Concept2 Bike Erg

Another Concept2 Bike Erg for sale.  This one by Todd Lander in Aurora for $800 and it cam with an extra seat post with wide comfort seat.  I contacted the seller within 21 minutes of listing and in the intervening 15 minutes of text messages the bike sold.  It is definitely another good data point for the market in Denver.  This one came with an extra seat post and wide comfort saddle ($80 value?).

These retail for $1100 new.  Shipping is another $60 and tax is another $60.  $1,220 is steep but not outside the realm of reality and they hold their value well.  Typical sell price is $950.  Matt Chan sold one a few months back for $600 and now this one for $800.

I will likely keep my eyes open in the secondary marketplace, but I am not in a rush.  I am not willing to pay $900 used.  At that point, I would rather buy new.

UPDATE 5/3/2024 - Jon Colburn listed one in Littleton with 15 hours on it for $975 which is on par for a fair asking prices.  I spotted the ad within 2 hours of listing, but will hold off and maybe offer $900.

UPDATE: 5/7/2024 - I reached out to the seller and offered $900.  He said he had another buyer picking up Sunday for $940 which I decided to match.  I confirmed that he has the screwdriver and the the picture shows the phone holder.  He did not have the manuals which often means he is the second owner.  I am a little concerned about the seat height if my wife wants to use it as she is on the shorter side, but there is an optional short saddle available.

* SHORT SADDLE OPTION IS A MUST HAVE:  I am going to pass and will end up buying a bike erg new with the short saddle option, water bottle cage and toe clips.  After talking to customer service the short saddle option is $170 plus shipping.  Buying new the short saddle option can be sent at the $1100 price plus I get a warranty.

$940 + $170 + $30 (shipping) + $10 (tax) = $1150.  At that point, it would make sense to buy new for $1220 have warranty and delivered right to my door.  Cage/Clips another $10 and banner another $30.

Junior Grippers

After Gillingham High Performance decided to get out of the gripper business, the only company to make junior grippers was out of the game.  Fortunately Cannon Power Works bought the leftover parts for assembly.  These little guys were sold for $24 each or $120 for a set of 5.

Per GHP:  "First of it’s kind Junior grippers for youth, seniors, and hand rehab.  GHP Juniors are a scaled down version of our GHP Heavy Duty Hand Grippers.  These little guys have a smaller diameter handle, narrower handle spacing, and brushed finish to not tear up the hands.  Juniors come in 5 levels of difficulty according to their color."

• Green: 10-20 pounds CPW 5
• Red:  20-30 pounds CPW 12
• Blue:  30-40 pounds CPW 20
• Black:  40-50 pounds CPW 25
• Gold:  50-60 pounds CPW 35

I am slowly turning into a gripper guy and want my wife, kids and nephews to be able to join in the fun.  Right now, neither my wife or 15 year old can close a 28# COC Guide so these will be perfect for warm-up and testing.

grippermania.ru/grip/rating has posted numbers along the lines of:

• GHPJ 1 - 9 pounds
• GHPJ 2 - 12 pounds
• GHPJ 3 - 18 pounds
• GHPJ 4 - 25 pounds
• GHPJ 5 - 32 pounds

The lighter springs along with smaller diameter and narrower handle spacing will be perfect.  I probably should have spent another $25 to get them rated (update 5/13/2024 - they are selling individuals, but do not rate junior grippers), but I am excited to have them nevertheless.  They will also feature CPW branding to distinguish them from GHP originals.

The $142.95 price was very reasonable as well (20% over original pricing).  I imagine CPW could have thrown a price of $199 out there and they would have still sold.

Metcon - Manion

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Basement Gym

1300

Warm Up

Jumping Jacks

Hip Hammy Flow

Back Squat - 8x45

Metcon 

"Manion"

7 Rounds for Time:

400m Run

29 Back Squats (95/135)

I scaled this to 

5 Rounds for Time:

400m Ski Erg

20 Back Squats (75)

It was still a grueling workout that I finished in 23:01.  The ski erg was a good substitute taking around 2:15.  Transitions were long at about 15 seconds.  The back squats were the toughest.  I went unbroken the first 3 rounds then 14/6 and 12/8 to finish the workout.  It was nice to get some squat volume in.  Even with air squats, this would have been a tough workout.

