How Do I Convert Model A Miles To Meters?

[[old] LBusch]

I am using a original Model A (I bought it in 1986 an never got into using it until this year) that still has the original speedometer. I have been making log entries by taking the amount of miles rowed and multiplying by 1,609.334 to get meters and assuming that this was correct. However, after looking at the rankings I realize that there must be something wrong with this conversion. Either that or I am an extreemly fast rower. (Today I rowed for 30 min and logged 13.5 miles according to the speedo. This would convert to 21,726 meters. The number one ranked distance for 30 min this season is 8,781 meters.) Since I am not egotistical enough to believe that I am the the greatest rower ever after only seven months of effort I have to assume that my conversion factor is wrong. My engineers instinct tells me that the conversion should be linear, at least I hope so.<br /><br />Does anyone know what the conversion factor should be? I would like to adjust my log. I don't want credit for meters that I don't deserve.

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin-LBusch+Aug 16 2005, 02:30 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(LBusch @ Aug 16 2005, 02:30 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am using a original Model A (I bought it in 1986 an never got into using it until this year) that still has the original speedometer.  I have been making log entries by taking the amount of miles rowed and multiplying by 1,609.334 to get meters and assuming that this was correct.  However, after looking at the rankings I realize that there must be something wrong with this conversion.  Either that or I am an extreemly fast rower.  (Today I rowed for 30 min and logged 13.5 miles according to the speedo.  This would convert to 21,726 meters.  The number one ranked distance for 30 min this season is 8,781 meters.)  Since I am not egotistical enough to believe that I am the the greatest rower ever after only seven months of effort I have to assume that my conversion factor is wrong.  My engineers instinct tells me that the conversion should be linear, at least I hope so.<br /><br />Does anyone know what the conversion factor should be?  I would like to adjust my log.  I don't want credit for meters that I don't deserve. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />You first need to determine which style pick-up that your speedometer has, the very early ones had a set of visible gears next to the hub, this was replaced pretty quickly with a different one that looks more like a silver disc with a cable coming off the side.<br /><br />If you have the later type (disc), 1 mile = 500M.<br /><br />Or you are the "greatest rower ever".....

[[old] LBusch]

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulS+Aug 16 2005, 05:43 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulS @ Aug 16 2005, 05:43 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />If you have the later type (disc), 1 mile = 500M.<br /><br />Or you are the "greatest rower ever".....  <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Apparently not even close. Thanks for the info Paul. If anyone wants me I'll be editing my logbook.

[[old] Citroen]

<!--QuoteBegin-LBusch+Aug 16 2005, 10:30 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(LBusch @ Aug 16 2005, 10:30 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have been making log entries by taking the amount of miles rowed and multiplying by 1,609.334 to get meters and assuming that this was correct.  <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Almost. In the real world the factor is 1609.344. (For doing the maths in your head use 1 mile = 8/5Km or 1Km = 5/8mile.)<br /><br />Whether that's true for a model A odometer (it's an odometer not a speedometer) is another question.<br /><br /><!--c1--><table width='95%' cellspacing='1' cellpadding='3' border='0' align='center'><tr><td><b><div class='genmed'>CODE</div></b></td></tr><tr><td class='code'><div><!--ec1--><br />Miles     Km          Metres <br />  1      1.609344   1609.344 <br />  2      3.218688   3218.688 <br />  3      4.828032   4828.032 <br />  4      6.437376   6437.376 <br />  5      8.04672    8046.72  <br />  6      9.656064   9656.064 <br />  7     11.265408  11265.408 <br />  8     12.874752  12874.752 <br />  9     14.484096  14484.096 <br /> 10     16.09344   16093.44  <br /> 20     32.18688   32186.88  <br />100    160.9344   160934.4   <br /><!--c2--></div></td></tr></table><br />

[[old] c2jonw]

LBusch,<br /><br />Paul has it right- 1 mile on the siver colored, enclosed pickup style equals 500 meters.<br />On the very first type of pickup, with bronze color, stamped metal and exposed plastic gear, one mile equals 424 meters. Jon Williams at C2

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin-c2jonw+Aug 17 2005, 11:14 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(c2jonw @ Aug 17 2005, 11:14 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->LBusch,<br /><br />Paul has it right- 1 mile on the siver colored, enclosed pickup style equals 500 meters.<br />On the very first type of pickup, with bronze color, stamped metal and exposed plastic gear, one mile equals 424 meters.  Jon Williams at C2 <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Thanks Jon! I did have the mistaken impression that the original pickup would have been 417m/Mile, which was arrived at by having used a machine prior to the retrofit and estimating that the Needle would have been indicating about 60mph (though that was above the scale capability) before, and about 50mph after. (Thus my reluctance to publish my "guess" at the original conversion value.) A pretty rough estimate, but it's good to finally have the true value. (seems the guess was 1mph off, and 59mph became 50mph.)<br /><br />The funnier part of the story was that our coach didn't tell us about the new pickup and I thought something had gone terribly wrong, before finding out about the change. <br /><br />PS - That has got to be the most unknown piece of Erg trivia, but if you have another candidate, I'd sure like to hear what it is.

[[old] c2jonw]

Hi Paul- I spent some time counting wheel revolutions to come up with the correct conversions. It's amazing how many of the Model A ergs are still out there. One of the women on our staff rescued a like-new Model A from the Stowe rubbish transfer station. She brought it in, we cleaned it up and it sat for several months until our dealer in New Zealand expressed an interest in having an A for his store to go along with the B and C he already had- The A was on the next container heading for NZ....<br />Let's see, Model A trivia......did you know that the early Model A did not utilize the traveling pulley design in the return mechanism? The bungee and chain were directly connected (hand made stainless fittings), which worked ok for normal size people but larger rowers tended to pull the chain out so far that some of the bungee would also come out of the rail, leading to premature wear on the bungee where it abraded itself on the chain slide. We got away from that pretty early on. Jon

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin-c2jonw+Aug 17 2005, 12:37 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(c2jonw @ Aug 17 2005, 12:37 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi Paul- I spent some time counting wheel revolutions to come up with the correct conversions. It's amazing how many of the Model A ergs are still out there. One of the women on our staff rescued a like-new Model A from the Stowe rubbish transfer station. She brought it in, we cleaned it up and it sat for several months until our dealer in New Zealand expressed an interest in having an A for his store to go along with the B and C he already had- The A was on the next container heading for NZ....<br />Let's see, Model A trivia......did you know that the early Model A did not utilize the traveling pulley design in the return mechanism? The bungee and chain were directly connected (hand made stainless fittings), which worked ok for normal size people but larger rowers tended to pull the chain out so far that some of the bungee would also come out of the rail, leading to premature wear on the bungee where it abraded itself on the chain slide. We got away from that pretty early on.  Jon <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I do recall the direct attachment, and seem to remember that this was the case "pre-skewer", which made for very interesting assembly involving some bits of wire, and leg bolts that didn't allow for the skewer to be removed easily.<br /><br />How about the template for the Early Model A seat? (Hard Plastic, but quite comfortable.) It doesn't seem to match anything I've used from boat manufacturers, but my experience there is fairly limited.<br /><br />Oh, and it should probably be mentioned that since there was no Drag Factor accounting for the Model A, it was important to follow some rules in how it was set up. IIRC, there should be nothing within 3 feet of the sides or off the end of the flywheel. i.e. Having the flywheel close to a wall would reduce airflow, making for less resistance and skew the results.

[[old] c2jonw]

Paul, Right- the pre-skewer models were a pain. Early Crash-B races were held on borrowed ergs from the Boston area, necessitating some pre-race tune-ups. The discovery that at least a third of the machines had incorrectly strung return mechanisms (how could they DO that??) led to the development of the skewer.<br />The A plastic seat was made from sheets of ABS plastic which were heated until flexible then pressed in a cold mold to form the shape. They were then cut out on a band saw and sanded- very labor intensive, and I did more than enough of them, thank you.....<br />And that mechanical odometer was easy to compromise as you pointed out- proximity to a wall and other ergs made a difference, as would the presence of a coach with baggy pants encouraging his charge on. Funny picture there.<br />How about the early rubber feet? Cut on a band saw from 10' lengths of rubber hose. Great fun back then. Jon