Schwinn Equipment Mat

“I have been using an elliptical at home (Schwinn all the time so I'm quite used to theirs) for over 5 years and on my previous one would go over an hour at near maximum difficulty level (8-9 out of 12). Unfortunately, this last machine stopped working and as I'm in Toronto with little support available for it, I had to purchase a new one really quickly. I got the Schwinn 411 thinking that with all my years using their ellipticals, it'd be an easier transition. In fact, it's so hard I can't do 30 minutes (at level 2! out of 16) without stopping twice to rest my legs. My calves give in 10 minutes in the workout and by the 20th minute my legs just ache from top to bottom. We tried to adjust the resistance but when we opened it, it seemed the cable all video tutorials were referring to was not there or is deeply hidden. Does anyone know any resolution or have any experience adjusting the resistance on tje Schwinn 411? It's just unpleasant to use and has ruined my routine.”