ErgData Feature: The Real Time Loop

Ever wished you could hop on your SkiErg with a friend in another state? Perhaps you’re heading out for a ride on your BikeErg and just curious to see who else is out riding?

The Real Time Loop on ErgData makes all these things possible! You just need an erg with a PM5 and Concept2’s free app, ErgData, to row, ski or ride with others around the world in real time on a virtual 1000 meter loop.

It’s easy to access the Real Time Loop on ErgData:

1. Once you’re in ErgData, click on Real Time in the bottom ribbon and you’ll immediately see the loop and how many people are currently on it.
2. Click Join Real Time and you’ll be out there!
3. Your time on the loop will be recorded as a Just Row (or Just Ski or Just Ride) workout and saved to your Concept2 Online Logbook.

Here are some of the features and benefits of the Real Time Loop:

Avatars
Your Online Logbook profile picture is used as your avatar. If you do not have a photo, your initials will be shown instead. Some people have created graphic images for their profile picture. Your avatar is the one outlined in bright green. If you are using a SkiErg or BikeErg, this will be indicated below your avatar—otherwise RowErg is assumed.

Two Views
You can switch back and forth between two views at any time by tapping the icon in the lower right corner. One view is a close-up low angle view that lets you see the avatars and country flags of the people closest to you and how far ahead or behind they are. On a phone, you will be shown the two closest avatars; on a tablet you will see the four closest avatars. In the image below, +13m means that person is 13 meters ahead of you, the number 2 indicates that person is on their second lap, and the flag shows that they are from Great Britain.

 

The second option is an overhead view of the entire 1000m loop with dots showing the location of the other people out there. See the image below. White dots represent real people. Dark blue dots indicate “pacebots” which travel at a steady pace that is shown on their avatar.

 

Data
The loop displays individual data on the left side of the screen, including your duration, distance, average pace and stroke rate, and community real time data on the right side of the screen, including total people on the loop, total countries represented, and all-time total kilometers. At the lower right of each avatar, you’ll see their current lap number.

Pacing
There are eight “pace bots” circulating on the loop, indicated by C2 flags, with their pace shown on their avatar—ready to pace you for your workout if you wish.

Community
It’s fun to see who else is out there. You may recognize a friend’s avatar or initials, or just enjoy seeing which countries are represented and how many total people are on the loop.

Motivation
Early users tell us that they're motivated to get on their erg to see who’s out on the loop. And then they want to keep rowing/skiing/riding until they catch (or are caught by) others so that they can see where they are from. They also tell us that they are motivated by the shared goals of contributing to the total number of laps and participants.

The best way to learn more about the Real Time Loop is to try it! It’s easy. We expect to add features as we gather user feedback. Join the fun.