Hacking a $200 Under Desk Exercise Bike(codaris.github.io)
codaris.github.io
Hacking a $200 Under Desk Exercise Bike
https://codaris.github.io/UnderDeskBike/
136 comments
"Free up" brain power: I turn off the radio when I need to focus driving on the road (e.g. traffic, rain, snow)
It sounds absurds. But I think some may do the same.
It sounds absurds. But I think some may do the same.
> "Free up" brain power
Same. When I have to seriously think about the code I'm writing - I stop the music. I think that goes against a lot of people who continuously jam music while writing code.
Same. When I have to seriously think about the code I'm writing - I stop the music. I think that goes against a lot of people who continuously jam music while writing code.
I don't mind music when the work is mundane, but I fucking hate needing to have something playing to drown out the sounds of people around me when I need to really think (best done in silence or with cafe noise for me). I honestly don't know how people actually do hard things in an office.
> I honestly don't know how people actually do hard things in an office.
I close the door.
I close the door.
What is "door"?
White (or brown) noise!
3M - Peltor earmuffs/noise cancellers. I got two pairs of them, one next to the desk, one next to the bed. Anytime there is any noise that I cannot control, I put these on and (almost) everything goes away. After 30 seconds I only hear my heartbeat, and that 'goes away' after 1-2 minutes giving me (almost) total silence.
At $20, it is the best one I've tried. It is not 'active' (mic filtering & speakers), it just has good foam tech.
(not a ref link) https://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Optime-Earmuff-H10A/dp/B007...
If you get used to the 'weight' (not that much) they are also great for your meditation time.
At $20, it is the best one I've tried. It is not 'active' (mic filtering & speakers), it just has good foam tech.
(not a ref link) https://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Optime-Earmuff-H10A/dp/B007...
If you get used to the 'weight' (not that much) they are also great for your meditation time.
Oh, I tried these last year. I'm glad they work for you and I'm sure for others, but it didn't work for me. The size took a little getting used to in an office, but that was fine. They just didn't work to completely remove the eating sounds that my coworker was making on our code assembly line.
I usually have music playing when I work, but when I leave the zone I often realise for the last 30 minutes I had headphones on for no reason, as the playlist finished :-)
I have to have total silence as well when seeking complete focus.
It is not absurd. There's a reason why people lower the volume to park their car.
I also do this. In particularly treacherous stretches of road or in unfamiliar areas I turn off the music.
Only on well-worn commutes do I feel free to blast the radio.
Only on well-worn commutes do I feel free to blast the radio.
My experience was the same. I ended up standing on a balance board at my stand-up desk. This strengthened my core and helped me to be more alert without actively distracting me.
And yes, this should be a supplement and not a substitute for outdoor activity, normal cardio and strength training, stretching, etc.
And yes, this should be a supplement and not a substitute for outdoor activity, normal cardio and strength training, stretching, etc.
It’s the same for me except if I’m talking. When I present or have long conversations, my body automatically starts walking, and the more I walk the more I can focus on the conversation. It’s unreal, but it absolutely works. I end up pacing all over the house (thank goodness for wireless headsets) for hours. I have not found yet a way to reconcile this with the need for notes and screen when I present remotely, but for anything else it’s a great help.
We had student surveys at university, and one professor was admired for his leg work during lecture :-)
I think how well you can get "into the zone" while being physically active depends partly on how physically active you are to be begin with. If your body is not used to cycling or walking on a treadmill, then you're going to find it difficult to multitask when doing that activity.
I have used a bike desk for more than a decade. I have no difficulty getting into the zone; in fact, I find the rhythmic motion actually helps.
You can get far more exercise while you work than you can in your free time, simply because time spent working > available free time for most people. It all depends on how long and how much you exert yourself. Based on my desk's power meter, I burn about 1200 calories/day while I work.
I have used a bike desk for more than a decade. I have no difficulty getting into the zone; in fact, I find the rhythmic motion actually helps.
You can get far more exercise while you work than you can in your free time, simply because time spent working > available free time for most people. It all depends on how long and how much you exert yourself. Based on my desk's power meter, I burn about 1200 calories/day while I work.
