Writing While Riding

Hi everyone. Madeline asked me to write a few words about the exercise bike/writing station that we put together.

We’ve had the stationary recumbent bike for several years, and I ride it every weekday for a half-hour before I got to work, and for a half-hour when I come home on lunch breaks. It’s a Schwinn, and seems to have held up pretty well.

Madeline likes to walk, but she tends to get caught up in her writing, blogging, Facebooking, and such, and ends up skipping exercise. So she wondered if we could adapt the Schwinn to her existing desk so she could pedal the bike while she peddles her novels. (Ha!)

I like the idea, too. If I’m writing, reading, trading stocks, paying bills online, or just doing Sudoku puzzles while I’m pedaling, it makes the time go faster. I use my iPad exclusively for all those things.

Madeline uses a PC for her work, so our contraption had to work with both platforms. It also had to allow Madeline to sit at the desk in a chair, if she happens to be working while I am riding.

So the first thing we did was buy one of those rolling tables that allow you to roll the base under a bed, while the table surface is above the bed – like you might see in a hospital. I looked around online for one that would adjust high enough to clear my long legs while pedaling, and that would not cost said leg (and arm). It also needed to have a tilting table.

I found one for under $70 with free shipping. The table not only tilts, but it has a small table on the side that stays flat, so I can set my beer … I mean, my low-cal Gatorade … on it. It also raises up 40 inches from the floor, which is just enough.

The rest was pretty simple. We removed the control panel and mounted it to Madeline’s desk, which is actually just a big oak table that’s big enough for the chair as well. We raised up her monitor so it would sit right in front of the bike, and there you have it. I can put my iPad on the rolling table, and Madeline can put her keyboard on it — as we pedal our way to Fitness and Bestseller Land.

I can come to your house and set one up for, say, $5,000, plus airfare and expenses. Or you can do it yourself for a few hundred bucks.

Happy riding!
Joshua Sloane

Joshua Sloane is a writer living in Pennsylvania. His upcoming book is a young adult thriller titled “Out of Time: The Amulet.” He is married to romance writer Madeline Sloane. They have a dog named Chubbers, three cats, and a parakeet. They enjoy hiking, traveling to Europe, and spending summer evenings in their back yard overlooking a river where a family of Bald Eagles also live.

MADELINE SLOANE is a contemporary romance writer, author of the novels Distracted, East of Eaton, West Wind and Consequence. Follow her blog at MadelineSloane.com

She also is a regular contributor to SexualProsperity.com, a division of An Exquisite Life, whose goal is to provide you with a toolkit to enhance your awareness of your senses, needs, intuition and communication skills to improve your intimate relationships and experience joy. Stop by and read our essays, visit us on Facebook and do not hesitate to share positive insights and helpful advice with other readers.

Connect on Google Plus

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE MADELINE SLOANE'S NEWSLETTER

Click on this link to Sign Up for Madeline's Newsletter

Or, use the form below: