Bicycle Mechanics - Workstand recommendations

As my collection of bikes grows, feel the need more and more for a proper workstand in what has become my bike room. Any recommendations for or against any particular brands/models? Of course price is a factor.

thanks

I've got an Ultimate Pro Elite stand. Very happy with it, but it's not cheap.

I've got an Ultimate Pro Elite stand. Very happy with it, but it's not cheap.

+1 Ultimate

Agree with the above, great, but not cheap.

+1 Ultimate
Try their pro compact stand. Packs down small, and not quite as $$ as the Elite.
Love these stands. I use one as a race mechanic, and it is awesome.

for a different type of stand check out the park prs-20 team race stand

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=23&item=PRS%2D20
http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='2630-00'

i very much like it's clamping method and stability
i don't like stands that clamp on tubes or seatposts and i particularly don't like the ultimate clamp

For $80 check out: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=1184&sku=2072&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Brand%3A%20Minoura

"Minoura consumer repair stand".

I've had mine for 3 years and it's a great basic stand. The head rotates in the vertical plane, the clamp is easy to adjust with one hand for various seat post diameters (basically, you can hold the bike in one hand and adjust the clamp with the other, has a tool tray. It folds down pretty easy and compactly and without tools in a minute or so. I've taken mine (in a car) to the trailhead for last minute repairs or to work on other bikes.

The only thing bad is it does not have much vertical adjustment or a fancy name.

I just picked up a Performance Spin Doctor G3 stand on sale for about $100. This beast is robust and has all the pro features, plus it folds for easy storage. How I spent all those years with a DIY ghetto stand made from iron pipe from Home Depot I'll never know.

The sliding plastic rings on Spin Doctors will break. Would never get another one.

I don't know the model number but my wife bought me as a gift many years ago a Park repair stand which is mounted on a 40 pound steel base plate. Of course it's not portable. No complaints.

As my collection of bikes grows, feel the need more and more for a proper workstand in what has become my bike room. Any recommendations for or against any particular brands/models? Of course price is a factor.

thanks

Get one with a cam type clamp like you see on the Parks. Nashbar has a Minoura version for very cheap (referenced elsewhere). You can easily hold the bike with one hand and quickly clamp the seatpost in the clamp (the seatpost is the best place to clamp the bike). The clamps that use a screw to clamp the bike are harder to use since you have to hold the bike up until you get the clamp in place.

I'd avoid the stands like the Park PRS-20 . They work but because you have to remove the front wheel to clamp the bike in the stand, they have some, in my opinion, serious limitations. Also they are low, so when you have to work on the bottom bracket or the derailers, you have to crouch down to do it. Being able to stand up and spin the bike around to where you want it is a plus.

The Park PS-1 is a good, relatively inexpensive, quality workstand that will last for years. I've had another version of this stand for nearly 20 years and I can't see me replacing it anytime soon.

The older Performance model that had two strong L-shaped legs one of which pivoted open & closed looks like it would have been much steadier. I don't know why there's this urge to make "improved" models that are actually worse. It's not like cars, where people have to be seduced with a new body style every year.

My Park PS1 is a very good stand, but not super cheap.

My Park PS1 is a very good stand, but not super cheap.

Performance is selling the PSI for $130. That's not cheap but it's not too expensive for a tool that will outlast most of us;)

Performance is selling the PSI for $130. That's not cheap but it's not too expensive for a tool that will outlast most of us;)

I was lucky, got mine on Craigslist for $40.

thanks for all of your input...i think i may just go all out and try to find a deal on a park.

http://www.excelsports.com/image/Pedros%20Folding%20Repair%20Stand%20with%20bag.jpg

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Folding+Repair+Stand+with+bag&vendorCode=PEDROS&major=6&minor=1

If you're looking for a workstand on the cheap that still does a great job check out Performance's Spin Doctor Essential Workstand

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=3636&item=00-6782&slitrk=search&slisearch=true

Only 40 bucks and if you add 10 and use the 20 off 50 you can get an even better deal




I just received mine and was really surprised how well it worked for being so cheap. I haven't found a bike that wouldn't mount to it and have never had a stability problem

I was lucky, got mine on Craigslist for $40.

You stole that! :eek:

I bought a new Park PS9 for a total of $79.90 on eBay and received it today. I was very disappointed with the shoddy craftsmanship and obvious lack of quality control in the central base receptacle. (I should have suspected something was amiss upon noting that most of the zipties inside the package had been cut or broken; I wonder if someone returned mine and the factory simply reboxed it and returned it to stock.) I had to spend close to 30 minutes with my Dremel tool to make the main post fit into the base because: 1) there was brazing splatter inside the base's receptacle tube; and 2) the receptacle tube was 1mm longer than its flanged plastic sleeve. One of the two base extensions grips its leg properly and mates reasonably smoothly with the receptacle tube, whereas the other is too wide, making an ugly connection with the receptacle and holding its support leg floppily. I probably need to give it a little "persuasion" in my bench vise.

I did try it out briefly with an old Peugeot frame before stashing it in the garage for the night. Despite my grief during assembly, I have to admit that the stand does its job admirably and economically, and it does fold up for easy and compact, albeit top-heavy, storage in a corner of the garage. So, I suppose all is well that ends well.

I got my PS-1 for $40 on craigslist!! He posted, and I was picking it up an hour later, lol. Big thanks to him for posting it on Sunday morning!,,,,BD

I'll second the Pedros stand. Most stable stand I have ever used, and a pretty quick clamp design.

+1 Ultimate
Try their pro compact stand. Packs down small, and not quite as $$ as the Elite.
Love these stands. I use one as a race mechanic, and it is awesome.
+2. Have their Pro Compact stand, solid with good quality components.

An important consideration for me was the ability to use the stand when camping and at races. For this reason my wife bought me the Ultimate pro. With three legs rather than the two skids used on some other stands, it works well even on slightly uneven ground. The tool tray/ parts washer from Ultimate is pretty cool too.

Another vote for the Ultimate here. Best non-part upgrade ever.

good prices over at pricepoint until Dec 31:

http://pricepoint.com/thumb/2-Accessories-45-Workstands-False.htm

Anybody have experience with the Sette stands?

You can't go wrong with an Ultimate. Great stands.

I bought an Ultimate Elite from Performance a while back.

When I got it, I took it out of the box and fiddled with the head long enough to realize that the head was broken. It wouldn't open on it's own when you hit the release button. Called Ultimate and they emailed me the blueprints to the head.

I removed the head from the tripod and opened it up and basically every piece that could be in backwards was, along with one of the springs being off it's dowel pin. I pulled all the guts out and went through and reassembled the head, lubed the sliding track up, etc and screwed the thing back together and put the stand back in the bag.

First time I went to use it, I folded the legs out and discovered a HUGE gash down the side of the stand, clear through the anodization and deep in the metal itself. Emailed Ultimate and I guess at some point they are going to replace the tripod. Since I pretty much redid the head, I figure I might as well keep that part.

Granted the gash is purely cosmetic and won't have any bearing on the performance of the stand but still, for a stand that costs as much as the Elite does, I'd rather be the one that screws it up than it be that way out of the box.

I suspect the unit I got from Performance had been a return. The box looked like it went through a nuclear test when it finally showed up at my door.

EDIT - Just got an email from Ultimate regarding exchanging the stand. Guess it will be after Xmas, which is okay by me. Even tho this has been kind of a rough experience, Im sure it's not the typical Ultimate stand customer review. I will say that their customer service has been stellar and I'd probably buy another one even with what all Ive been through with this stand.