USAWA Club Build Out - UPDATE 2024.07.03

High Country Vigour (HCV)

HCV has made a very good start, but is about $4,000 (and 800 square feet) away from being capable of hosting all lifts.

• Basic Equipment - YES - Would need some thin iron plates for heavy bar lifts
• Fulton Bar - YES - Generic
• Ring for Finger Lifts - YES - Michael Black
• Heavy Bar Lifts - 
• Heavy Lift Bar - NO
• Hip Belt - Hip Lift, Carter Lift, Phumchaona Lift - YES - homemade
• Hand & Thigh - Hand & Thigh, Deanna Lift - NO
• Harness/Handrails - Harness Lift - NO
• Neck Harness - Neck Lift - YES - Ironmind
• Travis Lift Attachment - Travis Lift - NO
• Vertical Bar Lifts - YES - 2" Generic Sleeves and 1" FBBC v-bars
• Roman Chair - NO - Need to design or modify exiting
• Dumbbells - 
• 1.9 inch Fulton - YES - Nemesis
• 2.5 inch Inch - YES - Nemesis
• 3.5 inch - NO
• Weaver Stick - YES - homemade
• Saxon Plank - NO - DIY
• Commercial Vertical Leg Press - NO - I do not have the space for this
• 3" Barbell - NO - Could purchase from Titan Fitness for $120
• Trap Bar - NO - Could purchase from anywhere
• Dinnie Handles - YES - Cerberus
• Custom Short Bar for Rim Lift - YES - Works with stubby axle bar, Dino Gym has 20" spacing on an axle

Progression

• As it stands, HCV could contest 201/219 
• Heavy Lift Bar ($140) would add Hip Lift, Carter Lift, Phumchaona, Neck Lift 205/219
• Hand & Thigh ($70) would add Hand & Thigh, Deanna 207/219
• Travis Lift attachment (?) 208/219
• Roman Chair, Back Extension ($800) 212/219
• Saxon, 3" Bar, 3.5" DB, Trap Bar ($500) 216/219
• Harness, Hand rails ($500) 217/219 ($500)
• Vertical Leg Press ($2000) would add Foot Press and Back Lift 219/219

The Heavy Lift Bar with accoutrements 

• PHASE 1 ($306):  Arm Assassin Heavy Lift Bar ($140), Hand & Thigh Bar ($70) $$*
• PHASE 2 ($60):  Travis Lift Belt attachment - Rogue Dip Accessory Straps (2 x $30) $*
• PHASE 3 ($400):  Harness for Harness Lift and Hand Rails - Leather, Rivets, Delta Ring, Chain, Slip Hook, Custom Fabricated Hand Rails $$$***
• Calibrated Plates as required (Current 1000# set-up; $1,700 for 1500#, $4000 for 2,000#) $$$*

The Roman Chair intrigues me.  While only used for (4) lifts, it does not take up that much space.  I will likely acquire a commercial Roman Chair and modify the pad so it meets the USAWA requirements. $$$***

Making a Saxon Plank will be harder requiring a 3" wood plank, plate holders and a means of securing them. Reviewing the Clark's Gym set up:  Double Thick 2x6 ($10) with flanges ($7 each) for 1 inch pipe and 1 inch pipes ($13 each) for loading pin.  $$, *** Jarrod?

3" barbell ($130-$250) and 3.5" dumbbell ($60-$90) do not interest me.  I do not care for the Trap Bar ($100-$200) either.  3" barbell available from a variety of sources.  3.5" dumbbell handles are uncommon but currently being offered by Arm Assassin and Nemesis Grips.  Trap bars are often found in commercial gyms. $$*

Back Lift/Foot Press apparatus are not likely for a completely different reason, space..  These could be fashioned from a commercial vertical leg press, but they take up a lot of real estate, especially in a home gym. $$$$**

A Custom Short Bar I CAN CONTEST THIS LIFT ON A STUBBY AXLE BAR. I could also fabricate a bar with 18" collar to collar distance and 12" of loadable sleeve (42" total length) $$**

$ - low cost, $$ - mid, $$$ - high, $$$$ prohibitive

* - buy easily, **fabricate easily, ***fabricate hard, ****fabricate prohibitive

Swim

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Carmody Rec Center

1030

Swim

3x300 FR

1x200 BR

1x100 BA

--

1200 yards total (35 minutes)

Heavy Lifts

Friday, April 26, 2024

Hip Lift

210

300

390

442.5

495

562.5

Hand & Thigh

392.5

Neck

120

170

This was a test run with the new Hip Belt and the Ironmind Neck Harness.  Both worked very well and I have no concerns with loading heavier.

5 Pull-up Finisher

Weaver Stick fabrication and test - Good at 1.25, 1.75 and 2.50 pounds.

Hip Belt

I finally made it over to Tandy Leather to begin construction of my hip belt.  The leather I had purchased from Facebook Marketplace for $25 was double thick and somewhat dried out.  The Delta Rings are much beefier than I need, but in the absence of making custom rings will have to do the trick.

This time I was working with Shawn who was super helpful getting me going and being an extra pair of hands which was very beneficial for the draw gauge.

Started off cutting an end with a utility knife.  Then I measured off 55 inches and cut the strip off of the length of leather.  Next we used a draw gauge to trim the leather down to 4" thickness by removing approximately 3/4."  At this point a fold needed to be made and we utilized an adjustable v-gouge to remove some material and relieve the leather for a bend.  Next, I started punching the holes for the rivets.  At this point we realized the leather was more dried out than we originally thought.  Shawn suggested conditioning the leather before installing rivets.

I applied Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator and will let it soak in for 24 hours and then buff off the cream.

For rivets, I am planning a 4 hole pattern using #9 brass rivets.  Brass has a shear strength of 30,500 psi.  So my #9 = 3/16" has an area of 0.0276 inches and a shear strength of 842 pounds.  With 4 rivets, I should be good to a 3200 pound lift.

The cost of a 25 pack of rivets is $25 and the rivet setter is another $10.  Together with the Delta rings that were $5 each (I purchased five to save on shipping).  I am at $85 for the project.  I will have enough material to make several more items and may choose to do so, but certainly not to offset cost.  More likely to help somebody out.

So far the leather I am using is definitely too thick and the delta rings too beefy.  I could certainly get away with single thick leather and would be better off with custom delta rings.

UPDATE 4/25/2024 - Well the hip belt is complete and should work fine.  Installing the rivets was not too bad.  It took me a little while to line things up and punch holes.  The more painstaking work was flattening out the non-finished side.

One issue is the size of the delta rings.  They are really thick which makes it difficult to connect the grab hook and quick link.  In the immediate term I attached some oval carabiners which should work for the weights I am moving, but not for the big boys.  Perfect world, I would file them delta rings down to accept the quick link opening and shackle opening.

Delta Ring Diameter - 0.53 inches

Grab Hook - 0.46 inches

Quick Link - 0.44 inches

Taking off a tenth of an inch may not sound like much but will be tough with a hand file.

3' of 5/16" chain ($15), 5/16" grab hook ($10), 5/16" quick link ($5) set me back another $30 on the project.

This unfortunately confirms my theory that being able to perform heavy lifts is an expensive, space consuming and time consuming endeavor.  

$25 - Leather (have leftover)

$20 - Delta hooks (used 2 of 5 purchased)

$35 - #9 brass rivets and setters (used 8 of 25 purchased)

$30 - Chain, grab hook and quick link

--

$110 for the belt, but also a great learning experience.  I have enough material to build a neck harness or full harness.  I need to practice with Ironmind neck harness some and give the hip belt a run for its money tomorrow.