The fellow using the GTO habitually looks for excuses to avoid exercise. He would not bother trying a different boom length, nor would he try different (lower) gears (more spinning). His excuse for not using the treadmill he bought 2nd hand (and used for a couple of weeks) was that it was boring and "not sturdy enough". Remember he started cheating on his diet, and his weight is still almost 160kg and he has given up his latest diet fad.
IMHO it is not an issue with the equipment he uses, but rather with his attitude toward exercise - of any kind. Now that I know more about his "modus operandi", I should not have even bothered trying to help him by loaning him the GTO... No matter, as someone else is using the GTO while my friend's son is still fat and outta shape - and heavily smoking. 🙄