Product Description : Amazon.comEnjoy an effective cardio workout in the comfort of your own home with the Velocity Fitness CHR-2001 programmable magnetic rowing machine. The rower is equipped with a Drum Magnetic Control (DCS) system, which works with the electronic tension control to adjust resistance. To keep your workout on track, the rower includes a large easy-to-read LCD display, which monitors your time, count, strokes per minute, distance, calories, pulse, and calories burned. And users have plenty of workout programs from which to choose, including six preset workouts and a manual program. Other features include a large polyurethane molded saddle for maximum comfort, an anodized aluminum beam with rectangular tubing support, a folding design that saves space, and built-in transportation wheels.Product Description : Velocity Fitness CHR-2001 Programable Magnetic Rower allows you to get an effective workout in the comfort of your own home. Features a Drum Magnetic Control System (DMC), electronic tension control and is foldable making it convenient for storage when not in use. It has a large PU mouled saddle for maximum comfort and the beam is made of anodized aluminum profile and rectangular tubing support. Unit is also equiped with built in transportation wheels. The computer monitor has a large LCD all easy to read monitor. Functions include time, count, stroke/minutes, distance, calories, watt & pulse. There are 12 programs: manual, 6 pre-set. Offers a smooth and quiet workout. Rowing is an especially balanced form of exercise that involves all the main muscle groups and increases the efficiency of the heart and circulatory systems. Rowing is a great aerobic workout. You can exercise a bunch of muscle groups, elevate your heart rate, build stamina, and burn calories. After a good rowing workout, I just feel spent.Basically, there are three kinds of rowing machines. Some, like the Concept2, have flywheels that use air or water friction to provide resistance. Those are the closest to the experience of actual water rowing and their resistance increases the harder you pull, but they tend to be pricey and are somewhat loud. A second kind has pistons to create resistance. That kind is inexpensive, but are often somewhat fragile. This is the third kind, with magnetic resistance, and it's great.The good:- This machine is whisper quiet (technically, a slight whir quieter than normal conversation but maybe a little louder than a loud whisper) and the seat glide is perfectly smooth. I have been using this for my early morning workouts and (1) I can watch tv on my wireless headphones and (2) my family can sleep upstairs without hearing a thing. If it wasn't for my sleeping family, I could easily watch tv or listen to the radio at normal volume.- The workout is great. In a few minutes, I can get up to 80% max heart rate and am able to keep my heart rate there as long as my arms and legs hold out.- The electronics are nice. The machine comes with a heart rate monitor chest strap, and the display is compatible with my existing Timex Heart Rate Monitor, so I've just been wearing that. You can program your own workouts, use the six pre-programmed workouts, or just set the resistance where you want it and go. You can also set a target time, distance, calories, or stroke count and work to that. If you set a target heart rate, it will automatically adjust resistance to keep you were you want to be.- The rower folds and rolls easily for storage.What could be better:- Really, nothing, for what this is. A flywheel rower like the Concept can produce more resistance, so you can use it for bicep curls or a stronger workout. (You could use this for bicep curls too, but it would be a very low resistance/high rep workout.) There are some rowers that double as recumbent bikes or other exercise machines. But for what this is - a quiet, programmable rower - it's just about perfect.- One minor suggestion: this rower doesn't have an on/off switch, but I'd like one. It's not a big deal - you can turn it off by pulling the power adapter, or by leaving it unattended for a while so that it turns off automatically, but a switch or button would be nice.Assembly: This comes with a few mini-wrenches and an allen wrench. It took me about 20 minutes to put together.I'll update if I run into problems, but if not, you can assume that I'm still happily rowing. Highly recommended!Update 11/17/11: I've rowed most days for the last four months, for a total of 98 miles at the maximum resistance. So far, the rower is holding up great! We live in an area that doesn't have a gym, so this is the first rowing machine any of us has used. Keeping that in mind, this is coming from a novice point of view.The machine itself weighs about 90 pounds, and arrived needing assembly. All tools and materials were included, so it was just a matter of about 30 minutes to get the whole thing out of the box and assembled. The directions were clear and easy to follow. All pieces were made of heavy steel and the bolts were some of the biggest I have ever seen! The main part that houses the electronics has a plastic cover and is of a pleasing design and color.When fully extended and ready for working out on, the unit measures about 7 feet. The manufacturer's description said the unit can be folded for space saving when not in use. It does compact nicely, with measurements of 54"h x 34"d x 20"w and this is obtained by folding the unit up in front of the seat.The unit seems to be of good quality. The seat is well padded and very comfortable and the handles are nicely padded and are comfortable to grip. The foot rests are adjustable and fit each member of our family nicely. The seat quietly and easily glides on the