"Scout" wrote in message
...
OzOne wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 May 2006 04:15:00 -0400, "Scout"
scribbled thusly:



Sorry Bob! I'm now a confirmed Bowflex user,


I know the guy who wrote 'the' book on the Bowflex.

Oz, I hesitated before making this reply.
I'm not sure which book you mean, but I've been assembling things for a
long time, and the Tread Climber and Ultimate II assembly guides are some
of the worst, if not the worst technical writing I've ever come across. I
complained to Bowflex but they've never responded, I think they just put
me on a complainers list.
Having said that, I love the equipment and have only a few complaints
about the design, all things I can work around.
Scout

Oz, here are some of the comments I sent - they've completely them ignored
as far as I can tell.
" . . . please consider:
1. The lat pull is not high enough for tall users, range of motion is very
limited for 6'3"+ users.
2. The squat (leg) attachment locking mechanism slips when 300+ lbs of
resistance is used. This is dangersous and I had to modify the perforated
rail to make sure it locked safely after each set.
3. The bench press grips are difficult to reach. My solution was to add the
cable extenders to the grips so I can get into a starting position with
heavier resistance (330 lbs is too much to "curl" into position).
4. The video shows leg squats being performed with the seat in the "row"
position, but where does the user place his feet on the Ult II? The curved
bar does not provide a good base for the feet when using the wide back strap
to do this activity.
5. The technical writing is lacking in the assembly instructions.
Considering that my background includes careers as a mechanic/technician, a
technical instructor, and an English teacher, this is significant. When I
called for technical support duing assembly, I told the young lady that I
didn't understand how to do the first steps in setting up the Tread Climber,
she told me she built the machine as part of her training, and that it was
easy. I said, "Ok, how do I do the first 2 steps?" She said she skipped over
the first 2 steps (involved aligning and calibrating the tread or steppers).
Ultimately, her answer was, "it doesn't usually need adjusting." This didn't
help at all, and in fact was pretty irritating. Eventually, I will need to
make adjustments to the machine and I'd instsruction on how to do it
properly.

In spite of these comments, I think the machines are well designed and I
hope to use them for many years to come. "