DeskCycle Review

I received a DeskCycle to try in exchange for this review.  All comments are my own.

Features600Over the past few weeks, I have had the chance to try out the DeskCycle under desk bike. I have toyed with the idea of getting some sort of a cycling product for under my desk, so I jumped at the opportunity to try this out.

I was not disappointed.

IMG_0662.JPGNote: I am never going to argue that the Desk Cycle counts as a workout. It does not. But does it make sitting at your desk all day slightly less unhealthy?  I think so. I am a chronic fidgeter, so for me, this was a different way to add motion to my work day.
IMG_0663.JPG As expected, the Desk Cycle comes packaged in parts so you have to put it together, but the instructions were easy and also pretty obvious. Put base on. Put pedals on. Set up and start pedaling.  It’s also easy to take back apart for ease in moving.  It’s quite sturdy when assembled.  And it’s heavy!  It’s not going anywhere when you pedal.

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There is no good way to take a picture of your feet pedaling.

This thing is great.  It uses magnetic resistance, so it’s pretty much silent, which makes it great for using in the office.  The pedal motion is incredibly smooth.  And the resistance is adjustable.  Personally, I like it at a high resistance so I can just pedal slowly.  I joked to a coworker that it’s how I power my brain.  Very slow pedaling to make the cogs in my head turn.   I’m sure you could pedal quickly at a low resistance and high cadence, but that sounds like it would make working a bit more challenging.  Though it could be something to occupy you while you’re on a muted conference call.

One weird thing I noticed is that using this has really improved my posture.  Because of the positioning of the pedals, I can’t slouch while I sit at my desk.

The DeskCycle does come with a display so you can see your speed and calorie burn.  But even the creators of DeskCycle say it’s not quite accurate.  It all depends on what resistance they have the bike set at.  But they have a calculator on the website so you can input your resistance and the data from the display to figure out how many calories you’re burning.

My opinion on that?  Ignore it.  Ignore all of the calorie burn calculations.  Are you burning more calories than you would be just sitting?  Probably.  But to me, if you’re calculating your calorie burn, then you’re treating this as a workout.  This isn’t a workout.  To me, it’s an antidote to the effects of sitting all day.  Think of it the same way you would think of a standing desk. You’re working muscles there too, but you wouldn’t consider it a workout or think about how many calories you’ve earned.

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I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t recommend riding with flip flops. I’m a rebel.

What do my coworkers think of the DeskCycle?  Well, at first they thought I was insane.  (But I’m not sure that’s because I have a bike under my desk.   I think that’s just their general opinion.)  But now they’re jealous.  More than once, I’ve come back from a meeting to find someone pedaling away at my desk while they review a document.

The DeskCycle doesn’t have to be used at a desk.  For a while, I had it underneath my dining room table, where I often work.  I also tried it in front of the tv.  (My road bike was on the trainer next to me, mocking me silently.)  It was a littler harder to use on the couch, since my couch is pretty deep, but you could make it work if you wanted to.

So if you’ve considered some sort of under desk bike to add a bit of movement to your workday, I can’t recommend this enough.  The DeskCycle is a great, high quality product.  It’s quiet, won’t distract your coworkers, and lets you get a bit of “exercise” while you work.

This has been a sponsored review by DeskCycle.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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