If Music Could Talk

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

11 Jan 2021, 4:37pm

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

11 Jan 2021, 4:37pm

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

Kory wrote: ↑

11 Jan 2021, 4:46pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

11 Jan 2021, 4:37pm

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

Is it made in america?

gkbill wrote: ↑

11 Jan 2021, 4:49pm

If that's your only mode of exercise - yeah, that's pretty bad. I've gotten to where I use the bike with trainer and no monitor of RPM's or resistance so I just go for time and guess/pick a subjective level of resistance and speed (I alternate a consistent pace for an hour and a Ramones workout - go easy for a track from the first album, then go hard for a song for 45 minutes). If I run or stairmaster, I keep track of pace and incline. The bike workouts are a good relaxing release.

JennyB wrote: ↑

12 Jan 2021, 12:37pm

We got an elliptical because we don't want to go to our super spreader gym right now. VH uses it more than I (if it's above 30, I will walk Scout for 3-4 miles a day - a tired dog is a good dog). It's pretty cool - it has tours of various areas around the world. I did one on a beach in South Africa with penguins.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

12 Jan 2021, 1:45pm

JennyB wrote: ↑

12 Jan 2021, 12:37pm

We got an elliptical because we don't want to go to our super spreader gym right now. VH uses it more than I (if it's above 30, I will walk Scout for 3-4 miles a day - a tired dog is a good dog). It's pretty cool - it has tours of various areas around the world. I did one on a beach in South Africa with penguins.

So it has its own monitor and stuff? Cool. It'd be neat if the penguins attacked you, as a spur to work harder. Maybe that's just me.

(Also, for those invested in my life, I exchanged emails with another person at the rowing place who looked at the photo and said, yeah, that thing is busted. So they're sending me a replacement. Hopefully that fixes the problem.)

matedog wrote: ↑

15 Jan 2021, 8:01pm

I took two weeks off from running after my positive COVID test on NYE and did my first run today. Out of curiosity, I did my timed 3.75 mile run and came in at a solid 28:15. For reference, my last timed runs over the last month or two were 27:42, 27:29, 27:45, 27:48, 28:12.

So my slowest in awhile, but not too far off what you'd expect from taking two weeks off from running. My first two miles were strong, but the last two is where I lost pace/energy. Cool to see that my symptoms were mild enough that it didn't seem to affect my cardio.

matedog wrote: ↑

15 Jan 2021, 8:01pm

I took two weeks off from running after my positive COVID test on NYE and did my first run today. Out of curiosity, I did my timed 3.75 mile run and came in at a solid 28:15. For reference, my last timed runs over the last month or two were 27:42, 27:29, 27:45, 27:48, 28:12.

So my slowest in awhile, but not too far off what you'd expect from taking two weeks off from running. My first two miles were strong, but the last two is where I lost pace/energy. Cool to see that my symptoms were mild enough that it didn't seem to affect my cardio.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

01 Feb 2021, 2:48pm

Should there be any doubt that I'm as sharp as a sack of wet mice (thank you, Foghorn Leghorn), I got my replacement part for the non-functioning monitor. I opened up the package and it looked exactly like what I had, meaning the first one wasn't broken. Well, fudge. Still, what the hell, let's install this one for yuks. And, no surprise, it still didn't work. And then—this is where I'm confirmed to be kinda dumb—I noticed an unconnected wire. Had that always been that way? I don't know, but it seemed worth replacing (the company shipped multiple spares). Zip zip zip and, yup, it works now. So yay.

And now that I know it works, I'm going to order a little bluetooth add-on that will allow me to use an app that streams virtual rowing footage from around the world.

gkbill wrote: ↑

01 Feb 2021, 3:33pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

01 Feb 2021, 2:48pm

Should there be any doubt that I'm as sharp as a sack of wet mice (thank you, Foghorn Leghorn), I got my replacement part for the non-functioning monitor. I opened up the package and it looked exactly like what I had, meaning the first one wasn't broken. Well, fudge. Still, what the hell, let's install this one for yuks. And, no surprise, it still didn't work. And then—this is where I'm confirmed to be kinda dumb—I noticed an unconnected wire. Had that always been that way? I don't know, but it seemed worth replacing (the company shipped multiple spares). Zip zip zip and, yup, it works now. So yay.

And now that I know it works, I'm going to order a little bluetooth add-on that will allow me to use an app that streams virtual rowing footage from around the world.

Hello,

Well, all's well that ends well and that kind of stuff. I've had to fix the Stairmaster twice and it's been worth the effort to not give in to the "Well, It's broke so I've got to buy a new one" school of thought. I've bought parts from Sportsmith as they stock replacement parts for discontinued equipment (hey, it's cheaper!) and they've been great about accepting returns, advice, etc. Congrats!

gkbill wrote: ↑

01 Feb 2021, 3:33pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

01 Feb 2021, 2:48pm

Should there be any doubt that I'm as sharp as a sack of wet mice (thank you, Foghorn Leghorn), I got my replacement part for the non-functioning monitor. I opened up the package and it looked exactly like what I had, meaning the first one wasn't broken. Well, fudge. Still, what the hell, let's install this one for yuks. And, no surprise, it still didn't work. And then—this is where I'm confirmed to be kinda dumb—I noticed an unconnected wire. Had that always been that way? I don't know, but it seemed worth replacing (the company shipped multiple spares). Zip zip zip and, yup, it works now. So yay.

And now that I know it works, I'm going to order a little bluetooth add-on that will allow me to use an app that streams virtual rowing footage from around the world.

Hello,

Well, all's well that ends well and that kind of stuff. I've had to fix the Stairmaster twice and it's been worth the effort to not give in to the "Well, It's broke so I've got to buy a new one" school of thought. I've bought parts from Sportsmith as they stock replacement parts for discontinued equipment (hey, it's cheaper!) and they've been great about accepting returns, advice, etc. Congrats!