I’ve got a treadmill walking desk - two, actually. I’m in a bit of a unique situation where I do two types of jobs on my computer. I do both photography and some development. I can do all my photography tasks while walking at a fairly slow pace, 2mph or so. I’ll often walk 4 or 5 hours a day. I can’t, however, concentrate on an audiobook at the same time while culling photos. Editing and retouching are so automatic I can do all three.
Programming though? Only if I’m doing something I know how to do fairly well I can walk. That’s pretty rare due to how little time I can commit to coding.
In either situation it keeps me more awake and energized, even if I can’t concentrate as well.
Programming though? Only if I’m doing something I know how to do fairly well I can walk. That’s pretty rare due to how little time I can commit to coding.
In either situation it keeps me more awake and energized, even if I can’t concentrate as well.
When I was coding, I could only listen to (soft) music when I was doing the visuals (colors, buttons, screens). At the time of writing code I would require absolute silence (noise cancallers I mentioned on another comment further up).
I took up Dance Dance Revolution again, which I used to be into in high school. I thought I "couldn't do it anymore" but it just took several weeks before I was conditioned enough to not be in pain the next few days.
I love DDR and would love to play, but all my mats are destroyed!
There’s a company called L-Tek in Poland that’s making pretty sturdy ones out of wood and sheet metal. After shipping and everything it worked out to like $350. Not too bad if you’re serious about it.
That's a bit impractical atm, but good to know there's still some kind of market for that.
There’s a study out there that Dr. Edell used to talk about.
It compared the mood of treadmill vs. outside walking.
Outside was perfected by a lot.
(I miss Dr. Edell. I thought someone would replace him, but no.)
It compared the mood of treadmill vs. outside walking.
Outside was perfected by a lot.
(I miss Dr. Edell. I thought someone would replace him, but no.)
Lastly, I very much did not want all my workout data locked away in this app.
the obvious problem is that exactly no one in the industry has ever devoted more that 3 brain cells and 5 seconds working out a universal standard to present their data. Stuff competitors! And why shouldn't they? They have minus zero interest in making life easier for their broader (and probably narrower also) consumer base.
Actually there is ANT+ with profiles for everything under the sun and BLE with some profiles as well.
Nothing will change until interoperability and full end-user access to data become legally mandated. As it is, everyone has every incentive to prevent users from accessing the data, because the whole business model of IoT is about holding data hostage to extract ransom from the customer.
This is a generic opinion about IoT that's woefully misapplied to sports tech.
If users care about that, they'll go to a vendor that gives them access to the data. No need to legally mandate anything.
Sometimes users are dumb, sometimes users are manipulated. Data privacy is a discussion that's been slowly growing and now has been picked up by the general public in some places.
There are some public policies that need incentives to go against the market, because market forces are not inherently good.
Sometimes there is a need to legally mandate something, or are you also against environmental protection laws? By this logic, f people really care about the environment, would it solve itself then?
There are some public policies that need incentives to go against the market, because market forces are not inherently good.
Sometimes there is a need to legally mandate something, or are you also against environmental protection laws? By this logic, f people really care about the environment, would it solve itself then?
No, they won't, because of many reasons - it's a well-known market failure mode.
Importantly, to pick just one of the reasons, you can't expect users to accurately judge complex technological product, especially when facing marketers who will lie to them. When you're shopping for food or medicine, you're not expected to understand biochemistry or technicalities of randomized control trials - you expect the things you buy to not poison you. Plenty of vendors would be happy to sell you literal poison - and they did, in the past - but we've regulated that possibility away. Similarly, for technology, some of the abuses need to be regulated away, because you can't expect regular people to avoid the traps, and the vendors to not be abusive without external pressure.
Importantly, to pick just one of the reasons, you can't expect users to accurately judge complex technological product, especially when facing marketers who will lie to them. When you're shopping for food or medicine, you're not expected to understand biochemistry or technicalities of randomized control trials - you expect the things you buy to not poison you. Plenty of vendors would be happy to sell you literal poison - and they did, in the past - but we've regulated that possibility away. Similarly, for technology, some of the abuses need to be regulated away, because you can't expect regular people to avoid the traps, and the vendors to not be abusive without external pressure.
There are no vendors that do it; it's in their best interest to keep data locked down. You can't vote with your wallet when your candidate isn't running.
