Time for a New Cycling Desk
See this? This is what happens when you don't have a proper cycling desk. And yes, it's exactly what it looks like, if you can believe it.
Starting from the bottom, it's: an exercise step. On top of that is a school desk/chair. Sitting on the chair is a full paint can, for balance. On top of the desk is my curved 34-inch monitor. Next to the monitor is my Apple TV puck, which has Zwift installed.
All this is quite literally duct taped together: the legs of the desk/chair to the step, the paint can to the chair, and the monitor to the desk.
This incredibly kludgy setup is what I do to get the monitor at the proper height for Zwifting, i.e. indoor cycling. But not for long. Help is on the way, and I'll let you see that later this week (once it arrives).
It's kind of scary looking, you know? It scared me when I put it together -- not being a handyman type of guy, I could easily imagine it all toppling to the ground, and destroying my monitor. I was careful about all the taping and placing, but still, when you've got something that looks like this, well...
But it's held up great for a week or so. Previously, the desk/chair sat on the ground, and the monitor was 18 inches or so lower. It may not sound like a lot, but it made a significant difference for my enjoyment of Zwifting. Now that it's up higher, my enjoyment has jumped up a few rungs. It feels much more immersive now, and I'm enjoying my basement workouts a good deal more.
It's been a miserable August, and really, the whole summer, for outside riding. Tons of rain, when normally we're enjoying a good couple of months with minimal rain. When it hasn't been raining, it's been beastly hot. That gets to me after awhile, too. So I've been riding indoors a lot more than I usually do this time of year.
After the remnants of Hurricane Ida roll through in the next two days, it's looking like the forecast will substantially improve, and I'll be back outside on the road a bunch more again. Here's hoping.
For those indoor rides, though, I'm very much looking forward to the newest bit of too-expensive equipment to come in: my new cycling desk. Can't wait to show it to you and try it out.