DeskCycle Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser - Stationary Bikes for Home & Office - Standard and Adjustable Height Versions

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.

This DeskCycle is the Cat's Meow...whether or not you own a desk. And to think I was within moments of purchasing one of the cheaper ones, I should say, one of the 'non-magnetic resistance' ones. Then somehow I stumbled across this one, and am so glad I did. I never knew cycling could be this smooth and quiet. I see no way for any part on this unique little machine to ever break down. Just wait until you see how it works. You can actually see the mechanism working as you cycle, thru the dark transparent top down into its smooth working innards. But you'll never hear it. Sweet.... I stumbled a bit putting it together, not paying enough attention to which end was the front, but once I recognized what I'd done wrong, everything was a piece of cake after that. I will emphasize what the instructions do, and that's to tighten down very tightly the pedal screws. You don't want the threads eventually stripping, which is the only thing I can see that could possibly go wrong with this cycle. I'm using the cycle with a very small fold-up round seated chair and sit back comfortably there and watch TV. Maybe tomorrow I'll read a book instead (currently working on the 1400 pg. 'Sacajawea' by Anna Lee Waldo...great book!). I think that will be a very pleasant time with a very pleasant cycle. I have no problem whatsoever with the cycle moving forward or anywhere else on my very short carpet. I can pedal it downward (as suggested in the instructions) or pedal it forward, it makes no difference, it stays securely where I've put it. This is a high-quality made exercise cycle. It's heavy enough to remain stable when on a carpet, but not too heavy to pick up and carry around. Although I think it would be perfect for placing under a desk, it's certainly not made for that purpose alone. Anyone who wants or needs this kind of exercise should be thrilled with the workout you can get with this cycle. And...you can take it easy on Setting 2 or 3, which you probably should anyway in the beginning, or set it on an upper number for a real tough workout. Don't worry about not getting enough 'resistance' with it. I can see now that I could never pump it at a setting of probably more than about 4 or 5 (it goes to 8). Oh...the pedals. I don't need the straps to go over my shoes so I just pedal on the straps (don't know if that's okay or not). I was pleasantly surprised to find that pedaling barefoot or with just socks (directly on the pedal) is equally comfortable. Somebody brilliant must have invented this cycle. And somebody equally brilliant wrote the instructions. They're clear and straightforward (a rare thing) and it should take you about 10 minutes to put this together. The pedals were just a little challenging for me...just be patient and make sure you start threading the screw in the right direction for each pedal. Then screwing it in all the way takes just a little muscle, but be sure the screw goes in all the way and to make it a very tight fit. (Don't keep screwing it in if you think it's not in the right threads...just start over til you're sure.) I wish everyone could afford to buy this cycle, and can just say it's more than worth saving up for if that's what it takes to have one. My advice to those who can't buy it right away is to either save up, or ask for it as a Christmas or Birthday gift. I would have been thrilled to receive it as a gift. Oh yeah, it comes with a one-year standard Warranty. If you're not sure between buying the DeskCycle or the MagneTrainer, write to 3D Innovations and they'll send you a chart that shows the similarities and differences between the two. The folks there are very friendly and helpful. I came down on the side of the DeskCycle because of its low and smaller profile. Well...I'm a lady and no spring chicken. And I don't work for this company. But I do think this DeskCycle is awesome! I'm looking forward to getting a lot of use out of it and having a lot of fun with it for a very long time. I highly recommend this DeskCycle to everyone who's looking to buy one. P.S. I just ordered another one for my daughter today (17 Dec). She tried out mine and fell in love with it. I think she knew if she raved about it enough I'd take the hint and get her one for Christmas. I bit the hook because she really wants it and I know it will help keep her healthy. What more could a mother want! lol

