Cardboard Exercise Bike Laptop Stand

Surf the interwebs and get your heart pumping. Position your laptop on your exercise bike.  You can purchase expensive plastic stands, thermoform and lasercut your own plastic model, use metal bar stock to build one, use pvc pipes to make one,  or cobble scraps of wood but what if you can make one with just cardboard and glue?

This was inspired by Eric Wilhelm's treadmill desk.  Not being Infantry, we don't walk using a desk, we ride, and thus...

This instructable is for the really cheap and frugal or maybe you just don't have cool power tools.  Whatever, recycle some box cardboard into something useful.

WARNING: No long term studies have been done on using a laptop on an exercise bike but benefits may outweigh the risks.  Consequences such as new forms of carpal tunnel syndrome or saddle sores and leg cramps from overuse may occur.   As always, consult your physician before you embark on any intense exercise regimen.  Your mileage may vary.

Step 1 Heavy lifting...

Take a walk to the recycling bin to pick out a few large pieces of cardboard.  If you only have smaller corrugated boxes to salvage from, that is okay to piece together smaller pieces of cardboard.

You will need:

Cardboard - stiff corrugated cardboard, IKEA boxes will do but because they are minimalist, you will need to layer them about twice as much.

Regular school glue

Scissors or utility knife to cut the cardboard.

Pencil or marker to draw guidelines.

A straightedge if you cannot cut a straight line.

Corrugated box cardboard is actually quite strong.  We can make it even stronger by the way we use it.  If you laminate or glue together several layers and turning the direction that the grain or corrugation runs for each layer, you will make something that acts and feels like it was made of wood.  You can see my Giant Fn Computer Key Stool for other hints on using cardboard as a building material.

The paper facing from scrap pieces of cardboard is used to paper mache the exposed corrugations for a finished look.

Comments

[budgiesat]

I thought this was a great topic, that it spurred me to do something similar with my old chirping treadmill. All you need is software, a laptop and a ifit chirp technology compatible treadmill. Also a usb numeric keyboard would be handy for steering but you could also use a cordless mouse or the laptop keyboard. First I created a route in google maps and took note of the overall distance. (1.6miles) I then took note of the distance which google makes each time the up key is pressed or the left mouse button is double clicked. This is around 50ft. From there I created a spreadsheet that would tell me how many seconds will pass to travel 50ft at a set speed. First convert miles to feet- Inputted value 1.6 miles *5280 = 8448 (total route in feet) 1 click = 50 feet, therefore 8448/50 = 168.96 (This is how many clicks are needed to complete the course) Now we need the time of the journey in seconds but we also need minutes later on. Time to complete the course = distance/speed - 1.6miles /3mph =.0.5333 hours. Convert to minutes 0.5333*60=32 minutes and then to seconds 32*60 = 1920 seconds Seconds per click = seconds/clicks - 1920/168.96 = 11.36 seconds per click So to complete the route in 1920 seconds, I need to hit the forward button or double click the left mouse button every 11.36 seconds Now I have the data, I now need the software to run it. I downloaded two programs, both are freeware. 1 . I2 workout http://www.i2workout.com/ 2. Marxio timer http://filepig.org/download/marxio_timer_1.11/start/true/ 1. I2 workout will control your old chirper treadmill by sending chirp sounds from your laptop soundcard. Link your soundcard up to your ifit chirp technology treadmill with a standard mini phono cable. You can then design your own workout, by setting different segments to control time, speed and incline. I followed my Google route and made notes of inclines at different distances. Google will tell you the distances if you use their pointers.(A-B-C-D etc) Then simply convert the distances to times. The easiest way is to input each distance and into your spread sheet as the total journey length, this will then convert the distance into minutes. Add the minutes and incline into each segment in your I2 workout program. Onceall the segments are added, the I2 workout program will show you your total distance, which if inputted correctly should be the same as the total Google map route. 2. Marxio timer is great little program which allows you to assign keys at set time intervals. It will also continuously repeat at set times. So all you do is assign the forward key to be pressed every 11 seconds continuously. This will then move your map 50ft every 11 seconds. This should complete the Google route at the same time as finishing your treadmill workout. Now the problems: Steering- I would use the USB numeric pad to steer the treadmill; I’m still waiting for this in the mail. With marxio timer I couldn’t get the forward button to move the map forward every time, so I assigned the mouse L button double click, rather than the forward key. Which works but the forward key would be better. However if anyone figures this out please post. Tips When connecting the phono cable to the tread mill, set your soundcard volume high. Happy treadmilling…

[1stthings1st]

 These exercise while on a laptop products are very effective.  I have been using one that I saw at a Nashville Tn marathon for 2 weeks.  Now I am finding all kinds of interesting forums and blogs.
Exercising and Surfing will be a popular thing as more people start to make them and use them.  It just works.  Who wouldn't want to read all these interesting blogs without the guilt of just sitting on the couch?
Does anyone know of a diy for exercise bikes?  I bought the SpinDesk for $200 on amazon.  It is light and easy to put away when done surfing.
Now they need to make it so that it will move the video games.  But as is the exercise bike with a resting area works great for gaming.

[caitlinsdad]

I never even thought about getting one of these exercise pedals and just parking it under a real desk.

[muzzz]

"Surf the interwebs and get your heart pumping."

I thought you were talking about porn :)

[caitlinsdad]

If  that's what gets you going, drive on... Haha.

[lemonie]

Good use of the materials - it looks very solid, yet lightweight.

L

[caitlinsdad]

It will take a lot of weight before the crosspiece torques and tears.  They don't make pinatas this way.

[lemonie]

No, you'd need to take a shot-gun to them (King of the hill - Bobby's birthday...)

L

[Ninzerbean]

What a mouth full but what a great idea.

[caitlinsdad]

It was actually easier and quicker to build this than to try to describe the steps in an instructable.

[Ninzerbean]

I know how that is. 

[NachoMahma]

.  Fantastic job ... again.
.  It's "papier-mâché". Sheesh! </pedantry>

[caitlinsdad]

Papuh or plastique?