Modification to Model D for Contact Lens Wearers

[miket-nyc]

I've been using my Model D for about 11 months. Everything has been going great, but I've noticed a curious problem. I've worn contact lenses most of my life. (Without them, I'm so nearsighted I'm almost blind). And I noticed that during workouts, my eyes can dry out and I have to interrupt the workout to put eye drops or contact-lens sailine in my eyes, sometimes more then once during a half-hour workout.

Then I realized the problem was almost always in my right eye, and a little light bulb went off in my head. The breeze from the fan on the side of the rower was blowing in my right eye every time the seat slid forward.

So I made a shield for the fan to block the breeze and keep it from blowing in my face. I tried it out for the first time today, and it worked great. I always kept eyedrops next to me when rowing, but today I had a smooth workout and didn't have to use them once.

Here are a couple of pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dh3DevutUpqfxKRPA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/H1Sy77a4UmUNMaAf6

My breeze-blocking shield is a piece of cardboard cut from a legal-size file folder. (These are 37.5 cm wide --14.75"). It's held on the bumps of the fan housing nearest the user's face with contact cement, which is reasonably strong but comes off fairly easily, and it doesn't block the air from the fan significantly. (My drag is about 22 with the lever between 5 and 6).

The only problem is that a piece of cardboard stuck on the rower is kind of ugly. Eventually I may replace it with clear plastic or something like that. But otherwise this is a keeper. I suggest anyone else with contact lenses whose eyes are being bothered should give it a try.

Mike Taglieri

[Ombrax]

Nice detective work.

I used to wear contacts, but they gave me too much trouble, initially while cycling (dust), then overall, so I've gone back to just wearing glasses.

[miket-nyc]

Nice detective work.

I used to wear contacts, but they gave me too much trouble, initially while cycling (dust), then overall, so I've gone back to just wearing glasses.

Your eyes probably aren't as bad as mine. Contact lenses are a miracle for me. I'm so nearsighted that with my naked eyes, I literally can't see the big E at the top of the eye chart. When I'd come inside from cold weather, my glasses would fog up and I couldn't see anything for 10 minutes. So having trouble with my lenses every time I rowed was a real pain in the butt.

Mike Taglieri

[MPx]

... (My drag is about 22 with the lever between 5 and 6).

Hopefully thats a typo? 122 maybe? Otherwise your mod would make the machine almost unusable for people like me! Great if it works for you though.

[gvcormac]

You already have a solution; an alternative might be noncorrecting glasses. My dollar store sells +0.0, but you could probably get away with +0.5 and still see the PM clearly. Or safety goggles, but they might be a bit hot. My dollar store sells those, too.

[miket-nyc]

... (My drag is about 22 with the lever between 5 and 6).

Hopefully thats a typo? 122 maybe? Otherwise your mod would make the machine almost unusable for people like me! Great if it works for you though.

Right. 122. It wasn't exactly a typo, but an exhausted rower reading the screen carelessly.

Mike Taglieri