That's not true. If you buy a fitness tracker from Garmin you can download FIT files with all your data either directly from the device or through their free online service. The format is documented and you're allowed to use your own data however you like.
Isn't my workout data covered under GDPR? Not that I'd bother trying to enforce it against the likes of Huawei.
That depends. It probably is, to some extent, but you either consented to this or it qualifies as essential to deliver the service. I suspect you could get it from the vendor by sending them a strongly worded letter, but a DSAR (data subject access request) isn't exactly an API call. GDPR cares about how your data is being collected and processed, not about interoperability. We need separate regulation to force service interoperability and a separation between hardware and services, so that they can be interchangeable.
This is a weird opinion - Garmin is arguably the market leader, and they opened up all their formats and protocols to be standards which are now widely adopted (.fit files, ant+ wireless communication), and they also now work with the competing wireless communication standard too (btle).
And just looking at exercise bikes, it's true that peloton/flywheel/etc are closed. But the products in that space from the established fitness tech players (eg wahoo and tacx) are entirely based around communicating via standard protocols (ant+ fe-c trainer control).
And just looking at exercise bikes, it's true that peloton/flywheel/etc are closed. But the products in that space from the established fitness tech players (eg wahoo and tacx) are entirely based around communicating via standard protocols (ant+ fe-c trainer control).
ok then, i'm wrong. Is it true that more generic manufacturers (assuming they are players in the exercise industry) are also adopting these standards?
Yes. Go buy some random heart rate monitor from Amazon - it will communicate over standard ant+/btle protocols.
The workout domain has already standardized on the FIT file format. Pretty much all fitness trackers and bike computers use it for recording activities. It isn't fully open but anyone can license the SDK.
https://www.thisisant.com/developer
There is free open source software like GoldenCheetah which can read those comes so you don't have to depend on proprietary online services.
https://www.goldencheetah.org/
https://www.thisisant.com/developer
There is free open source software like GoldenCheetah which can read those comes so you don't have to depend on proprietary online services.
https://www.goldencheetah.org/
Great writeup! I did something similar for the (much dumber) DeskCycle which has a simple odometer. Conveniently I was just able to plug it into Aux In and track pulses.
https://github.com/lfowles/deskcycle
https://github.com/lfowles/deskcycle
Nice Work!
I have a MagneTrainer, which is made by the same manufacturer as the DeskCycle, and uses the same "trip computer" as the DeskCycle.
When I bought the Magnetrainer years ago, they had some Windows games they could link to using the Aux connection, but the connection kit was overpriced, and the games that were available looked "meh".
I have a MagneTrainer, which is made by the same manufacturer as the DeskCycle, and uses the same "trip computer" as the DeskCycle.
When I bought the Magnetrainer years ago, they had some Windows games they could link to using the Aux connection, but the connection kit was overpriced, and the games that were available looked "meh".
What did you plug into aux? And what does this app do?
The deskcycle has a port for its own odometer that's just connected with a regular 3.5mm audio cable. I don't remember 100% what the app does. I think I got as far as translating pulses to the same "speed" measurement as their odometer, but ran out of steam after that.
Ah, that Segoe UI WPF app takes me back. I made so many little utility apps like that when I first got Visual Studio. WPF/WinForms is what I made my first GUI apps with, and first discovered why one shouldn't do blocking computations on the main thread...
Years (er, decades) ago, while in college, I was tasked with hooking up a primitive stationary bike with a virtual reality headset. The CRT monitor no longer worked for some reason, but the bicycle itself was still sending out signals, similar to the original story.
The university was big into VR and graphics, and had developed a VR SDK and headgear. Hooking them up was a fun task since I got to work with C internals, connecting things at a lower level. It actually worked quite well.
Today I work on systems that deal with large queries per second, but almost not as fun as getting your hands dirty with low-level bytes.
The university was big into VR and graphics, and had developed a VR SDK and headgear. Hooking them up was a fun task since I got to work with C internals, connecting things at a lower level. It actually worked quite well.
Today I work on systems that deal with large queries per second, but almost not as fun as getting your hands dirty with low-level bytes.
I think cycling is the wrong motion for an under-desk exercise machine. I think it should be a very short vertical motion, just feet moving up-and-down, something you can do without disrupting your chair posture, or making the rest of your body move too much.
Potentially you don't even lift your toes up, just raise and lower your heels with some kind of resistance.
Maybe you wouldn't get much exercise this way, but I think getting a whole lot of exercise whilst trying to work at a computer just isn't really doable.
Potentially you don't even lift your toes up, just raise and lower your heels with some kind of resistance.
Maybe you wouldn't get much exercise this way, but I think getting a whole lot of exercise whilst trying to work at a computer just isn't really doable.
You mean a stepper?
https://www.amazon.com/-/us/dp/B07NRCZHYJ/
https://www.amazon.com/-/us/dp/B07NRCZHYJ/
I wonder if even that might be too much motion for under a desk. Plus, it looks like it's designed to be stood on, so I wonder how it would work when you're sitting and not directly over it, and don't have all your weight on it. Still, might be an options.
I've also thought a sliding back-and-forth motion might work -more like a skiing thing.
Thanks for the link
I've also thought a sliding back-and-forth motion might work -more like a skiing thing.
Thanks for the link
Hm, as a [former] drummer, I'm thinking bass drum pedal here. Build for up/down motion while sitting.
The pedal https://www.thomann.de/intl/millenium_pd222_pro_serie_fussma... [english language link] Something to hit (incl. sensor!): https://www.thomann.de/intl/millenium_e_drum_kick_bass_pad.h...
Partially kidding, partially serious. Careful: These aren't noiseless. My former downstairs neighbor wasn't too happy with me so I could only practice when he wasn't at home ;-)
The pedal https://www.thomann.de/intl/millenium_pd222_pro_serie_fussma... [english language link] Something to hit (incl. sensor!): https://www.thomann.de/intl/millenium_e_drum_kick_bass_pad.h...
Partially kidding, partially serious. Careful: These aren't noiseless. My former downstairs neighbor wasn't too happy with me so I could only practice when he wasn't at home ;-)
This was my take on a connected exercise bike:
https://jacquesmattheij.com/trainification/
https://jacquesmattheij.com/trainification/
I interpreted the title to mean they exploited the bike and got code execution, similar to the guy who got code execution on a smart butt plug and presented at DEFCON 27 [0].
[0] (Slightly NSFW) https://youtu.be/RnxcPeemHSc
[0] (Slightly NSFW) https://youtu.be/RnxcPeemHSc
Regular movement is key, and even switching between sit and stand every 30m is not enough. We are working on something along these lines by supporting more frequent useful movement, every 1-2m, without impacting typing with a smart robotic chair. Looking for early beta users in Silicon Valley and Boston for May- https://movably.typeform.com/to/y5NPOA2U
Consistent movement without being distracted that saves me from back pain? Count me it! Already filled out the form!
I wish I could use a (Mac) desktop application to talk to my Fitbit. It looks like there was one years ago.
(First and foremost, I'm at my computer all day long. If it has trouble syncing, I'm right there and not going anywhere. I hate having to find my phone and try to get the data synced just to see how well fitbit thinks I slept last night. Also, would be nice to access my data from my device without involving the cloud.)
(First and foremost, I'm at my computer all day long. If it has trouble syncing, I'm right there and not going anywhere. I hate having to find my phone and try to get the data synced just to see how well fitbit thinks I slept last night. Also, would be nice to access my data from my device without involving the cloud.)
My wife bought me a new fitbit for Christmas (mine is getting old, frequently just loses it's charge, etc). It would not allow me to initialize it without syncing to my phone, which had to be running their app. I wound up returning it because I don't _want_ to run their app on my phone.
I even looked into if it might be possible to work around the issue. Turns out, the fitbit, which is advertised as having a GPS, actually uses your phone's GPS. It has one of it's own, but it's apparently absolute garbage; it's inaccurate and it drains the battery extremely fast.
I'm still using my barely functionalit fitbit charge 2.
I even looked into if it might be possible to work around the issue. Turns out, the fitbit, which is advertised as having a GPS, actually uses your phone's GPS. It has one of it's own, but it's apparently absolute garbage; it's inaccurate and it drains the battery extremely fast.
I'm still using my barely functionalit fitbit charge 2.
Pine64 is working on a smart watch. If you are a developer it might be worth hacking on.
Just pointing this out for those in the same boat as you. Personally I hate things on my wrist and so I don't know if it is any good as I won't be using it anyway.
Just pointing this out for those in the same boat as you. Personally I hate things on my wrist and so I don't know if it is any good as I won't be using it anyway.
Unfortunately that's the price you pay to use most devices - they need accompanying proprietary software. There doesn't seem to be a big enough market for open-standard or open-protocol health/fitness tracking.
But... it doesn't. I can look down at my old, not-phone-connected fitbit any time I want and see how many steps I've walked so far during the day. Or what my heart rate it. Or any number of other things.
It doesn't _need_ the phone to be able to do that part of it's job. And I don't want the "challenge your friends to a walk-a-thon" junk that does use the app.
It doesn't _need_ the phone to be able to do that part of it's job. And I don't want the "challenge your friends to a walk-a-thon" junk that does use the app.
There is a semi-open standard and protocol for fitness tracking: the FIT file format and ANT+ for wireless networking. However most devices which support those standards like Garmin generally require the use of a proprietary mobile app for initial setup. Once you finish that you can uninstall the app.
Scanned the article to try and find this, but did anybody else notice the name/an Amazon link to the bike in question?
The brand is Exerpeutic and the model is 7149 but it seems that model number is country specific (Canada).
Ah, thank you!
I, too, was confused that this was missing, since it seems like a lot of the Bluetooth data will be brand specific, and they don't mention even the brand (let alone exact model).
Didn't see it, but an issue could be created on the github page
Great article. One thing I’m curious about is the process for interpreting what the raw bytes in each packet mean. Is this just kind a trial and error thing? Are there different serialization formats you should look for? Thanks!
Trial and error. You start with the assumption that the developers are working logically and that they will have chosen the simplest solution.
A few of my initial assumptions turned out to be wrong. For example, since I did see some word (16bit) values I assumed all the values would be words. That's probably what I would have done. But that turned out to be incorrect once I started looking at the values (it's a mix of bytes and words).
A few of my initial assumptions turned out to be wrong. For example, since I did see some word (16bit) values I assumed all the values would be words. That's probably what I would have done. But that turned out to be incorrect once I started looking at the values (it's a mix of bytes and words).
Interesting, thanks for the reply!
Mostly it is a matter of making one change to the inputs you control at a time and then seeing what changes. Trial and error, but there typically isn't a lot of error as you quickly see what inputs cause what changes and learn to ignore the other fields. Though if the protocol uses encryption you are probably screwed.
If I wanted to figure out the fields he doesn't understand I'd rig up some sort of stepper motor/servo to the pedals so I can precisely control the input, and then start changing things. Go from 0 - 120 rpm in .5 rpm increments, with a change every 15 seconds. Then go from 0 - 60 (or 90) rpm, but over many different accelerations.
I used to work for a company that made automotive scan tools and we did this all the time with the automakers official scan tools. Even though the auto makers gave us a lot of documentation, what they did and what the docs say they do is different. (We even had a full time employee who worked at GM's offices with access to GM's source code and rights to pass on the algorithms used: and we still found it valuable to do the above to GM scan tools to work out what they really did)
If I wanted to figure out the fields he doesn't understand I'd rig up some sort of stepper motor/servo to the pedals so I can precisely control the input, and then start changing things. Go from 0 - 120 rpm in .5 rpm increments, with a change every 15 seconds. Then go from 0 - 60 (or 90) rpm, but over many different accelerations.
I used to work for a company that made automotive scan tools and we did this all the time with the automakers official scan tools. Even though the auto makers gave us a lot of documentation, what they did and what the docs say they do is different. (We even had a full time employee who worked at GM's offices with access to GM's source code and rights to pass on the algorithms used: and we still found it valuable to do the above to GM scan tools to work out what they really did)
Got it, changing the inputs is a really clever idea. Thanks for the explanation!
Is it practical to do fine mouse work while pedaling? Or is pedaling more something you do while checking email etc.? I know if someone so much as jiggles my desk I immediately notice.
Throw the mouse out and just use emacs!
As a bonus you get more fine hand exercise -- on both hands!
Be sure to remap Caps Lock to work as CTRL, or else you may overtrain your left pinkie.
