DeskCycle2, Height Adjustable, Premium Quality Magnetic Resistance

Item arrived within the promised timescale, was securely packaged and in perfect condition.Initial use of the item has proved satisfactory. It is quiet in use and the levels of adjustment are well chosen and allow the user to select a suitable degree of resistance.It seems well made and quite tough. The assembly instructions are clear and assembly isn't arduous.I'd say it was a good choice. Shame it went up ten pounds the day after I bought it.

I bought one for my 75 year old Dad thinking it would be great for him but not something I'd enjoy... I was quite wrong! I liked it so much that when Covid happened I quickly invested in one for my home office.The resistance at top level can quickly get me out of breath and I like to think I'm above average fitness. With Covid I've been more desk bound than normal; this has made a big difference to my health given I have no room for a home gym and have had to cancel my gym membership. It's quiet, very robust and far better quality than I initially expected when I purchased it for my Dad. So quiet that I regularly have it on during work calls, and no need to mute myself.I'd advise that if you purchase this for under desk, then don't just expect it to fit under a normal desk even if you are average height, especially if there are support bars or wire cages that knees can bang against. Measure first. I did some tests and to allow for the fact that the heel comes above the ball of the foot when exerting effort, I'd suggest that you get a 23cm high block of wood, pile of books or something, put your heel on it and see where your knee comes to when your calf is vertical. Then add at least 1cm of clearance for the underside of the desk.I'm 6'3" so decided to purchase a desk from Ikea that can be adjusted higher than average (along with a higher office chair also), so my long legs still fit under the desk when cycling. This works really well, although I'd probably go for a standing desk that can easily adjust to multiple heights if I could choose again.My home office has smooth vinyl floors so the only other issue was everything staying in place when cycling; at low intensity (levels 1-2 or maybe 3) this is fine, but the bike (and office chair) skated about over the floor especially on highest levels with no carpet to stop this. I've therefore fixed a baton of wood to stop the cycle moving out from the wall, and got castors with brakes for the feet of the office chair to stop this moving.In short, if you take the time to set this up right then it can work extremely well in a home office (or at work once Covid is over - it is easily quiet enough to have in a bank of desks and not bother others, but again only if desk height works).

I bought the DeskCycle2 a few days ago and being able to raise it at the front about an inch means that the pedals can be lowered from the floor by about half an inch compared to the DeskCycle. Frankly, I think this is pointless but there is one obscure advantage, albeit a very small one. I will get to that later when I talk about the task of moving the DeskCycle around.The DeskCycle is very well built and stylish. The pedal movement is very smooth on all resistance settings and the range from 1 to 8 is more than large enough to satisfy anyone, probably even most fitness freaks. I like that the pedal movement from top to bottom is smaller than most other mini cycles and that makes it much more comfortable to use. I did have a cheap mini cycle a while ago and that difference for me is paramount, so much so, that while I was considering the DeskCycle and a few alternatives, that factor was enough to make the decision.The user manual for the DeskCycle2 is laid out rather badly, so I prefer to use that for the DeskCycle from a link that gives a better format from a visual point of view. The contents are clear enough and quite comprehensive. One thing mentioned there is that the digital readout is not accurate [you can say that again] because to make it so would be very expensive. I accept that completely, except their calculator on the web, while being a lot better I also have severe doubts about, even if the figures there are more considerably more believable.Yesterday I used the DeskCycle2 for 20 minutes on level 1 and today for the same time on level 2. In due course I will push myself further but I am aged 75 and not fit, so I thought it wise to build up gradually. This is only my third day of using the machine. On level 1 for that time the on-line calculator readout said I have burned 55 calories and covered the equivalent to walking 0.65 miles. On level 2 the figures are 52 and 0.58. Of course, because of the extra effort needed I was pedalling more slowly at the more strenuous level and the exertion made me feel my heart beating faster and my body warming up. The muscles at the top of my legs also exhibited a little stress. On the lower level, non of any of this, so I just do not believe the calorie figures and the difference in distance is far too small to make any sense. I am not bothered by this, just surprised. I think the sensible thing to do is to settle on one level setting and alter the time as you get fitter, rather than up the level as that is going to get to be too big of a jump, at least for an old timer like me! Of course, that suggestion IMO only makes sense once you have settled upon a base level and duration to exercise after using the mini-cycle for a few weeks.In order to make the DeskCycle2 easier to move around, I stitched two pieces of webbing about 55mm wide into loops and have them installed at either end of the unit. The only advantage of the DeskCycle2 over the DeskCycle that I can see is that it was easier to fit the strap at the front where the bar across is very wide, as you can remove the bolt holding that bar to the main body while fitting the loop where it is needed, rather than having to sew it into a loop with the DeskCycle in proximity and liable to get in the way. For the extra £10 IMO that is worth having, otherwise a complete waste of money except £10 is a small amount and probably well spent, given the fact that it might be helpful, certainly is not counter-productive.I have one criticism of the DeskCycle and DeskCycle2. When you pedal your heels are liable to touch the floor, so I am wearing slip-on slippers without a heel but with very thin soles to protect the tops of my feet from the possibility of getting scraped by the pedal straps. I am not going to remove the straps, as you can, as they prevent my feet slipping on the pedals and without them maybe that would happen.The instructions suggest you position yourself so that the angle the leg makes at the knee is a lot less than I am using, but that is because that is necessary so that my heels are clear of the floor as much as possible. I am 1.72m tall and short in the limb. If you are longer legged, you might find the pedals a little bit of a nuisance, so you may want to instead buy another machine altogether. I suggest you are careful about this. The angle the manual suggest at the knee they say is the best to use for your body mechanics, my turn of phrase not theirs, but I really doubt the angle is any cause for concern whatsoever.So overall I am very happy with the DeskCycle2 but as I said in my caption, it is not perfect, so be careful when deciding about it or the DeskCycle. If your stature is similar to mine or smaller, do not worry about it. If you are bigger, decide with caution.

I am pretty sceptical of under desk bikes as every one I have tried previously has been pretty terrible both due to my height (6f 2) and the resistance levels being very poor. I took a chance on this product and I am extremely impressed. Its very comfortable to use, reasonably compact and most importantly has extremely good options for increased resistances. I would highly recommend for anyone looking to by an actually useful and affective under desk exercise bike!