Part Exercise Bike, Part Standing Desk, This FlexiSpot Workstation Keeps Me Active Throughout the Workday
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
For some of us, working from home presents the issue of lazily slumping into your sofa or bed during your work day. Long, sedentary days at home gave rise to the popularity of standing desks and foldable treadmills, but FlexiSpot has something different to add to the mix: a desk bike.
The brand developed its Deskcise V9 Pro as a workstation that lets you pedal while doing your job, serving as a great alternative for those who feel foot fatigue from using a standing desk or need a break from their walking pad.
Part exercise bike, part standing desk, the Deskcise V9 Pro is a stationary bike with a desktop attachment that lets you pedal and type (and, if you have a small notepad handy, write) simultaneously. It wheels around on four legs, sort of like the rolling workstations you might see at your physician’s office, so you can maneuver it as needed.
I’ve been using the FlexiSpot Deskcise V9 Pro to pedal mindlessly while working mindfully for about a month. Here’s how the hybrid desk fares after four weeks of the weekday crunch.
Deskcise Pro V9
$399.00
flexispot.com
Build and Design
The Deskcise Pro V9 ships in a large box, mostly assembled, and setting it up is super easy: Unfold the desk’s four wheeled legs, pop in the pedals, prop the desk surface in place, and tighten it with a hex key. No dread of adjusting and installing small parts—the setup took me less than one minute, and it’s so easy I didn’t need the instruction manual.
Both the desktop and seat are height-adjustable via a lever on the side. The desktop also moves forward and backward so you can find a comfy spot while pedaling, thanks to additional levers on its underside. The first time I sat on the desk bike felt similar to adjusting my driver’s seat to my steering wheel, trying to find that sweet spot in the elbows that feels natural and allows strain-free typing.
There’s a cupholder in the bike’s center with a silicone slip that hides the battery cover for the digital display, which is a nice touch that keeps my desktop clutter-free. Below that is the bike’s resistance knob, which provides eight levels of pedal resistance. Its lowest level feels like a breeze, similar to a cheap pedal exerciser you’d use for physical therapy, while its highest is much like biking up a very steep hill.
The digital display is centered between the two, with a single button for cycling through time, speed, and calories burned. It runs on two AA batteries (annoyingly, not included) and doesn’t have a backlight for legibility in dim lighting.
Performance
Using this hunk of a workstation is as easy as installing it. Pedaling feels smooth and intuitive, and, crucially, noiseless. The resistance knob is swift and responsive, and pedaling doesn’t cause the bike to move due to its stable wheeling.
The desktop surface is 22 by 20 inches, with ample room for a laptop, notebook, pen, and a cup of coffee. I’ve been using this desk bike during work hours, pedaling during bouts of writing and sitting still during virtual meetings. I don’t always use the display to track how many miles I’m biking every day, but based on past readings, I’d estimate about 30 miles on the third resistance level in an average workday—enough to keep me entertained but not enough to work up a sweat in my comfy work-from-home clothes.
The desk surface has a PU-cushioned armrest for comfort, but otherwise, it’s a blank slate. The desktop wobbles slightly if I adjust how I rest my arms on its surface, but it stays still when pedaling. It’s an easy setup and works just as you’d hope.
A nice feature of the Deskcise Pro V9 is its ability to double as a standing desk. I like to take breaks from sitting throughout my day, and in the case of the Deskcise Pro V9, I need breaks from pedaling so I can stand and stretch. In times like those, I stand opposite the bike seat, raise the desktop surface to level with my torso, and type away. It feels stable and supportive, and it’s a nice break to stretch out between rounds of pedaling. In standing mode, it’s as sturdy as when I’m pedaling.
Averaging 30 miles daily is a light enough lift to feel like I’ve done something toward my health while working, but its most noticeable impact has been after eating meals. I pedal directly after lunchtime, which helps me fight off the typical afternoon crash. My energy feels more sustained, and I’m less reliant on caffeine for a pick-me-up.
Rolling this thing around is straightforward, though it does require some elbow grease since the machine is very heavy. It’s not as swift as a computer chair, but not nearly as sluggish as a wheeled loveseat—it’s more like pushing a heavy ottoman around your living space.
Size
Thank goodness this thing is on wheels. The Deskcise Pro V9 weighs 51 pounds and stands roughly 40 inches wide and 38 inches tall when its seat and desktop are both raised. This is a hulking brute of a workstation with a large footprint, so it probably isn’t a good fit if you are short on space in your home office—unless you’ll use this as your only desk.
Drawbacks
It doesn’t matter where I roll it, what wall it sits against, or how compact I make it: There is no perfect way to store the Deskcise Pro V9. I live in a one-bedroom apartment and have little space to fit the hybrid exercise bike comfortably. The shape is awkward, and I can’t do much to beautify it. Decorating the desk surface makes it unusable, and the bulky stature makes it hard to cover and hide.
As cool as the exercise-bike-standing-desk concept is, it’s just not a statement piece. I hide this from my living area by pushing it against the wall of my bedroom, but I can’t help but see it when I’m trying to relax and not think about work. The Deskcise Pro V9 legs and pedals fold inward to make it snugger, but that requires some muscle and a hex key, so it isn’t a convenient way to make the footprint smaller after work is over.
Lastly, there have been moments where the size and specific usage get to me, and I remember that I don’t need this machine. It feels like a novelty that I show other people, and some days, I would much rather relax and sit on my comfy couch instead.
If FlexiSpot develops a version of this workstation that folds up and tucks away in a closet or underneath a bed, I could see it becoming my go-to workspace. But in its current iteration, it’s hard to envision it as more practical or appealing than pairing an adjustable standing desk with an under-desk elliptical for more versatility.
FlexiSpot Deskcise Pro V9, Reviewed
Buying the Deskcise Pro V9 is a double-edged sword for homebodies and remote workers looking to stay fit. On the one hand, you’ll undoubtedly use it—it’s too large to ignore, you can use it as a standing desk, and it’s supremely comfortable to pedal on. On the other hand, it may be too big for your living space. It’s a great tool if you can fork up the money and find a room corner you don’t mind it living in.
You Might Also Like