Or to alt, as the Flying Spaghetti Monster intended. Earlier keyboards had ctrl next to the space, which is why it's such a used modifier key (thumb is stronger than pinky, and is quite easy to use both left and right keys).
Not that I personally do that, I'm too used to ctrl mapped to caps lock. If I could go back in time to before I started using emacs though... I would learn emacs with vim bindings.
As a more general recommendation, getting used to both right and left control (whatever it's mapped to) is a huge ergonomic improvement. When you need to use Ctrl with a key in the left side of the keyboard, use right ctrl, and left ctrl when using a key in the right side. This avoid having to crumple your hand to reach, eg., ctrl+a.
Not that I personally do that, I'm too used to ctrl mapped to caps lock. If I could go back in time to before I started using emacs though... I would learn emacs with vim bindings.
As a more general recommendation, getting used to both right and left control (whatever it's mapped to) is a huge ergonomic improvement. When you need to use Ctrl with a key in the left side of the keyboard, use right ctrl, and left ctrl when using a key in the right side. This avoid having to crumple your hand to reach, eg., ctrl+a.
Tempting. For those who have never used emacs or vim, how long would it take to get up to speed?
If you are seriously interested (which I highly recommend) just throw yourself into it. In the case of emacs, effort put in is directly correlated to efficiency gained. I was proficient in basic text/code editing in a few hours and incrementally tried to shoehorn most editing/scripting problems to be solved with emacs. There is an emacs wiki[0], the tutorial built into emacs[1], and a stack exchange network (mostly for questions related to emacs lisp which you will want to tinker in pretty soon after using the tool) [2].
Just a note, emacs could be a full desktop experience, supporting reading/writing email, web browsing, document browsing (pdfs, html, etc.), picture viewing, text editing, automation guru, etc etc etc. Some caution against some of these features but I use it mainly for text editing and automation support. It has a very robust keyboard-macro-recording tool, for example.
[0] https://www.emacswiki.org/ [1] https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/EmacsTutorial [2] https://emacs.stackexchange.com/
Additional reading
[3] https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/refcards/pdf/refcard.pdf [4] https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs
Just a note, emacs could be a full desktop experience, supporting reading/writing email, web browsing, document browsing (pdfs, html, etc.), picture viewing, text editing, automation guru, etc etc etc. Some caution against some of these features but I use it mainly for text editing and automation support. It has a very robust keyboard-macro-recording tool, for example.
[0] https://www.emacswiki.org/ [1] https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/EmacsTutorial [2] https://emacs.stackexchange.com/
Additional reading
[3] https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/refcards/pdf/refcard.pdf [4] https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs
I’ve found the emacs manual to be superior to the emacs wiki pretty much always (three months into my emacs journey here), fwiw.
No, but many people spend a great deal of time reading, and it is possible to do that while cycling.
Vertical scrolling could be bound to the direction of pedaling as well.
I was quite surprised to find that I could code and type normally while pedaling. I did expect this to be for just checking email, etc.
I don't think that you want to do fine mouse work at the same time as any physical activity.
I don't think that you want to do fine mouse work at the same time as any physical activity.
If you tried to continuously pedal probably not. However, I'm not familiar with this particular product but every exercise bike I've used you can just instantly stop for a second or two and then start back up. So if you intermittently needed to precisely click on things it would probably be fine. I'm not sure what type of work depends on continuous, precise mouse use other than maybe graphics or professional gaming. I'm sure there's others that I just haven't considered.
I use a treadmill desk - I've found that 1.4mph works well. Pixel perfect work is a problem, but everything else is pretty okay.
depends what type you use. trackpoints or rollerball mouse would work better since your hand movement isn't translated as much or at all
I have one. I don't like to use it. When I exercise my brain is way off in alpha wave territory. I found it harmful to actually getting work done. I go jogging or ride a bike instead.
I came to say something similar, but without the reasoning. I found that when I used a standing desk over a treadmill, the mechanics were alright as I type code (rather than mouse designs). The problem was in the thinking. The level of exercise increased bloodflow but didn't sync with the careful deep thought needed for working through complex/detailled situations.
Reflecting on this thought, I think it's because deep thinking requires/benefits from 'stillness' which is a way of saying free of distractions of noise, motion, etc. Walking on a treadmill I can do the same kinds of work I can do in a not-particularly-quiet open office. I don't know if concurrently burning calories that could instead go into thinking factors in at all.
