Fitness and fashion are professional and personal interests I’ve written about here and here. Yes, working out generally involves getting sweaty and sometimes dirty, but I’m still motivated by a cute, functional outfit. In my silly brain, fitness and style go together like dark chocolate and sea salt.
Biking is on my brain these days because 1) May is National Bike month, 2) I’m working with an up-and-coming cycling brand, 3) it’s that time of the year for enthusiasts to spend less time in the studio and more time on the road or trail, and 4) I’m excited to share a cool project underway at BIGthinkster Lab!
But before we get to that, I have a confession…
I love the idea of road cycling—great workout, amazing scenery along the way, riding with friends, etc.—but I just can’t get into. More specifically, I can’t get into the clothes. There are a handful of companies designing functional, sophisticated road cycling gear for women, but the clingy fabrics, loud patterns and completely style-less helmets are not my thing. I won’t even mention the shoes. And while a lot of fitness apparel can cross over into daily wear, that’s not the case for road cycling gear. I know, I know—there are important functional and safety requirements that have to be addressed in gear for road cycling. Not an easy design task. Still, I feel it’s time for a style intervention.
Now cruiser and urban biking, that I can get into. Anything goes, fashion-wise. Plant yourself on a busy street in Paris, sipping cappuccino as you watch the stylish bikers go by. You’ll see what I mean. In lieu of that, peruse a few of these pins from my Bike Style Pinterest board. Even the bikes are stylish!
Ok, I’ve gotten that off my chest. Let’s move on to the project… A DIY bike desk!! Now I can bike and work. Still needs some ergonomic adjustments, but here’s where it’s headed…
The desktop is homemade with extendable legs from Ikea. Bike is Vanmoof, one of three in our fleet that was rarely used, until now. Indooor trainer purchased from Amazon, but there are plenty of online sources for used bike trainers. (Disclaimer: My desktop never looks this tidy.)
What do you think? If your employer offered the option of a bike desk, would you do it?
Michelle — this is AMAZING!!! How is the biking going? Is it easy to bike and type? I love it!
Thanks J! Can’t give a full report yet—I’m in the process of making ergonomic tweaks. Right now I can’t push the bike in far enough to have my keyboard in the right position without hitting my knees on the desktop when I pedal. Since I’ve maxed-out the height of the extendable Ikea legs, I’m designing and building an extension. But I think it will be good for my brain to practice pedaling and typing/mousing simultaneously. Will definitely let you know how it goes!