RowHero uses Bluetooth to connect to the Concept2 monitors and save workout results. While Bluetooth is generally a reliable way to transmit data, the reality is that phones can and do disconnect from the monitor for a few reasons, which can leave results missing from your workout. We know this can be really frustrating.
Fortunately, there are 3 things every rower can do to make RowHero more reliable in collecting data. We’ll cover each of those 3 things in this article, and then share 1 bonus tip for coaches to make sure you get your workout data 100% of the time.
Tip #1: Come prepared to practice
Prepare your phone for your workout by making sure it is
- Charged over 40%.
- Not in low power mode (iOS) or in Power Saving mode (Android).
- Battery optimizations are disabled (Android only).
If your phone is not charged enough or in low power/Power Saving mode, it makes it more likely that your device may kill the RowHero app mid-workout in an attempt to save power.
Tip #2: Keep your phone under the flywheel cage or in a cradle near the monitor
We often see problems when rowers keep their phones too far away from the monitor. Think about it like Bluetooth headphones – when you walk too far away from your phone, you can no longer hear your music. Unlike headphones, though, when you bring your phone back to the PM5, it might not be able to re-connect due to the way the monitor works.
Save yourself the headache by putting your phone in 1 of 3 places when you erg:
- Underneath the flywheel cage
- Inside of a phone cradle on top of the erg
- Inside of the built-in device holder on the latest model of ergs that Concept2 ships. (Retrofit Kit Available).
Tip #3: Check your workout when done, and import workout data from memory if you need to
Finally, if your phone screen is off during the workout, you need to check that your workout was captured correctly.
If your screen is on and you place your phone in one of the 3 places above, then you should not have this problem. If you do, please email us at to look more into your case.
Of course, it’s not always practical to leave your phone on, especially if your battery is low.
To check your workout, open the app and look at your pieces to ensure that every result was captured correctly. So if you did 4 one-minute pieces, the following would be correct.
Missing Case 1: RowHero Shows Missing Pieces
Seeing a red box with an exclamation mark means that the piece has not been saved or captured. In the example below, the phone went out of range of the Concept2 while the rower was in the middle of rowing. To recover the piece, reconnect to the PM5 and import the results from memory. You can use the “Import Missing Piece” button, or you can browse the rest of the Concept2 memory.
Missing Case 2: RowHero Does Not Show Missing Pieces
If your pieces are completely missing and you see no red box with an exclamation mark, you can still import them directly from memory. To do so, follow the instructions here.
Missing Case 3: RowHero Not Connected to Network
Finally, this red box and exclamation mark also appears when the phone doesn’t have sufficient network to save the workout. RowHero will continue trying to save the workout when the phone can access the network again.
If your coach relies on this data, make sure you relaunch the RowHero app once you have network again.
Bonus Tip: Coaches – Add Workout Results Manually
Finally, if a rower forgets their phone or runs out of battery, you as a coach can still upload the workout result yourself. You can also assign your coxswains as coaches in the app to take care of this work.
Coaches can add results manually for any piece. Select the piece in question and scroll down to the athlete in the result list and tap “Add Result.” You’ll be asked to enter either time or distance as well as rate, and RowHero will save the data and rank the athlete.
