I bought this bike based on all the positive reviews, including from people who were about my height.
The bike desk is a brilliant idea. However, this one has a number of design flaws and is NOT for short people. I am 5'4" and have an inseam of 31". The seat was a wee bit too high in the lowest setting. I took out the knob and dropped it down to the frame -- gained an inch or so. While I can reach the pedals, the seat was the most uncomfortable thing I have EVER sat on in my entire life. It's so HARD, and the wide shape cuts right under the thigh. After 20 minutes my rear end was in agony. My options were a) try to get all the pieces back in the box to return (ha), b) try to sell it (never get my money back), c) replace the seat. Not sure another product would be any better, I decided to try to build a replacement. Unfortunately, the frame design is such that you can't just drop another bike seat in it; there is no hollow pipe but a triangular metal platform through which go integrated bolts in the seat. There followed 3 weeks of work: paper pattern, cardboard pattern, scrap wood pattern, jigsawing plywood replacement, cutting foam and fabric, testing, re-cutting, drilling, screwing, re-positioning. I finally have a seat-shaped piece of plywood with 3 layers of packing foam and 3 layers of bedding foam over it, covered with fabric stapled on. I had the tools to do this; many might not. I have something usable now.
Other problems: the backrest is not adjustable and encourages a rounded lower back -- leaning way back -- with no lumbar support. You can't tighten the bolt -- it just spins around -- so there is only one position. I stuck a pillow over it and a wooden shim in the hinge.
The cup-holder is UNDER a laptop if you use one. Why on earth isn't it in a usable place on the side?
The counter randomly zeroes itself in the middle of a ride! It has happened several times.
The little bit of static caused by pulling a fuzzy sweater off the backrest is enough to zero the ENTIRE display, odometer and all. I replicated this several times once I found out what happened.
After only 15 uses, the monitor glitched and would not come out of "scan" mode, nor would it turn off; still blinking away after half an hour idle. I had to take the batteries out to get it to shut off -- odometer back to zero again.
On the plus side, it was very easy to assemble, pedaling is very smooth, and it's so quiet I can barely hear it over my laptop cooling pad. The adjustable distance to the desk is nice.
This is a great idea, and something I very much need. I did not need all the extra work. It's not the kind of product one should buy without trying it out first -- but where are you going to do that? If you are tall, larger than me, and, um, better padded on your rear, you may not have these issues. I'm keeping it, because I'm not sure competing products will be any better.
The product needs a better seat, an adjustable backrest, and a usable cupholder. Oh, and a reliable monitor.
I really want to like this thing, but I'm giving it 2 stars because the customer shouldn't have to do that much work to make it usable.