DIY and Decor, Exercise, Home Improvement

Cheap Ikea cycling desk

I picked up a bicycle trainer off Craigslist, a Century Fluid trainer someone else was offloading, and have been enjoying using it for workouts post-baby. It does get boring though, so I built a table that fits over it to hold my laptop.

2016-02-16 14.01.23

The table had a few non-negotiable requirements:

  • It needed to be sturdy enough to hold my laptop (easy)
  • It needed to be adjustable vertically so I could either lower it for a real workout or raise it and type on my laptop for some pedaling-while-working
  • It needed to be easily removable
  • It needed to be cheap

I ended up finding the parts I needed in the Ikea IVAR system. I used two 20″ wide by 48″ high sides, one 20″x35″ shelf, and an X bracket to give the whole thing stability.

Bike in "typing" mode
Bike in “typing” mode

The total including tax was under $45.

I pull the table up over the handle bars if I want to type on my laptop, and push it back so it’s more over the front wheel if I want to get an actual workout in. My only complaint is that the seat I have isn’t very comfortable when sitting upright and typing. I may pick up a gel cover to give my butt a break.

2016-02-16 14.00.11

 

7 thoughts on “Cheap Ikea cycling desk”

    1. The sides are article number 537.558.09 (you’ll need 2), the top is 901.665.76. The cross brace is 877.496.00 and is called OBSERVATOR. Hope that helps!

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