Clever idea and implementation! I think from a health standpoint, though, this is a false positive and it is probably better to go for an old fashioned _walk_; or to drop to the floor and do some yoga.
For instance, sitting down too much is in itself detrimental to ones health (whether pedaling or not). E.g. prostate health, posture, etc.
In contrast, a stationary bike or road bike, the rider can stand up and pedal fast, etc. There's a much broader range of motion which make the activity healthy!
For instance, sitting down too much is in itself detrimental to ones health (whether pedaling or not). E.g. prostate health, posture, etc.
In contrast, a stationary bike or road bike, the rider can stand up and pedal fast, etc. There's a much broader range of motion which make the activity healthy!
> it is probably better to go for an old fashioned _walk_
For cardiofitness you need to get your heartrate over a certain threshold. A walk won't do that.
For cardiofitness you need to get your heartrate over a certain threshold. A walk won't do that.
For longevity, AFAIK you don't need that degree of cardiofitness, and walking is sufficient. It's possible to reduce longevity through running too fast, for example. Cultures that have noted longevity are not known for having an exercise culture either, rather they are moderately active throughout/several times a day.
Unfortunately I can't find my sources right now, so take that as just something some guy said on the Internet.
Unfortunately I can't find my sources right now, so take that as just something some guy said on the Internet.
Two guys. I've seen a lot of confirmation from medical researchers that moderate rate walking (easy to converse meanwhile) does provide some aerobic benefit as well as improve strength and balance. Faster walking (difficult to converse) delivers more aerobic benefit still, to the extent that for folks over 55, it's suggested that fast walking is sufficient to get aerobic benefits.
And if that's not enough, you can always speedwalk.
And if that's not enough, you can always speedwalk.
Walking up hills is the gentle-to-the-body challenge increaser, and makes sense since even tribesmen of 50k years ago needed to walk up hills and mountains regularly.
>A walk won't do that.
It can if you choose it, for reasonable levels of cardio.
If you are only going to do one thing (not advocating that!) you aren't going to be able to beat walking, especially on varying terrain.
It can if you choose it, for reasonable levels of cardio.
If you are only going to do one thing (not advocating that!) you aren't going to be able to beat walking, especially on varying terrain.
I bought an under-desk bike near the beginning of lockdown and have run the odometer into the four figures. I highly recommend it to anyone.
I definitely agree with you that it is no replacement for walking, yoga, or other active forms of exercise. But I have found it a great substitute for just sitting while using a computer.
I definitely agree with you that it is no replacement for walking, yoga, or other active forms of exercise. But I have found it a great substitute for just sitting while using a computer.
What about men's testicular/prostate health though? Bike seats are specially designed for cycling ergonomics; desk chairs are design for sitting upright in an ergonomic _stationary_ position.
I say this because I had some prostate bruising (I recovered from that quickly doing yoga), but I attribute it to sitting too long; I don't even want to think what a pedaling motion in my chair would do down there! Granted, I have never pedaled in my chair so I accept that maybe it is fine—I'm just not willing to take the risk.
Personally, I'd go more for a walking desk or something where the motion is natural, but the desired cardio effect is the same.
I say this because I had some prostate bruising (I recovered from that quickly doing yoga), but I attribute it to sitting too long; I don't even want to think what a pedaling motion in my chair would do down there! Granted, I have never pedaled in my chair so I accept that maybe it is fine—I'm just not willing to take the risk.
Personally, I'd go more for a walking desk or something where the motion is natural, but the desired cardio effect is the same.
I haven't experienced, nor done anything to avoid, any sort of pain or injury like this. Maybe I'm just lucky?
Upvoted for the link to "Unbricking a $2,000 Bike With a $10 Raspberry Pi". All this may motivate me to resume my Concept2 rower workouts. The reference there to "Bluetility" gives me a curiousity-quenching look at all the devices in my home, and possibly my vehicles.
Is it just me or the world gone a bit over the top trying to squeeze in a million things into any given second of our time? This Under Desk Exercise Bike is like a wearable chair to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Q1uCYK6wnjk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Q1uCYK6wnjk
yea maybe, but where i live it rains most of the year so i cant get out to cycle anyway. i have an exercise bike inside but i find it incredibly boring and also my ass starts to hurt after 20 minutes because its an uncomfortable position to be sitting in... so something like this actually seems like a better idea
It seems like a good idea on paper but most likely fails in practice: I get it, that it look practical,but in reality,when one is sitting at his desk trying to do some work,the only thing you can is drink coffee or eat some snacks. Anything else is a distraction,no matter how it's wrapped and I think some of the comments on the thread who had something like this make that point too.
If your doing this sort of project your can get a head start integrating into golden cheetahs dashboard. I done it years ago with a Google map/turbo trainer as a project
My different take on hacking the under desk exercise bike has been different by hanging it on the wall so that you could be excersizing lying on your back.
For some reason, I'm suddenly intrigued by the notion of building a device to exercise with while sitting.
Jeez, just go for a walk or a run. I do my best work thinking while jogging.
Okay but get outside once in a while too.
Flapping your feet around under a desk is not real exercise.
Easy bet just walking the same amount of time is better for you with your own weight providing resistance against muscles.
Flapping your feet around under a desk is not real exercise.
Easy bet just walking the same amount of time is better for you with your own weight providing resistance against muscles.
Listening to Lofi Beats is useful for UI/UX engineers, but not for data scientists. One has to seriously think, so better stop the music.
My employer won't let me get an under the desk bike. I was also scolded for doing pushups in my cube. Working out from home with tape on the webcam is great.
Seriously? Do they think that if you're not sitting and typing you're not working or something? Do they measure how long and often you take restroom breaks?
Damn, that's grounds to terminate that employer in my opinion.
Scolded? What was their reasoning?
Are they noisy?
Wow, I would fire that employer
> "my desk is actually the perfect height for peddling"
Why is it so hard even for native speakers to spell the verb "pedal"? I mean it's spelled exactly like the noun, which most people seem to be able to spell properly.
It's a genuine question, I see this all the time, maybe most of the time actually. It's strange because typically people tend to over-generalise, not the other way around.
Why is it so hard even for native speakers to spell the verb "pedal"? I mean it's spelled exactly like the noun, which most people seem to be able to spell properly.
It's a genuine question, I see this all the time, maybe most of the time actually. It's strange because typically people tend to over-generalise, not the other way around.
Probably the same part of the brain fouling up that causes the loose/lose screwup we've all probably made.
As a non-native speaker I might make other grammatical errors but not the ones related to phonetics.
Often I found more difficult to understand English written by native speakers than by others because of that.
Often I found more difficult to understand English written by native speakers than by others because of that.
"Peddle" is a legitimate homophone for "pedal". Some people hear the words while they read/write so make this class of mistake. Such errors always confuse me momentarily as I don't hear the words, but it doesn't make me think there's something wrong with the author.
They can also come from autocorrect guessing, though probably not this case.
(FWIW Reading poetry doesn't work for me and I have long assumed it is only a pleasure for people who hear the sound while reading).
They can also come from autocorrect guessing, though probably not this case.
(FWIW Reading poetry doesn't work for me and I have long assumed it is only a pleasure for people who hear the sound while reading).
> FWIW Reading poetry doesn't work for me
How about Oxford poetry? Or Maidenhead?
How about Oxford poetry? Or Maidenhead?
I just don't hear sound when I read (in any language) so tools the poet uses such as meter, assonance etc are lost on me. Of course I can carefully read for sound but then I'm so busy doing that that I lose the thread of meaning.
I can listen to poetry and musical lyrics, and there cadence and phonemic clues help with memory and recognition and can even be playful or fun (as intended!). I've never grokked how one could read that way though clearly many, and perhaps most, people do!
I can listen to poetry and musical lyrics, and there cadence and phonemic clues help with memory and recognition and can even be playful or fun (as intended!). I've never grokked how one could read that way though clearly many, and perhaps most, people do!
Read aloud! That’s how poetry is supposed to be read.
Unless there's some sort of "resistance" thing; isn't something like this "hack in a weekend" easy with any stationary bike + Pi + camera or something? Just point it at the feet and record cycles?
Also you get more total workout by just going outside on a 30m walk, not to mention all the benefits of sunlight. Now I just do walks and explicit exercising vs. the fence sitting that is a treadmill walking desk.