Lifeline Trainer Table Review (vs Wahoo KICKR Desk)

I’m not sure I ever thought I would be writing a post comparing the best indoor cycling desks but here we are. I recently upgraded my indoor training set up to a direct drive smart trainer and been enjoying the perks of riding indoors.

I don’t have a whole garage to turn into a pain cave so after purchasing the smart trainer, I kinda just made do. This included using my butchers block as a desk to house my laptop on which I run Zwift / or Zoom training sessions.

Although my butchers block worked a treat, I can definitely see the benefits of having a specific desk for indoor cycling. Here are a few reasons why:

• adjustable height
• easy to move
• brings laptop closer (over front wheel) so you can reach the keyboard during ride

Wahoo KICKR Desk

So the Wahoo KICKR Desk seems to be the holy grail of stands / desks to use with a turbo trainer. It’s multi-purpose and adjustable in height; my main concern would be that it doesn’t fold away – none of them do though, eh?!

Oh, and it doesn’t come cheap.

I won’t bother copying and pasting an image here, ‘cos I’m not really here to talk about this desk. But, if your budget allows, then this is the trainer table for you.

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Check Prices For Wahoo KICKR Desk:

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LifeLine Trainer Table

I had my eyes on this LifeLine Trainer Table (alternative here) when I figured I wasn’t able to spend as much as Wahoo wanted. It’s the best Wahoo KICKR Desk alternative that I could find, for pretty much half the price.

When it first arrived though, I thought it was bit ugly… hospital bed table ugly but actually I think it was just the stress of the delivery that put me off. Because, honestly, it has been a bit of a game-changer and not just for reasons I shared above.

Since it got delivered, I’ve discovered:

• it’s super handy to have your water bottle securely in the well
• the well is also a good place to stash my HR monitor
• the desk can fit everything I need in one place

The table wheels all the way in till it touches the wheel of my bike at the front when not in use. It pushes out smoothly when I get on my bike and even has wheel stoppers (is that what they are called?!) to stop the table from moving.

The two slots you can see at the top and bottom… they’re there to hold an iPad and they also fit phones so you can follow your programme of choice when using one of those devices.

Every crevice on the table has holes in the bottom which I presume are for wires, but honestly, I haven’t got to that level of perfection yet. The two blue buttons on the left and right are to adjust the height, and the top of the table has a surface which is kinda grippy / non slip.

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Check Lifeline Trainer Table Price:

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LifeLine Pro Trainer Table

I noticed recently that Lifeline have added a newer version of their trainer table – LifeLine Pro Trainer Table. It has a different surface – plywood top – with the rubber sticky area being in the most needed spots.

The game changer is that it incorporates a universal socket and USB ports to keep all your devices fully charged whilst you train. This would have saved me getting my laptop charger stuck in my bike and would also save me having to drag my extension cable all over the place.

Other Indoor Cycling Accessories

If you haven’t already kitted yourself out, these are a few bits and pieces you might consider adding to your set up. They’re pretty much all to make your indoor cycling experience more comfortable rather than being a luxury:

• A mat – this will help dampen the sound if you have downstairs neighbours like I do, as well as protect your floor
  • here’s a reasonably priced trainer mat on Sigma Sports
• A fan – I’m not even the sweaty type but I need a shower after every turbo session.
  • Wahoo do their fancy fan for like £200 which I do now have (read my review here), but I did start off by getting this one from Amazon (it’s also a brand I know of already). Or check this style fan which the gyms use when the air conditioning is broken down! In the end I got this fan from Amazon as it came recommended. It’s doesn’t take up much space and keeps me perfectly cool. 

• A sweat net – to protect your bike frame. This one from Sigma Sports is decent enough. 
• Phone mount – I recently got the Quadlock Out Front Mount which keeps my phone in the perfect position for following workouts on Zwift and interacting through the companion app. Before this, I got my phone charger wire caught in the chain and honestly, I never want that to happen to anyone else.

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If you’re looking to upgrade and get yourself a desk for indoor cycling, I can personally recommend the Lifeline Trainer Table featured in this post.

Any questions, comments or feedback, leave below or hit me up on my social channels linked below.

And tell me, what’s the next thing you wanna add / upgrade in your pain cave (or corner like me)?

Elle