The change in gear ratios really does help\! We know that the amount of torque supplied to each half-shaft is equal and determined solely by the input torque on the middle differential gear due to the handle chain. {latex} \large \begin{equation} F = \frac{\tau}{r} \end{equation} {latex}, and we decreased the radius for the wheel sprocket on the differential, which corresponds to a larger force, and this increased force is palpable when I rowed on our newly modified erg.

In our set-up, we used a gross amount of tape to keep loose ends connected, so it does look a bit rough: