Buzz
This foldable fitness bike targets both upper and lower body muscles. Built for rigorous exercise routines, it matches the quality and price of larger gym equipment. Once your workout is over, it folds away neatly, taking up minimal space. Think of Excy as the perfect companion—ready to assist when needed and discreetly tucked away when not in use.
We’ve previously reviewed unique exercise bikes, such as the DeskCycle and the larger FitDesk, which are tailored for light workouts while multitasking. Excy, however, stands apart. While you can place it in front of your couch for a movie workout, it’s not suitable for under-desk use due to its size—your knees will likely hit the desk. That said, it’s convenient to keep Excy nearby for quick, effective exercise breaks.
Excy’s price point is notably higher than under-desk alternatives. The DeskCycle is priced at $159, and other compact bikes start at $30. In contrast, Excy starts at $700, competing with full-sized exercise bikes. However, it justifies its cost with exceptional durability and versatility, offering more than just casual pedaling—it’s designed for high-intensity training.
Excy Shines in High-Intensity Interval Training
While Excy is suitable for steady-paced workouts, it truly excels with interval training. If you’re familiar with group cycling classes, you’ll recognize the process: adjust the resistance knob for intensity and reduce it for recovery. However, Excy differs from traditional spin bikes due to the absence of a flywheel. This means the pedaling motion may feel uneven initially until you master applying consistent force with each leg.
To maximize Excy for intense workouts, place the yoga-mat-like Keeper over your chair and attach it to Excy. Sitting on the Keeper allows you to exert maximum effort without the bike sliding. If the Keeper slips—which is rare, according to Excy’s team—secure it by fastening the included toggle ties around the chair’s back legs. This ensures stability, enabling you to pedal vigorously without any movement.
Excy is compatible with any chair or couch, but its versatility shines when you explore its multiple setup options. It can even be transformed into an arm bike for upper-body workouts.
Excy Delivers Effective Arm and Core Workouts
Injuries to the lower body can make cardio workouts challenging, as I’ve personally experienced. Excy’s founder, Michele Mehl, faced a similar situation when she broke her leg during the product’s development. She adapted by using Excy for arm-based exercises, showcasing its versatility.
Using Excy for arm biking is a serious workout. I tried the Arm Candy workout with maximum resistance, and within just seven minutes, my arms were more thoroughly worked out than they had been in months.
The pedals feature minimal traction nubs, allowing you to grip the sides comfortably without straining your hands. (Barefoot pedaling is also an option for leg exercises.) The crank arms are compatible with standard 9/16” pedals, so you can swap them for handles if arm biking is your focus, or use your preferred cycling pedals for a personalized experience.
Excy offers numerous setup options for both arm and leg workouts. The most practical configurations I discovered include:
Attaching it to a chair with the Keeper for a recumbent-style workout.
Placing it on a sturdy table or countertop while standing on the Keeper to prevent sliding.
Using it on the floor with the Keeper as a yoga mat; pedal with your feet and lift your hips for intense hamstring activation.
Positioning it on the floor and sitting at its base to pedal with your arms.
I experimented with arm pedaling during a plank, but Excy’s safety guidelines advise against this, so I can’t recommend it. For more creative setups and guided routines, Excy’s website provides additional ideas and videos to enhance your workouts.
Areas Where Excy Could Improve
Excy doesn’t have major flaws, but it does have some quirks—features that might annoy some users but are presented by the Excy team as distinctive design elements. Decide for yourself:
Pedaling lacks fluidity. It takes practice to achieve a smooth motion. Michele Mehl compared it to mountain biking rather than indoor cycling with a flywheel. However, even mountain bikes have some momentum. With Excy, the pedals stop immediately when you stop pushing—no inertia.
Side-to-side stability can be an issue. Once you master smooth pedaling, the wobbling diminishes—similar to the previous point. Excy offers a $132 snap-on stability bar to address this. However, attaching and removing the bar is challenging, even with instructional videos. I initially thought it was permanently stuck until I realized both side buttons needed to be pressed simultaneously for removal.
No built-in display for tracking time or effort. Instead, there’s a...thermometer? Here’s the logic: since resistance is friction-based, the bike heats up during use. The temperature rise indicates the energy you’ve expended. This cleverly reflects training volume—whether it’s a long, moderate session or a short, intense one, the same temperature means the same total effort. The thermometer doesn’t deceive.
The app is cumbersome and limited to iOS. Excy’s app includes a customizable interval timer for designing workouts and pre-programmed routines with audio cues. These routines display color-coded visuals: yellow for easy, orange for moderate, and red for intense intervals.
Both workout types prompt you to input starting and ending temperatures to estimate calorie burn. However, you can’t manually add or edit completed workouts. Additionally, the app doesn’t prevent your phone screen from timing out, which can interrupt your session. It also lacks the ability to sync workout videos with logged exercises, a feature that would enhance the experience.
Final Verdict: A Compact Alternative to Traditional Exercise Bikes
Is Excy worth the investment? It depends on your needs. For a basic under-desk cycling solution, the DeskCycle is a more affordable option. If home workouts are your goal, platforms like Sworkit and YouTube offer plenty of free resources.
Excy is ideal for those seeking cycling-style workouts but lacking space for a full-sized bike. (Bonus: it’s too compact to double as a clothes hanger.) It’s also perfect for maintaining cardio fitness if you have a leg injury or mobility limitation.
I had a great experience using Excy. On days when running wasn’t an option, I completed several interval workouts and used it for quick work breaks. While the price is high, the device packs numerous benefits into its compact design.