Since 'they' say sitting is the new smoking, I wanted to be doing something while sitting in front of my computer all day. I was planning on getting a less expensive model, but after doing a lot of research, this specific under desk bike kept coming up as one of the top models. Boy am I glad I decided to purchase this! Here are some of my concerns I had prior to purchasing. 1. I saw a few reviews about assembly. I was worried about it being too difficult. It was not at all! I did it myself in under 15 minutes. The directions were great! Not only pictures, but actual words of how to assemble it (other things I have put together only have pics and it drives me crazy!). You basically just screw everything in with the tool they give you. Easy peasy! See my first pic for the pieces it comes with. 2. I was worried that my knees would hit my desktop. They do not. However, I do not have a center drawer or lower keyboard shelf. Your knees might hit if you do. See the 2nd pic of it sitting under my desk. 3. I have wood floors and was worried my rolling desk chair would, well roll, when I was biking. Yeah, it kind of does. A strap comes in the box so you can wrap it around the chair and the bike to stabilize it. I did not use this strap because I wanted to be able to move my chair when needed. I found that I can put one of the chair wheels in front of the back part of the bike and this does the trick! See my 4th photo - I circled the chair leg. Other things I like 1. The 'monitor' can be unattached from the bike. I have it hooked up and sitting on top of my desk, so I can see it. Much better! I'm not sure how accurate it is - I don't think I am really traveling that many miles - but its good for me to see anyway. 2. It is QUIET!!! I did not expect it to be this quiet! I can even use it during work phone calls without anyone knowing. 3. The resistance dial really works! You can feel it and so do my legs..... 4. The "ride" is very smooth. I was pleasantly surprised. I don't use the foot straps (and there are directions on how to take them off if you want) but I just put my feet on top of them. No problems with my feet slipping off the pedals. I am very happy with this purchase! Now I hope that it shows in my health!!

I had tried several solutions for remaining active while at my desk or gaming, such as putting a stationary bike in front of the desk and using an XBox 360 controller to control my mouse using AutoHotKey but it just didn't cut it. The desk cycle is low profile enough to keep me active while sitting and working on things. Pros: * It is designed to be low profile and fit under your desk out of the box. * Light enough that you can pick it up and put it away or move it elsewhere if needed * Variable resistance setting lets you decide how much energy you want to spend pedaling * Readout screen can be run up to the desk so you can check your pedal progress without having to look under you * Quiet enough that the sound of you pedaling in the chair may be louder than the cycle itself Cons: * Support for this product has been non-existent from the manufacturer. You must call a support line and leave a message requesting that they contact you in order to receive assistance. My left pedal strap snapped in half after two years of use and I wanted to buy either a replacement pedal or strap. The manufacturer will not respond to me. * The pedal straps appear to be the weakest part of the DeskCycle. The other components are nice plastics or metal, but the straps feel like a thin pleather. Other: * Doubles as a decent footrest - subjective, but I like keeping my feet on top of the cycle * You need to make sure that you won't swivel side-to-side in your chair while attempting to pedal. An office chair should be braced against the desk or I've found shifting down in the seat helps me brace against the desk It's a good product. I was able to mend my left pedal strap with a mountain of gorilla tape but I know this will eventually fail. As a testimony of how long I want to keep my DeskCycle around, I'm considering asking a cobbler to fashion me new straps so I can continue using it. EDIT: I am updating my score from 3 to 4 stars. I was able to get in contact with 3D Innovations via e-mail and they sent me a complimentary replacement set of pedals for my DeskCycle. Strangely, the pedals they sent were branded as being for the MagneTrainer, which is a similar product they manufacture but appear to have the same pedal design.

