing machine to workout games like Zwift. It currently supports Bluetooth data connections with the Concept2 PM 5 monitor.
It’s really not as strange as it sounds. After you get over the part where there are climbs (boo!), descents (yeah!), and the fact that you don’t face backwards while working out.
– The RowedBiker Cruze and Power Reserve Modes
Cycling experiences assume that your hands are mostly free to type chat messages, grab a water bottle, gesticulate at the display, and so on.
We rowers are not so hands-free and rowing one-handed while trying to grab a drink while still staying with the peloton can be challenging. And while there is nothing wrong with being the strong, silent type, sometimes you’ll want to join in the online banter.
To that end, RowedBiker offers a Cruze mode that locks your power to a certain level. As long as you stay at or above that level you’ll store energy in your Cruze Reserve that you can use to go hands-free when necessary. So, if you need to slow or stop rowing to grab a drink or send a cheery “Ride On!”, you can ride off your Cruze Reserve and then jump back on the power without getting dropped.
– Erg Mode Support
Workout games offer structured workouts where you move between different power setpoint levels in the workout. Power surges may last as little as 10 seconds. This can be hard to track on a rower, since it can take several strokes to match a requested power level.
So, RowedBiker supports “erg mode”. Erg mode allows the workout game to auto-magically control the resistance of the trainer thus changing the power output expected by the athlete.
In erg mode, RowedBiker will change your Cruze setpoint automatically whenever the workout games requests a new power level. If the game requests a higher level than your current rowing output, the Cruze will withdraw from your power reserve while you ramp up the wattage. If the game drops the requested power level, you’ll accumulate reserve reserve power while you are coasting down.
In both cases, it will appear to the workout game that you adjusted your workout power more or less immediately and you’ll be able to scoop up all those workout stars.
Oh, and did we mention it’s hands-free? Yeah!
– Cruze Control Setpoints
If your workout game does not support erg mode, RowedBiker also has four power setpoint presets that can capture power levels, and then be used to immediately change the Cruze setpoint, much as erg mode would do it. Since structured workouts often have a few power levels that they return to repeatedly, you can capture those power levels and return to them quickly as they are requested by the game. Not as hands-free as erg mode, but still easier that trying to immediately ramp power levels up and down.
– RowedBiker Free Workouts, Day Passes, and Unlimited Workouts
RowedBiker is user-supported software. You pay for it by either purchasing 24-hour day passes or by purchasing the permanent, unlimited day pass option. You may also get a day pass by watching sponsored advertisements.
After installing the app, you’ll get 7 free day passes so you can evaluate it and determine if it will work with your devices and workout games. After that you can buy day pass packs, watch ads, or purchase the full unlock.
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“RowedBiker” and “Cruze Reserve” are trademarks of Charlotte Intellectual Properties, LLC. Some features of RowedBiker, including the Cruze Reserve, are patent pending.