Drag Factor Calculator
Match the flywheel load to your build, experience, and workout, including a 2k test. Damper position and drag factor are different measurements, so read the PM5 instead of copying a teammate's lever setting.
What drag factor should I use on a Concept2 erg?
Most adult openweight varsity athletes test well at drag factor 130-140, close to a heavyweight shell load. Lightweights and many women usually prefer 110-120. Junior and novice athletes should begin at 100-115 while technique develops. Drag factor 200 adds load, not fitness, and can punish the back. Since the damper lever (1-10) is only an air-control setting, confirm the real drag number in the PM5 menu before every test.
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Recommended drag factor
Why this number
Drag factor primer
| Profile | Drag range | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Lightweight / women openweight | 110-120 | Closer to a light-shell pickup. National-level lightweight athletes often choose 110-120 for a 2k. |
| Heavyweight openweight | 130-140 | A heavier connection at the catch. USRowing senior men commonly test 2k at 130-140. |
| Distance / endurance | 110-130 | Built for long steady-state and 5k/6k/10k/HOCR-style pieces. Less load makes the target rate easier to hold. |
| Sprint / max power | 130-140 | Useful for 500m, 10-stroke and 1-minute max-power pieces where a little more resistance supports peak watts. |
| Juniors / novices | 100-115 | Build consistent posture, rhythm, and connection while keeping unnecessary load off an inexperienced back. |
Drag factor myths
Myth: Higher drag = harder training = better results
More drag shifts the stroke toward greater force at a lower rate. It does not create extra fitness. Coaches often put an openweight roster at drag 130-140 because the connection resembles the shell. At drag 200, athletes usually grind through fewer strokes per minute and add lower-back risk without gaining an aerobic advantage.
Myth: Damper level 10 = drag 200
The damper lever (1-10) controls airflow through the flywheel cage. Dust, altitude, humidity, and the lever position all affect the resulting drag. Damper 10 could read drag 175 on one machine and drag 220 on another. Open Display Drag Factor in the PM5 menu, row a few strokes, and move the lever until the monitor shows your target.
Myth: Drag factor changes your watts at a given split
The Concept2 power formula fixes watts for a given /500m split: (watts = 2.80 / (split/500)^3). A 1:50 split is about 263 watts at drag 110 or drag 140. Changing drag alters the feel, natural stroke rate, and fatigue pattern, but it does not rewrite the power calculation.
Myth: Boat-class drag factor matches the shell feel exactly
Only approximately. Concept2 gives broad boat references (single 1x ~ drag 100-110, eight 8+ ~ drag 130-140), but an erg cannot reproduce every part of water resistance. Treat the matching range as an opening setting, then adjust for the athlete and workout.
How drag factor works
What drag factor measures
After every drive, the flywheel slows. Drag factor records that deceleration. Concept2 measures it stroke-by-stroke and shows an average in the PM5 monitor menu. Higher drag = flywheel slows faster between strokes = more force needed at the catch to spin it back up. The Concept2 ergometer reports the measured load separately from the damper lever position.
How to set drag factor
On the PM5, press Menu, open More Options, and select Display Drag Factor. Row several strokes until a number appears. Move the flywheel damper (1-10 on the flywheel) and repeat until the reading reaches your target. Check again after a minute of warm-up. Even on the same erg, dust changes the result at a familiar lever position, so measure before each test.
Shell-class equivalents
Concept2 offers approximate references: single sculls and lightweight shells sit around drag 100-110, men's pair / four around 115-125, men's eight 130-140. Start there, then respond to the athlete and session. After choosing the load, build zone-by-zone targets in the training pace calculator and convert splits into watts and 2k predictions with the erg pace calculator.
Load affects the rate an athlete naturally selects. More drag encourages longer strokes at a lower stroke rate, while less drag supports cadence. Compare the actual output in the watts to split converter, then choose a session from the erg workout library and see whether the setting holds up under fatigue.
Frequently asked questions
Is drag factor 130 the same on every Concept2 erg?
Yes. Concept2 calibrates drag as an absolute measure of flywheel deceleration. Drag 130 on a brand-new Model E in Boston matches drag 130 on a 15-year-old Model D in a Seattle gym. The older machine may need a different damper position to reach drag 130, but once the PM5 reports that number, the measured flywheel load is the same.
Should beginners train at drag 200?
No. New athletes should stay around drag 100-115 while learning posture, rhythm, and the catch. Heavy resistance can hide weak leg sequencing, encourage a hard arm pull, and put needless stress on the lower back. Establish a repeatable stroke at lower drag first. Add resistance later when the athlete can hold the same movement under pressure.
What drag factor do US national team athletes use?
USRowing senior men commonly test 2k at drag 130-140. Senior women and lightweights at drag 110-120. National-team training documents and Concept2 athlete profiles show those ranges. The athletes are matching the connection of their event class and their preferred rate. There is no special "elite drag" that produces better results by itself.
Does drag factor affect calorie burn?
Only indirectly. The Concept2 calorie formula (kcal/hr = (watts * 4) + 300) uses watts, and the power formula fixes watts at each split. Holding the same split therefore gives the same displayed calories at any drag. In a real practice, athletes may choose a different rate, stroke length, or wattage after changing drag, and that altered work changes the total.
How often should I check drag factor?
Check before every test piece. Dust builds inside the flywheel and gradually changes which lever position produces the desired load. Vacuuming the cage every couple of months helps. During ordinary steady-state practices, one reading at the beginning is enough. Before 2k tests or other benchmarks, take another reading during warm-up and confirm the target.
What is the difference between damper lever and drag factor?
The damper lever (1-10) changes airflow into the flywheel cage. Drag factor is the measured deceleration after each drive. Damper position influences that result, along with dust, altitude, and humidity. One is a control and the other is the actual load reading. Set practices and tests from drag factor rather than assuming a lever number transfers between machines.
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Watts to Split Converter
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Convert split to watts, calories and predicted 2k, 5k, 6k, 10k times.
Stroke Rate Calculator
Distance per stroke from rate and split, or vice versa.
Training Pace Calculator
UT2/UT1/AT/TR/AN paces, stroke rates and coach-ready intervals.
Keep the drag setting beside the score
Row HQ stores drag factor, split, rate, and watts with each athlete's erg result. Coaches can see the load behind a score and catch inconsistent testing across the roster.