Touring - Repair stand on tour...ridiculous?

Is it a ridiculous idea to take a stand on tour? I was thinking about buying/building a repair stand, but I need one that is light and compact enough to TOUR WITH. Does anyone know of any that would work for me that are possibly already in production (Park, Ultimate, Wrench Force, etc.)? The ones that I have seen that are considered "portable" usually weighed in at over 10 lbs and don't compact very well. I figure I could build a working one out of PVC pipe and some other stuff that could compact down and easily weigh under 5 lbs.

Repair stand on tour...ridiculous?

um..... yes

How about this... Topeak Flash Stand (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=1963&sku=14015&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Folds very compactly, weighs 500 grams, I've seen it at my LBS, and IF I were to carry a stand, this would be it.

Steve W.

Why?

Yes it is ridiculous.

What about a portable wheel jig?

And maybe a portable welder?

Or a spare collapsing bike?

Really that's the most ridiculous touring idea I've ever heard.

Hmm if it's so ridiculous, why do people manage to take one along?

there was a guy walking across the country with a refrigirator, so according to your logic, it's the norm... ? ;-)

Will you be hauling major bike tools with that stand....? :D

Esge-Pfletcher dual leg kickstand.

Two-legged kickstand pictured above. Put weight on the front of the bike (e.g. take off rear panniers and load your handlebar bag) and the back wheel sits off the ground so you can fiddle with gears and such; put weight on the back of the bike and the front wheel is off the ground for truing, etc.

And it doubles as a kickstand.

On one tour I needed to hoist my bike off the ground for emergency cleaning and repairs -- a tire punctured and the drive train got coated in sticky asphalt. A repair stand would have been handy, but I improvised by hanging my bike off a rural mail box with two bungy cords.

The Esge-Pletcher kickstand looks very good!

I could see how a tour leader might want one, but for a solo tour, I want 5 pounds of water more that anything else.

Tell me again,what is so ridiculous about bringing a repair stand?

http://www.metrodigital.com/mass/events/move/assets/photos/load05a.jpg

http://www.extreme.faketrix.com/content/mtb/comedy/large/pedalbike-towing-overloaded-trailer.jpg

Forget the repair stand, take a spare bike instead.

OK, forget the spare bike. But foget the repair stand as well. A stand only provides convenience at a very high energy cost.

If you want to take one of those little BB stands, maybe. But that's still over the top. Take something that you'll enjoy instead.

Esge-Pfletcher dual leg kickstand.

But noooooo, nobody would ever take a stand on tour...yet we do :)

Why do you feel you might need a repair stand?

If you want to take one of those little BB stands, maybe. But that's still over the top. Take something that you'll enjoy instead.


Maybe Turtle77 enjoys making repairs and adjustments!

I can think of plenty of other reasons someone might want to carry a repair stand:

* You are part of a group of riders on an extended tour.

* You have a disability that makes it awkward or impossible to perform basic maintenance tasks without a repair stand. (For example, a repair stand would be a boon to a rider with one arm or one leg.)

* You have strength or flexibility limitations (e.g., knee, hip, or back problems) that make it difficult or unbearable to sit on the ground, squat, or bend from the hips. (Without a repair stand, it can be hard to do roadside repairs without being a bit of a contortionist!)

* Your manual dexterity is not what it used to be. A repair stand would allow you to stabilize a bike so you can steady tools with both hands.

This forum is brimming over with eccentrics -- oops, I mean enthusiasts! -- who fill their panniers with objects that others would never even consider hauling: I have read accounts of people who carry mobile phones, video equipment, laptop PCs, inflatable chairs, the flag of their country... the list is endless. I once met a bike tourist who, many years ago, stole his ex-girlfriend's teddy bear, and was now taking it everywhere he went!

I don't understand why some people are giving Turtle77 a hard time for packing a tool that might actually increase his or her enjoyment, and in fact, might be the thing that makes it possible to tour.

Turtle77: I think your idea of touring with a mini repair stand is brilliant!

if something happens on the raod just use your boyscout knowledge to fashion a stand out of peices of wood and garbage found on the side of the road, held together with shoelaces and baling twine from a nearby feild...then just dispose of it later...problem solved.

steve

there was a guy walking across the country with a refrigirator, so according to your logic, it's the norm... ? ;-)

He musta had one helluva extension cord on that puppy!

How about a length of rope or something similar and a tree branch?

Another thought is to carefully use the end of a picnic table bench to elevate the wheels off the ground.

Personally I've never had the need for a full stand. The only journals where I've read of them being used are the sag wagon tours where they just carry one with the gear.

~Jamie N

How about a length of rope or something similar and a tree branch?

Another thought is to carefully use the end of a picnic table bench to elevate the wheels off the ground.

Personally I've never had the need for a full stand. The only journals where I've read of them being used are the sag wagon tours where they just carry one with the gear.

~Jamie N

Who said anything about a 'full' stand? Bek posted the perfect touring repair stand. ;)

Well, I asked because I don't even own a repair stand at home, let alone taking one on tour. I just can't think why a person would need one ... but if the OP has a reason, I'd love to hear it.

am i the only one who's ever turned their bike upside-down to work on it?

am i the only one who's ever turned their bike upside-down to work on it?


I once tried this. The bike seemed fairly stable upsidedown, but the moment I stood on my head, I had trouble keeping my balance. Also, I could not quite manage to do repairs while holding tools between my knees or toes. ;)

Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions. Here's why I want to tour with a stand, since that seems to be the "burning question".

Well, actually, I don't. Instead, I'm going to be MOVING on my bicycle eventually. I am selling/giving away most of my stuff and moving to go live and work on an organic farm. I need a simple repair stand NOW to do some work on my bike before I leave and since I don't like throwing money away, I wanted to buy an extremely portable stand that I could take with me and use after I get where I'm going (who knows how close the LBS will be there).

I want a stand because, gasp, I actually fix my bikes myself.

I don't want to tie my bike to a tree.

The options listed are exactly what I had in mind. Thank you.

Goodbye.

I am selling/giving away most of my stuff and moving to go live and work on an organic farm.


Too bad you are moving to an ORGANIC farm. Agribusiness is making huge strides developing "Franken-foods" (genetically engineered plants) with industrial applications. Soon, it may be possible to GROW a bicycle repair stand from seed!

:eek:

Too bad you are moving to an ORGANIC farm. Agribusiness is making huge strides developing "Franken-foods" (genetically engineered plants) with industrial applications. Soon, it may be possible to GROW a bicycle repair stand from seed!

:eek:

Very funny!!

Turtle's explanation is perfectly reasonable. Turtle, I admire you for the change in location to an organic farm since one of my other passions in life is organic gardening on my own little half acre...

Sounds cool to me too. I'd love to learn how to do organic farming, since having a homestead is a future goal of mine.
That Topeak stand someone linked to above looks ideal for the OP. Anybody see how it might work though? It seems to be missing a foot or something.

That topeak stand is a bottom bracket stand. it wedges on the downtube and under the bottom bracket. also available are cheap metal versions of those. handy for most everything. The Esge-Pfletcher kickstand supports the bike in largely the same way as the Topeak.

picture 1 is a simple metal bottom bracket stand; picture 2 is the metal stand in use, on a bike, pick 3 shows the Esge-Pfletcher in its' tucked position.

way to go, Turtle. enjoy the change of pace.

Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions. Here's why I want to tour with a stand, since that seems to be the "burning question".

Well, actually, I don't. Instead, I'm going to be MOVING on my bicycle eventually. I am selling/giving away most of my stuff and moving to go live and work on an organic farm. I need a simple repair stand NOW to do some work on my bike before I leave and since I don't like throwing money away, I wanted to buy an extremely portable stand that I could take with me and use after I get where I'm going (who knows how close the LBS will be there).

I want a stand because, gasp, I actually fix my bikes myself.

I don't want to tie my bike to a tree.

The options listed are exactly what I had in mind. Thank you.

Goodbye.

I suggest that you buy a good repair stand like one of the Park or Ultimate models that will allow you to position and rotate your bike and allow you to work on it without bend over or kneeling on the ground.

Use it until you are about to leave, then put it back in its original box and UPS it to your destination or have a friend UPS it to you when you get there.

A good repair stand makes working on a bike much more enjoyable, but the weight and size generally makes them impractical for carrying long distances with a bike. Unless you plan to use something on tour, it's better to send it on ahead.

Maybe Turtle77 enjoys making repairs and adjustments!

I can think of plenty of other reasons someone might want to carry a repair stand:

* You are part of a group of riders on an extended tour.

* You have a disability that makes it awkward or impossible to perform basic maintenance tasks without a repair stand. (For example, a repair stand would be a boon to a rider with one arm or one leg.)

* You have strength or flexibility limitations (e.g., knee, hip, or back problems) that make it difficult or unbearable to sit on the ground, squat, or bend from the hips. (Without a repair stand, it can be hard to do roadside repairs without being a bit of a contortionist!)

* Your manual dexterity is not what it used to be. A repair stand would allow you to stabilize a bike so you can steady tools with both hands.

This forum is brimming over with eccentrics -- oops, I mean enthusiasts! -- who fill their panniers with objects that others would never even consider hauling: I have read accounts of people who carry mobile phones, video equipment, laptop PCs, inflatable chairs, the flag of their country... the list is endless. I once met a bike tourist who, many years ago, stole his ex-girlfriend's teddy bear, and was now taking it everywhere he went!

I don't understand why some people are giving Turtle77 a hard time for packing a tool that might actually increase his or her enjoyment, and in fact, might be the thing that makes it possible to tour.

Turtle77: I think your idea of touring with a mini repair stand is brilliant!

Although Turtle77 has given us a better explanation of his rationale, I should note that his original post mentioned nothing of any special circumstances which you postulate. He also did not mention anything about a "mini repair stand". His post discussed stands that weigh 10 lbs. He was clearly contemplating strapping a full size repair stand to his bike or trailer.

Nonetheless, he specifically asked if such and idea was rediculous, indicating that even he saw this as an extreme idea. The responses he got were not unexpected.

Yes, it was a rather misleading intro, wasn't it!!

Why would anyone need a repair stand for doing simple repairs anyway? Sounds a bit unnecessary.

well, not required, but a double leg kickstand lets me

clean and lube, and remove and install the chain easily, check wheels for true running, field true rims, check brake pad clearances & toe in, adjust derailluers, clean off shifter cables, check for a full run of gears, check brakes, listen for any rubbing, fender obstructions, etc....

and popping the rear wheel off is much easier as well. and tightening pedals, adjusting SPD, cranks, etc,.

and working on the bike at the side of the road, or any emergency stop to secure a waylaid strap or whatever.....

i don't think it's that crazy of an idea to have a bike stand on tour.