Handlebar Desk in 20 minutes

Ok, so this is my first Instructable, so be gentle. I spend my days in front of a computer screen ( a fact made fairly obvious by my physique ). I like the idea of standing or walking desks, but I have a bum ankle, so that's not really an option. I can, however, pedal. So I decided to make a riding desk. I already had the stationary trainer (Portland winters = cold rain and lots of it), so I just needed a way to mount a desk to the bike. I could have just gotten a tall desk that fits over the bike, but that would just be one more big piece of furniture to store. So after a good deal of time staring at  my bike, this is what I came up with.

Please let me know if there's anything I could have made clearer or if you fine a better way to do things...

Thanks!

Step 1:

Materials Needed

1. 6" threaded 1/2" PVC Pipe (2)
2. PVC "T" Reducer 1" - 1/2" (2)
3. 1/2" floor flange (2)
4. 3/4" Screws (8)
5. Hose Clamps (4)
6. 12" x 30" x 3/4" plywood

Tools Needed

1. Drill
2. Philips screwdriver (or bit)
3. Flat screwdriver (or bit)

Comments

[Hkarimi]

Great idea. I really wanted to know about the blue device you built at the bottom rear tire to keep it off the ground. Thanks

[TheOlMaestro]

Good idea, this device. Wait, is that a 64-key piano in the background? Hmmmm.

[Sequimania]

This looks perfect for not only stationary bikes but any type of exercise equipment with handlebars/hand grips. I had been thinking about making something to hold my laptop while using my treadmill. This fits the bill. Thanks!

[wilgubeast]

Excellent idea. Any insight on seat choice? Is the one that you're using now comfortable enough to sustain working for extended periods of time? Any recommendations for folks looking to cycle and work simultaneously?

[LanceDrolet]

Hi..
I've only been working on it for a few days, so my insights might be a little premature. I've been playing around with a couple of seats. One is a "comfort seat" which is basically a normal bike seat, but with extra gel padding. The other is a Schwinn "no pressure" seat. That's essentially the same but without the "horn" in the front. The no-pressure seat definitely alleviates the typical "numbness", but it still starts to get less comfortable after an hour or so. This is ok for me as it just forces me to walk around a bit and get a drink of water at regular intervals. Any other advice about working on the bike in general would be to take it slow. It'll take some time to get your body used to it, so do it for an hour the first day, two hours the second day, etc... Also, just as with a walking desk, where you're advised to keep the speed to 1mph or less; you should keep your resistance and speed low. It's not about a workout as much as just keeping moving while working.

[alejandroro5]

Great idea.!!!

[oferprat]

Nice!
My only concern is that the T-bar will act as an axis and the table will turn over when you lean on it - maybe add another pipe from the stem, for support?

[LanceDrolet]

Thanks!
There was a bit of instability at first. Attaching it to the rubber grips allowed it to pivot back and forth more than I wanted. Not enough for the desk to fall over, but enough to be annoying. So I got a cheap pair of bar-ends that I mounted horizontally and mounted the PVC reducer that them. Problem solved. For a little more rigidity, I may swap the PVC down-pipes with steel (adding about $5 to the overall cost).