beam.We have 4 in the family - 2 teens and 2 adults. The unit works well with each having different strength programs that each family member prefers. My husband, who was far from interested in a rowing machine, is using it daily and has customized his own workout. He LOVES it, and is amazed at how much of a workout one can receive for the small amount of time that is spent on the machine.A real plus for us is how quiet the unit is. One can work out and not disturb the rest of the family. I like using it early in the morning, and my husband likes using it late in the evening and it doesn't disturb anyone. The kids like using it when they are watching TV or listening to music and being quiet as the unit is, they can listen at normal levels.There were a few drawbacks:*Since we are new at using a rowing machine, we found no instruction in the book on how to use it. I know that it's not rocket science, but there were warm-up exercises included, but nothing else. If you know how to use a rowing machine, wouldn't you also know how to warm up? That, of course, was easily remedied - online videos are easy to find.*The heart monitor that belts around the torso doesn't agree with my husband. Not sure why, but he has had trouble with it from day one. He doesn't like how it fits so he doesn't use it. I'm wondering if it is because of his broad chest. Other family members don't have this complaint.*My husband thinks the handles should be bent forward a bit, instead of straight across. He thinks it would be more comfortable to use. The rest of us don't have a problem with them the way they are.*My husband is over 6ft. tall with long legs. He has come close to the end of the beam when he was enthusiastically working out. There is no stop at the end and could be a problem for a very tall person.*The directions on how to use the programs could be a bit more clear and easier to use. A little more in-depth explanation about each program would be nice.I love the design, the ease in use, and the compactness of the Velocity Fitness Magnetic Rower. It has been nothing except a wonderful addition to my family's workout routine. If you have only enough money to buy one machine for your fitness program, this is the only one you really need. It works all your muscle groups and gives you a wonderful aerobic workout. After reading reviews of this rowing machine, I was thrilled to order one as my birthday present to myself. In college, I learned what great exercise rowing is; it exercises most muscle groups without pounding your knees or exposing you to traumatic injuries. I loved that this machine is so quiet I could watch TV while rowing. And I knew my wife would love that it folds up when not in use.Having now received TWO defective units -- the first with the pull cord on the side, not the middle, so it was being ripped to shreds with every pull, and the second with a monitor that gave me an "E1" error message the first time I turned it on and then refused to ever power on again -- I could not be more bitterly disappointed in this product that seemed so promising. I must have gotten unlucky that both units were defective. But any product with so high a defect rate that any customer could receive two defective units is unlikely to last long. The build quality is obvious just from the metal "Made in Taiwan" plate glued onto the machine at a 15-degree angle.Even worse, though my attempts to address these problems were responded to, the responses proved completely unhelpful.Carolina Fuentes at Cap Barbell -- Velocity Fitness is their sub-brand -- replied to my emails but wasn't able to fix either problem. For the first problem, she emailed: "attached is a pic of what the cord is supposed to be placed. that is not correct behavior and its better to exchage the unit instead of tryin to fix it."After several back-and-forths on the second problem, she put me in touch with the manufacturer (proteus.fitness@gmail.com) who emailed this:"First, please allow us to grant our appreicate to your support our production. Regarding of this situation, our QC made a few studying for the possible reason.From your description, machine dysfuntuion could be as following issue1. Monitor drawback: the whole machine is control by monitor system. change a new monitor could be a result.2. Motor is jammed or build-in electric circuit burned by rapidly frequently power reboot. Change a new motor could be a result.3. The connect cable is broke or connect pin damaged. Change connect cable could be a result.For the above situation could be the possiblity, also, the plug power source must be check, there is a adaptor with the machine, if not use the same one or not using the adaptor will damage the build in spare part.To exam the all above situation, please contact with the retailer or Amazon E-shop which can send the technician to exam every step. The technician should be bring the following parts to check your machine. A. a new monitor B. a full set of connect cable(include monitor connect cable) ; C. a new motor , D. a new adaptor.We are pay the great care to this case, please keep contact with us the related situation if you may. You also can connect with terry_chen@proteus.com.twThanks again for bought our CHR-2001"The manufacturer sold two defective products, expects Amazon to send a technician to fix their defective machines, and can't find even one person to write comprehensible English! I'm depressed I wasted many, many hours unboxing, assembling, disassembling, and re-boxing their unreliable, unsupported machines. The only exercise I got was lugging the heavy machines up and down stairs. It's a promising concept and a promising design. But quality control and customer service are completely non-existent.
