i doubt that cycling under my desk is going to result in my figure looking like it did when i was practicing muay thai 13 hours a week, or even when i was spending an hour and a half on an elliptical trainer each night, but what i can say is that it is AWESOME to know i'm burning at least a handful of calories extra each hour than i otherwise would.
here's my quick and dirty review after two days of use:
this product is, as everyone else says, shockingly well made. despite the hundreds of reviews indicating its high quality, heft, smooth rotation, and absolute silence, i was skeptical, and couldn't help but wonder if perhaps everyone just had lower expectations. well, i can vouch: it is high quality, heavy without being forbiddingly so, and rotation is absolutely smooth and there is no noise at all. i cannot tell you how many people have walked by my desk in the past two days who didn't even know i was cycling unless i pointed it out.
so that right out of the gate: if you want to try an underdesk cycler, don't go cheap to save $50, and don't waste your money on the $300 versions. start here. even if it ends up not being for you, it WON'T be because it's cheap or squeaky or impossible to put together.
which brings me to the next thing: it is, again, as others have mentioned, painless to put together. i did it in about ten minutes, and it only took that long because people kept stopping by my desk to ask me wtf i was doing.
as for results, it's too early to tell, and again, i don't expect them to be shocking, but what i can say is that my thighs and even glutes are already noticeably firmer (not sure how my glutes are, since i'm just SITTING, but indeed they are). the most surprising benefit, though, is already tighter abs. when i woke up this morning, i expected my legs to be sore - they weren't. it was my CORE that ached, and it was a delicious sort of ache.
this is because if used properly, you will be sitting on the edge of your chair, holding your stomach in, and relying on your core for balance as you pedal and type at the same time. which brings me to an important note: you definitely want to observe correct posture,, and NOT try to use this sitting back in your chair, because if you don't, your lower back will begin to ache in as little as five minutes.
also, regarding those who have said they don't like peering under their desks to look at the display - i can't speak for older versions of the machine, but at least in the new ones, there's a long cord and stand so that you can put the adapter on your desk and monitor your progress.
i will say that i'm a little flummoxed by reviews here and elsewhere that indicate averaging "ten miles a day", or even 40, because at least if mine is calibrated correctly, i did 97 my first day and 104 today. i hit 7 miles within the first ten minutes of my workday today. of course, i have resistance set at only 2, and am pedaling quite fast, and doing so *most* of my workday (290 minutes yesterday, 300 today), but i have a hard time believing i'm ACTUALLY pedaling at 23 to 25 mph, which is what the meter indicates. so i'm skeptical i've actually hit THAT distance.
either way, this is probably the best $160 i've spent in awhile, and even if i don't end up looking like i spend three hours a day in the gym as a result (and i won't), it's awesome to not just be sitting and spreading ever wider the nine hours a day i'm behind my desk.
also, as others have stated, my coworkers are fascinated. the skeptical ones: "we'll see how long you stick with it," and "there's no way that mileage is correct." the curious ones: "that's so cool! if you start seeing results, i might get one too!" the enthusiastic ones: "let me try it! oh wow, this is awesome!! where did you get it? how much? can you send me the link?"
all in all, again, if you want to go an under-desk cycle route, don't even hesitate to go with this product.
oh, by the way:
regarding the calorie counter, don't get excited. i'd supposedly burned 2000 calories by noon yesterday. even the literature that comes with the cycle says "don't trust the monitor, it's wrong." go to the website they give you and plug in your age, height, weight, resistance, distance, and time, and it will give you a theoretically more accurate calorie count. for a profound example, by the time i left the office today after 5 hours of cumulative peddling, i'd supposedly burned over 4000 calories. when i plugged my numbers into the site, it gave me a far more realistic read of 687. not as exciting as four grand, but still, 687 calories more than i'd have burned otherwise.
in summary, you can't go wrong with this - though if you are tall or your desk is weirdly low, you'll have issues - but you would have issues with ANY of these products, in that case, and probably none that would be so smooth and silent and well-made. this is a shockingly high-quality product for the price, and honestly, i kind of can't believe how inexpensive it is relative to its worth.
| Display Type | LCD |
|---|---|
| Number of Resistance Levels | 8 |
| Operation Mode | Manual |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 22.3 x 11.5 x 11.3 inches |
| Package Weight | 11.05 Kilograms |
| Brand Name | DeskCycle |
| Model Name | DeskCycle |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | 3D Innovations |
| Size | Adjustable Height |
