Corey Gaskin
If you work from home, it’s a good idea to spice up the home office from time to time. Some of us have been telecommuting for longer than others, and while at Ars we have extensive experience (and an equally comprehensive guide to the best home office gear), we still enjoy changing things up regularly to meet our dynamic needs. needs. That’s how I found the Desk Bike.
Well, that, and I’m recovering from a foot injury that recently made me take up cycling as a form of low-impact exercise. Nevertheless, Flexispot’s V9 Desk Bike is now in my room and in constant use. You (or your kids) may have recently seen this bike making waves on TikTok. Flexispot’s ad campaign turned out to be a smart and fruitful move, with over 2.5 million likes and media coverage.
Exercise, even in the form of a 30-minute daily walk, is known to have a wide range of positive effects on physical and mental health. But as of 2018, 80% of American adults don’t meet that daily threshold. It can be hard to disconnect from the computer and actually move our bodies, but if we don’t, we literally die. The Desk Bike is not a panacea for a healthy life, but it can help you be more active and get rid of pent-up, restless energy during the day.
Who is Flexispot and what is a desk bike?
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The Desk Bike is delivered almost completely assembled. Just unfold the legs and place them on the desktop. Then do the reverse for easy storage.
Corey Gaskin
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The height-adjustable saddle is cushioned and supported, making it easy to sit on for extended periods. The desktop palm rest is another highly appreciated touch.
Corey Gaskin
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The desktop is large enough for a simple yet comfortable installation.
Corey Gaskin
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Levers under the desk let you raise and lower the platform or slide it back and forth, but you can’t tilt the desk like an easel.
Corey Gaskin
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It also has a rubber-based cup holder, a digital display and a resistance button. I like the lowest setting for casually pedaling while working.
Corey Gaskin
FlexiSpot V9 Desk Bike Pro
Flexispot is a standing desk brand that competes with the likes of Vari, Fully and Uplift, three brands we recommended in our home office setup guide. Some of Flexispot’s offerings undercut these brands by hundreds of dollars, offering similar specs, construction, and functionality to the more expensive models. I’ve been using Flexispot’s Kana Bamboo desk alongside the V9 Desk Bike for a while now. I am in love with the Desk Bike, but the Kana desk has performed well too. It compares well with comparable offers from the top brands; installation is easy and feels solid.
The Desk Bike is a simple concept that seems a little crazy at first, but once I tried it, I found myself wanting to use it more and more. Part of this is due to my intrinsic desire to feel active – and how nice it feels to release some restless energy while I’m at work – but the Desk Bike’s performance keeps me on it again and again. come back.
The first thing that grabbed me was the dead simple assembly. When you take the bike out of the box, just unfold the legs and attach the desktop (the simplicity also makes storage a breeze). I finished the editing in three minutes; it took me longer to find the double A batteries I needed. You’ll need it to power the digital display, where you’ll find readouts for your distance, calories burned, speed, cadence and time spent. It’s nothing fancy, more akin to a wearable digital stopwatch than a Peloton’s touchscreen displays.
You can buy the stationary bike alone (and save a few bucks in the process), with a backrest, or get the full Desk Bike setup, which comes equipped with a height-adjustable tray. The latter’s desktop has a palm rest and is large enough to accommodate my laptop on a stand and my wireless keyboard, with room to spare. There is even a cup holder in the center of the bike.
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You can buy just a bike to match an existing desk, or order the full desk bike setup with an attached tray with built-in wrist rests.
flexi spot
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There is also an option to buy one with a backrest for longer working hours.
flexi spot
The seat is cushioned but firm enough to provide pleasant support, and it is wider than a typical bicycle seat. I can sit on it for about two hours without feeling any pain or discomfort, which is quite an achievement for my bony butt.
The bike is whisper quiet when in use and you can pedal backwards to mix things up. A resistance knob with an eight-point scale allows you to increase the intensity, but I liked pedaling with the lowest resistance while working. The bike doesn’t have the freewheel feel of a Peloton or a real bike, but offers just enough resistance to make you feel like you’re going somewhere, even when you’re not.
I only have a few complaints. The desktop is a bit wobbly; it’s not bad enough to get upset by your stairs or endangering anything resting on them, but it’s not as sturdy as i’d like. It’s also way too hard to lower the desktop. Raising it is easy – just press the lever and lift it – but to lower it you need to get up and apply force to it. I found the same problem when adjusting the seat height. Finally, while the desktop is adjustable back and forth, it can’t tilt up like an easel. It’s a small thing, but it could increase comfort a bit on an otherwise ergonomically well-sorted device.
Nevertheless, the Desk Bike is a user-friendly and fun machine that helps break through a monotonous and sedentary working day. You still need to take a break, walk and get some fresh air. But in between you can also feel active.
List image by Corey Gaskin