BodyCraft VR100 Rowing Machine

Was very excited to get this item and use. Can't really complain about it, but very disappointed that with a week of owning the screw lock latch no longer tightens. This concerns me for the long term quality of the product. After searching the internet I was able to find a customer service number, but of course no one was available and my call has gone unreturned. Also can't seem to pursue this issue through Amazon. So, if Amazon won't back the product it sells and the company that produces it won't return a call. Buyer beware. Hope I don't live to regret this one.

I've had the VR100 for a little over a week now. I've used it for thirty minutes every day. I'm very satisfied with it. I had used a Concept II Model D owned by a friend on several occassions and had originally thought that I would buy one of those. However, the Concept II is more than two feet longer than the VR100 and that was an issue for me. The VR100 is a solid machine. The only reservations I have is the pull mechanizim. Whereas the Concept II uses a chain, the VR100 uses a nylon strap about an inch or so wide. I just wonder if it is as durable in this application as a chain. I know that a chain can wear out too especially if it is not lubricated periodically. Time will tell.The only weakness in the VR100 is the computer. It's very basic, but it does the job for me. I find that if I just monitor the "strokes per minute", I can use that to control my effort while watching my heart rate. The VR100 computer can monitor the heart rate if you buy the optional chest strap. I didn't because it is suppose to be compatible with the "Polar" straps. It is compatible, but if you get too far away from the computer, it can't pick it up. I called BodyCraft customer service. They told me the Polar unit I have (T-31) is only good up to three feet. While you are rowing, you tend to get further than three feet from the computer so it doesn't work well. That's not a big issue for me because I'm still wearing my watch and it picks up the heart rate just fine. (It has many more features related to monitoring the heart rate.)Bottom line, I'm glad I bought it instead of the Concept II. It's much more compact and it gives me the kind of work out that I wanted.

I was/am a runner who constantly was sustaining leg injuries of one type or another. I finally yielded to the fact that I needed to seriously cross train and reduce my running. I decided to row, however I abhore having to spend tons of cash on exercise equipment to work out indoors when running is virtually free outside. I originally wanted to spend only a few hundred dollar so at least I could get my work outs in and see if I really liked rowing. After reading every review I could find, I decided that it may be in my best interest to spend more than a few hundred dollars. When I chose the Body Craft VR100 rower I figured that I would still be compromising quality since it was a mid-priced unit. I didn't want to listen to things click and clack, and have to tighten things that would loosen over time. Much to my amazement, this rower Rocks! It was really easy to put together, the parts are high quality, and the important thing is when you row you don't even think about the fact that you are on a machine. It's solid, steady, smooth, and a great workout. I use it 4-5 days a week for 45 mintues each time and have had it for about 1 month. It feels just as good as the day I bought it. If you are thinking about purchasing a rower, I highly recommend this one.

Don't be fooled by its slick appearance: Whoever designed this machine has no clue about rowing.To row the standard 2000m distance on the BodyCraft VR100 takes EXACTLY two hundred and twenty strokes. It does not matter if you take 220 long, powerful strokes or 220 stunted, one-foot strokes; the computer always displays 2 km. Nor is it responsive to resistance. 220 strokes at the highest resistance level gives you 2 km, as it does at the very lowest resistance level. Also, according to the computer, you burn .6 calories for every stroke; it does not matter if they are long and laborious or short and effortless. Clearly, the manufacturers installed a dummy computer to fool unwitting buyers - in no way does it measure power, like a real ergometer.Thus, the exerciser has ALMOST NO CLUE about his performance and fitness. The computer is nothing more than a stroke counter and a clock. (The "stroke rate" indicator is fickle and nearly useless, and the "speed" is also made up. How can you measure speed without measuring power?)What's left? A rolling seat with a handle. Perhaps this part of the unit could be worth, say, $300 - the construction looks solid. Some people can live without a computer, and just need something for a proper workout. But maddening quirks ensure the unit gives you nothing resembling an actual rowing experience. (Good indoor machines already have enough trouble in this regard.)The foot braces: They swivel about and envelop the whole foot. On real boats and proper rowing machines, the feet are strapped onto a fixed plate. The strap holds down only the ball of the foot, allowing the heel to come up at the catch (when the rower is stretching forward, about to pull). Since the ball of the foot is fixed firmly to the boat, all the rower's energy flows into the boat when he begins the leg drive. On the BodyCraft, the entire foot pivots. How can you row with no fixed surface to push against?The flywheel: It is mounted very close to the track, making it very easy to bump into at the catch. This is infuriating.Resistance: The oars of a rowing shell at speed provide surprisingly little resistance - a high cadence is the key to going fast and getting a good cardio workout. Resistance on the BodyCraft is huge - only the bottom two resistance levels resemble anything like an actual boat, and poorly at that. Plus, a nearby electric fan was all it took to permanently increase the magnetic resistance on my VR100, making it even more useless.Why waste $700 for this piece of junk? Buy a new or used Concept2.