Is this £13,974 exercise bike the classiest ever? Or just the weirdest looking?

We’re undecided on whether the Ciclotte Black Bike classes is the most unique, weirdest or stylish exercise bike ever. 

For some, an exercise bike is just a means for packing in a hard workout for fitness gains and is hidden inside the garage. For others, the form matters as much as the function, with the bike becoming an integral part of the interior decor. 

That’s why you even have home specialists such as John Lewis selling NOHrD’s Indoor Bike in Walnut, Ash, Club and Oak (for £2,429), because you wouldn’t want your wooden exercise bike clashing with the coffee table or the legs of your chaise lounge, of course.

Ciclotte describes its circular shaped invention for indoor cycling sessions as “the design exercise bike / exclusive fitness equipment / perfect decoration object [presumably, delete as appropriate] for the interior of houses, from luxury living rooms to unique bedrooms and bathrooms, hotel suites and yachts.”

Even presuming enough space, I can’t say I’ve ever considered setting up my turbo in the bathroom. But now that I think about it, perhaps Ciclotte are onto something here… getting sweaty is no problem for your bathroom tiles and you can climb off straight into the shower – so ideal. Then again, maybe it’s not the best place for any electronics…

Handmade in Italy, the Ciclotte is made of lacquered steel or carbon fibre and boasts a minimalist look. The carbon fibre model boasts a sleek look in black, grey or white, while the steel version is available in the more colourful shades of yellow, red, blue, green, and white and grey. 

“It comprises a frame that can fit five different spinning positions [crank lengths? Saddle heights? Tri-bar extensions?] to simulate a realistic exercise experience,” says Ciclotte.

The composite components have been “hand applied and autoclave press moulded”, whilst the plastic components have been “thermoformed”.

The resistance is obtained by a electromagnetic system remotely controlled via Bluetooth, and provides 10 distinct levels to tailor your effort. 

Ciclotte says the seat can be adjusted “two in height, one oblique and one horizontally through the movement of the wheel cover.” A simple system for those who might identify as ‘macro-adjusters’, but if you’ve got a bike-fit spreadsheet, that’ll probably be best left at the door.

The carbon handlebars are distinctive and are designed to “favour a constant exercise of the arms” for a fuller body workout. This is an idea that you’ll also find at group fitness classes at the gym. 

Exercise bikes also need to be able to deal with you putting in all-out efforts, like the high intensity intervals that form a large part of 30 minute cycling workouts. 

The large support base and 55kg weight of the Ciclotte is designed to distribute the rider’s weight for stability for this purpose.

That’s basically all the detail Ciclotte provides. For bikes even less than a sixth of the price, we’d normally expect to see at least a claimed power meter accuracy, the maximum simulated gradient and the Q-factor. But not even being given a suggested height range is quite a surprise.

If you’re interested, it’s going to set you back an eye-watering $16,890 / £13,974 at Artemest and take 18 weeks before it arrives to fill the spot in your living room, it’s handcrafted after all.