Flexispot bike desk review – Cycle Desk Bike V9 Pro

Inside: Flexispot V9 Pro bike desk review. Includes press samples.

With more and more people working from home there has been an increase in need for desks and work spaces. Factor in that you won’t be walking to and from your car or train as part of your commute anymore, you are more likely to lead sedentary lifestyle. As a result, people have been looking for ways to incorporate more exercise into their lives whilst creating a space for their work life too.

Flexispot have created a stationary bike that doubles as a desk, allowing you to exercise while you work. With an adjustable seat and desktop, it can fit anyone and any space in your home.

I have been testing out the Deskcise V9 Pro to see how well it functions as an exercise bike as well as how easy it is to work at the desk each day.

Who are Flexispot?

Flexispot are dedicated to creating ergonomic solutions for a healthier and better life. Insisting on sustainable development and using state-of-the-art technology, they have a reputation for creating fantastic home office products such as the standing desk, the desk stand and of course the desk bike.

Flexispot Cycle Desk Bike

The desk bike is the perfect solution if you want to create a work space and exercise space but don’t have enough room for both. Combining the two, the V9 Pro allows you to move your body while getting your work done each day.

Assembly

The bike and desktop attachment arrive in separate boxes but as part of the same shipment which meant I could unbox and get going immediately. Assembly was straightforward as it mostly comes already assembled, with only the need to unfold the pedals and legs.

The desktop is an add-on purchase so if you haven’t bought this then your assembly is complete. If you’ve bought both together then attaching the desk is easy too – simply slide it onto the frame and tighten the screw with the allen key provided.

Size of the bike

The whole bike measures 60cm (W) x 90cm (D) x 119cm (H) (2ft x 3ft x 4ft) at its largest and 60cm (W) x 76cm (D) x 88cm (H) (24in x 30in x 34.5in) at its smallest. With the foldable pedals and feet you can make it even more slimline for space saving storage. I actually keep mine in the living room next to the sofa where it doubles up as a handy side table!

The caster wheels mean I can move it around easily as and when I need too.

Adjusting the height

Both the desktop and the seat are able to be adjusted using simple levers which is great. The height of the seat in its lowest position is 76cm (30in) and the maximum seat height is 96cm (38in).

The desktop can be adjusted up and down as well as backwards and forwards to suit different heights and seating positions. The lowest height is 88cm (34.5 inches) and highest is 119cm (47 inches).

Having an adjustable desktop also means you can use it as a standing desk when you don’t want to sit on the seat – simply raise the desk and lower as required.

The desktop

The desk also features a comfortable PU cushion along the side nearest the seat so you can rest your arms while you work. Unfortunately you aren’t able to tilt the work surface at all but having the cushion allows you to rest your hands according to the seat height/ desk surface angle.

It is a great size too at 57cm x 41cm (22.5in x 16in) – fitting my Macbook Pro easily as well as a notebook and other bits and bobs.

Using the bike

The whisper-quiet pedals are surprisingly quiet, making it perfect to use while watching TV or if you simply need quiet while working. You do need to wear shoes while pedalling as the pedals are just like those found on regular bikes and aren’t comfortable at all on bare feet.

Something else worth mentioning is the comfortable seat. It is larger than the average bike seat and very cushioned so it isn’t difficult to stay seated for lengths of time. Of course, like any small seat you have to keep yourself balanced and upright, so you would want to get off and move your body to relax those muscles for a while.

The bike has 8 levels of resistance, 1 being lower resistance and 8 being the higher resistance. I would say that up until 4 or 5 you are able to work well while slowly pedalling along, however the higher resistances and speeds make it much more difficult to keep yourself still enough to be able to truly concentrate to type or write anything.

I tend to slow down when I need to write anything and then when I need to take a break from work or simply need to think something through, I increase my speed to burn a few extra calories.

Tracking your workout

You are able to track your workout using the LCD screen on the bike frame. This requires AA batteries to work, with the battery compartment being hidden under the rubber mat inside the cup holder for your water bottle.

The small screen activates when you start pedalling or with the press of a black button. It shows workout time, your speed and total distance covered (had you been on a real bike) and an estimate on calories burnt.

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