I love this machine! It is quiet and smooth as advertised. I have had it for about 3 weeks. Level 4 resistance was too much for me when I started (I could feel it pulling in my knees in unwanted ways) but I am already stronger. I have gone from level 2 to level 3 for background pedaling for long periods (no sweating)up to 3.5 hours so far throughout the day and level 4 for shorter bursts of up to 12 miles/day so far. Level 8 is still out of range, and I think that is a good thing. It gives me something to grow into. As with any pedal exercise (including biking), it's really important to set it up in such a way that the knees are not harmed. It may be more important with this type of equipment though, because longer "rides" are so much more common. Random story TLDR: On a real bike, I found out about this issue the hard way when I decided to start biking 12 miles to work. Of course I had to carry some things I would need throughout the day such as lunch and extra clothes. Since my bike had no rack, I carried everything in a bag attached to the center bar. My knees bowed out at a 45 degree angle. for the whole ride. It was fine!!! Just perfect!!! Until I got up. It hurt to walk for some time after that, except for going up the stairs. That was really comfortable. I tell this story to help out anyone who is new... you don't feel it until you get up. So pay attention the little cues and take care of your knees! Someone gave me a ball chair and I really wondered what I would do with it until I got this. The ball chair adds extra exercise. It also absorbs my movements better than other chairs that I tried with it. I would say the desk exerciser was not great with the loveseat or my cushy chair with skinny legs. Too much torque. It worked well with a folding chair. That was my favorite before the ball chair. I did not try it with any other rolling office chair. Pros: *I actually exercise! I can always fit it in. *smooth and quiet *the display keeps adding to previous totals until you manually reset, so it is easy to get an all day total *the website has a more accurate calorie counter *wide range of resistance levels... push it and sweat or be slightly active for hours *the display has an optional long cable so that it can be placed on your desk for easy viewing Cons: *probably true of all pedal exercisers, but the tension knob is inconvenient to reach and change. Unlike on a bike or exercise bike, it is located on the floor, most likely, under your desk. Edit: I'm still using this with my ball chair, but I had to take a break for a while. If you decide to use it with a ball chair, be sure to stabilize your core, or it will affect your back. Now that I am focusing on that, it seems to be fine.

This bike is EXACTLY what I wanted. High quality, as dead silent as I can possibly imagine, and does EXACTLY what it's intended to do. Sitting at a desk all day with horrible posture, made me fidgety and always uncomfortable. I'd have to stop what I was doing just to walk around and get out some energy. Plus, a desk job doesn't do much for staying in shape. This bike keeps me from getting tired or sleepy, keeps my legs moving and blood pumping, and even helps with my posture. When I first received it, I figured even though I have a chair with rollers, that I wouldn't need those (or want to be tethered to the bike). Boy was that wrong. If your chair has rollers, you pretty much have to use the velcro strap that comes with the bike in order to keep a stationary position while using it. This is actually the one drawback to the bike, I can't just move my chair around much without taking off the strap (can I recommend they include a strap with a plastic quick connect built in?). My other concern was that my desk is 27" to the bottom of the desktop, and I'm 6'1". According to the description, that is a no-go combo. I did get it to work though, and I'm really happy. Took a bit of trial and error on getting my distance right, banging my knees on my desk a few times, and changing my pedaling motion; but I'm now pedaling issue free. Some have stated that the bike makes noise. Unless you have superhuman hearing, or a cubical neighbor with a grudge, I don't think anyone is going to hear this thing or complain. My pants moving while pedaling make more noise than the bike does. There are some cheap alternatives on Amazon that I wanted to believe would do the job this bike would do, but after trying the DeskCycle, I can't imaging even thinking about a cheapo doing this good of a job. The setup is simple, build quality is pretty top notch, and it does exactly what I wanted to do: exercise at my desk while working. I did have to contact customer service on a warranty issue with a pedal clicking, and it was handled quickly, professionally and simply. I can't imagine anyone being sorry they bought this bike!

