Tools

Rowing, SkiErg, BikeErg, Wattbike and air bike converter

Pick the machine you have a number from, type it in, and see what that effort looks like on the others. Results come in two groups. Same power is exact: Concept2 publishes the formulas, so the same watts give the same split on the RowErg, SkiErg and BikeErg. Similar effort is an estimate: a given power feels different on different machines, so those figures are a starting point and individual variation is large.

Enter a number from your machine to convert.

Reference table

RowErg 500 m split, with the BikeErg 1000 m split, calories and watts at the same power (exact), and cycling watts and air bike calories per minute at similar effort (estimate)
RowErg 500 m split(exact)Watts(exact)BikeErg 1000 m split, same watts(exact)Monitor calories per hour(exact)Cycling watts, similar effort(estimate)Air bike calories per minute, similar effort(estimate)
1:30.04801:30.0195252822.8
1:35.04081:35.0170544919.9
1:40.03501:40.0150538517.6
1:45.03021:45.0134133315.6
1:50.02631:50.0120528914.1
1:55.02301:55.0109225312.7
2:00.02032:00.099722311.6
2:05.01792:05.091719710.7
2:10.01592:10.08481759.9
2:15.01422:15.07901569.2
2:20.01282:20.07391408.6
2:25.01152:25.06951268.1
2:30.01042:30.06571147.7
2:35.0942:35.06231037.3
2:40.0852:40.0594946.9

How it works

Concept2 watts = 2.80 / pace³, where pace is seconds per metre, for the RowErg, SkiErg and BikeErg. The RowErg and SkiErg show a 500 m split. The BikeErg shows a 1000 m split and its watts are 2.80 / (split ÷ 500)³, so a BikeErg 1000 m split equals a RowErg or SkiErg 500 m split at the same watts. Power rises with the cube of speed: going 10% faster takes about 33% more power.

Concept2 monitor calories per hour = 4 × watts × 0.8604 + 300, based on a 79.5 kg (175 lb) person, and the same formula is used for all three Concept2 machines. Treat calories as a guide to effort, not an exact burn. Compare sessions on watts or split.

The Wattbike shows watts measured at the crank and publishes no calorie formula, so a Wattbike input is watts only. Air bikes (Assault, Echo) publish no watts or calorie formula and consoles differ, so air bike watts are never shown: calories per minute only, as an estimate.

Similar effort goes through the RowErg. Cycling watts are about 1.10 × RowErg watts at the same effort (Lindenthaler et al. 2018; Wiener et al. 1995). The BikeErg's split is power-matched to the rower, but equal power is not equal effort (Turner and Rice 2021). SkiErg calories are about the same as RowErg calories at a 2:00/500 m row pace or faster and about 0.8 × at 2:15 or slower, easing smoothly between, and air bike calories are about 0.7 × RowErg calories. Those last two are coaching rules of thumb, not studies. Individual variation is large.

Body weight is optional and never changes a split or watts figure. It changes two things. The monitor's calories add a fixed 300 cal/hr resting allowance that Concept2 works out for a 175 lb (79.5 kg) person; Concept2's calorie calculator corrects a monitor figure with true calories per hour = monitor figure − 300 + 1.714 × your weight in pounds, and that is what "for your weight" shows. And Concept2's weight adjustment calculator multiplies a time by (body weight in pounds ÷ 270)^0.222 to compare athletes of different sizes. The estimates for other machines stay on monitor calories.

Sources

Switching machines between sessions? MaxCals will set targets from your own tests on each machine; these estimates are a starting point.

MaxCals turns these numbers into your next session. Send a result after each workout and the next one adapts.

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