Model B Indoor Rower

Concept 2 Model B Indoor Rower is a great way to raise your heart rate. Is a great well built piece.

This antique rower fell into my lap providentially when I was searching around on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for a used cardio machine. A college student listed it on Craigslist for free and added the note that the monitor was broken. Maybe because of that note, it went almost a week without being claimed. I took that as a sign and contacted the student to pick it up. I asked her about its history, and she said she was gifted it by an elderly neighbor from the past (I hope he's still alive!). When I asked how often it was maintained, she said he did zero maintenance on it and she did, too. All of its parts were original and functional - except for the monitor, which had given up the ghost some years ago. When I took it home, I gave it a good wipe down and treated the chains with 3-in-1 oil, but that was about it. I use it for "LISS" (low-intensity steady state) cardio while "zoning out in zone 2" watching YouTube videos (e.g. Massenomics podcast). Having been discontinued in 1993, it may not have the fancy features of current models of Concept 2 row ergs. But its various parts, including the broken monitor, can be upgraded, and I appreciate having that option if I ever choose to upgrade the machine. Its build quality is illustrated in its still being in working order (except for the monitor) despite its several owners' dereliction of maintenance duties. (I guess we built things to last when we were a proper country!) I've owned it for about a year and it still runs well. Some people might gawk at the machine's various wooden parts (e.g. the foot plate, the handle), but I think they add a cool retro vibe. My perception of its value is colored by my having acquired it for free. But I have seen this model for sale secondhand for under $100 dollars, and I think that would be well worth it.