I spend a lot of time on the computer. I'm a programmer so I'm on the computer all day for work, then I like to play games, so it's even more time on the computer. I can spend almost the entire day on the computer. I was looking for something I could do (exercise) while playing games or on a conference call--the desk cycle fits the bill. It has limitations in that it is pretty low to the ground and it's not a full size exercise bike, but the limitations haven't prevented it from giving me a good workout. I was very concerned with the short crank arms (the arms the pedals are connected to), but it seems fine. The motion is very smooth, and also very quiet. One of the limitations is that it's very low to the ground and compact, so there isn't much room between the pedal and the floor. To get around this I usually take off my shoes and then it's not an issue. I'm using it at home, so that's no big deal for me. I am also pretty tall ~6'2" and have ~12 size feet, so your mileage may vary. Another gripe I have is that the resistance between 2 and 3 seems pretty big, but I'm also out of shape, so I dunno. This may also vary slightly from unit to unit. As it is though, there are 8 settings and I have only used the first 3 so far. It really gives a good workout though, like my old recumbent stationary bike I used to use (which I don't have room for right now). It is actually like a compact, high quality stationary bike without the seat--great! I also tried some of the cheap ones, and I'm glad I invested the money for this one--like I said--it's really like having a proper stationary bike, I just use my office chair with a towel on it when I use the desk cycle. Overall I would say it's worth the money, although the foot clearance is a bit of an issue (so I take my shoes off), and the resistance settings are not as fine tuned as I would prefer, but I'm very happy with this thing. I can't comment on how long it will last since I've only had it a week or so, but it is sturdy, and seems built to last. I knew how to put the pedals on since I've done a lot of bike repair before, so if you've never installed a pedal, watch a video or something! Oh, also, this thing is very stable, doesn't rock at all using on the carpet.

As a fat old grandma who's a computer applications teacher & webmaster, I spend a lot of time sitting in front of a desk both at work (school) and at home. I struggle with swollen ankles, especially in the summer. Although walking outdoors would be ideal, I also don't "do" high heat & humidity, so the walking rarely happens. Bought this to help get some light cardio AND to keep the circulation in my legs & ankles going. I am THRILLED with it!! It was a piece of cake to put together. It has a display that can be put right on the under-desk bike, as shown in the pic, or there's an extension cord & separate little stand to put the display on your desktop. The display shows your speed, how long you've been pedaling, how many calories you've burned, and the distance you've gone. There's a tension dial to enable easy, leisurely pedaling, which is all I need right now, just to keep my legs moving, but you can 'ramp it up' by setting the tension higher if you really want more of a workout. I've only had it set up for a little over a week, but have clocked 15-16 miles a day on it EVERY day! I'm only using the level 2 tension setting right now, because I just need to keep my legs moving, but as I get stronger, I'll dial it up to 3, etc to start to build some knee strength. Completely NON-STRESS to your joints while using this!!! If I could give this 10 stars, I would! **I read the one star comments some people left, and have this to add: you might want to measure the height of your desk. mine is 28.5" high. On a carpeted floor, wearing standard tennis shoes (bare feet is fine, but I have bad arches), I have no problem with my knees hitting the desk- there's probably an inch clearance. Also, you HAVE to point your toes downward like they suggest in the directions, or you'll push yourself away from the bike on your desk chair with wheels. If you sit up straight, put a lumbar pillow behind you, and point toes downward, that problem is minimized a great deal. I can't say a single negative thing about this. Not only are my ankles noticeably less swollen, but the additional activity & calories burned are spurring my ketogenic diet into warp speed! Since I'm already parked in front of my desk so much (ok, it's not all work - there's Facebook, Ebay, Etsy, Amazon, Solitaire, Mahjong, Jigsaw puzzles...what can I say LOL) this is my new best friend! I can't really keyboard well - I'm a bit 'bouncy' while I'm pedaling, but when I'm just browsing or doing a puzzle, I can 'kick back' and pedal away the whole time. (I pull a drawer out, set a large book on the open drawer, and move my mouse closer as I'm sitting back further to pedal. hope this helps - I think it's absolutely wonderful!! Check your desk height before you buy! (PS this is the link they give to more accurately estimate your calorie expenditure: [...] )

quiet, smooth, easy to use

Excellent product, I didn’t expect this to be that good. Wow. Very strong reliable and helped exercise while working from home. Thank yiu

So glad that I bought it, it fit under our table as well as can move around to and place in front of sofa. Both can be seated comfortably and ride. So far still riding on a lower level, not too much resistance which works perfect for the elderly at home to ease into workouts.

Very good desk bike to keep your fitness and fight laziness.

I have used a few other machines like this one and found the quality not so good. DeskCycle Is well made and works very well. My favorite feature is the pedals are weighted so that they never flip over when you put your feet into the strap and on to the pedal. Easy to adjust resistance and a very quiet machine. I recommend this machine to everyone.