Bicycle Mechanics - Repair Stand

After some thought and some of your input, and an email from RainmanP, (he's an excellent driver by the way), I've decided on a full blown workstand. What do you all think of this one? Any negatives? Thanks, DG

how much is it? I think the lever operated clamp is better than the dial one like that one, The lever is easier to use. You can get a park Prs5 for like 200 bucks I think.

It's regularly 200 on sale for 160. At Performance.
Performance Link (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=5962)

plus that stand shows the bike being held by the top tube, which shouldent be clamped, and I dont think you can clamp the seat post with that stand, I would get the PRS 5 If I was going to get a stand, I think they are around $200 if you look around:)

http://www.cambriabike.com/tools/images/park_prs5_prof_race_stand_lg.jpg
Bicycle can be rotated a full 360 degrees and securely locked at any angle using the exclusive Park Tool tapered rotational locking system.
The height of the clamp is adjustable from 40 inches to 60 inches so the user can work at the height that is most comfortable and efficient.
The entire repair stand weighs less than 17 lbs. and quickly and easily folds down to 40 x 7 x 7 inches for easy carrying and storage. Includes nylon travel bag.
The legs on the PRS-5 fold out to form a base that is super strong and stable.
The PRS-5 is constructed of a combination of high tech materials: custom drawn aluminum tubing, composite fittings, and powder coating for durability. It looks like a really nice stand.
:beer: Plus they make all the attachments for the stand, tool caddy's and stuff

I have used a stand with the dial adjuster and I dont like them as much as the lever. Does it say anything about rotating the bike with that other stand? Because if it dosent, then you probably cant clamp it too the seat tube, which is where it should be. The bike in the park stand can be rotated 360 degrees around, which is nice. I would get the park, but I dont want you to get it and not like it.

I just bought a Park PRS-5 on eBay. It came in today. It works really well with my 40 lbs Stinky. The clamp is more or less just like the clamps we use at the shop. There is a guy on ebay who sells a ton of them, I paid $188.00 plus shipping.:D

Are they new? And how does he get so many to sell? Thanks,DG

I remember seeing a few favourable reviews of the Ultimate stand on <another web site> ;)

You will have to cut, paste and modify the links :rolleyes:

h_ttp://forums13.consumerreview.com/crforum?viewall@133.fKRkaXm1flg^3@.ee9636e

h_ttp://forums13.consumerreview.com/crforum?viewall@76.WKpqaW2ZfDn^14@.ee97b2f

Of course, you will have to weigh these opinions as you see fit.

Now that I have used it a bit, I really like my SpinDoctor Deluxe. The only thing I might change is to add a height adjustment, which they have done in the newest model. Actually, an adjustable stool will work just as well for these old bones. :o

It may be more stable than the one pictured here, because there are only three pipes: one vertical, and two at right angles for the base - they look somewhat longer than the picture.

I bought this under the name of Elite, who actually makes them in Italy (though it was marked 'Performance' on the box). It was around $120 USD over here.

Cheers...Gary

Originally posted by Dirtgrinder
Are they new? And how does he get so many to sell? Thanks,DG

Yep they are new. I dont know he sells a lot of park tools.

Here is a link to one of his auctions for a PRS-5 and a link to all his auctions.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1046931118

http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid=videos@isomedia.com&include=0&since=-1&sort=2&rows=25

FWIW, I have a Park PCS-1, the basic home stand. Sturdy enough to handle anything. About $125-130. Not height adjustable, but that has not been a problem. I just rotate the bike to get whatever part I am working on to a comfortable height. Not collapsible but the legs fold together to make a narrow, tall unit that can hang or lean against a wall. The PCS-5 is definitely a nicer stand, but I am happy with the PCS-1 for the 3-4 times a month I use it.
Regards,
Raymond

www.biketoolsetc.com has the consumer stand http://www.biketoolsetc.com/Product_Images/PA-PCS1.jpg

for 129.90

And the delux consumer stand http://www.biketoolsetc.com/Product_Images/PA-PCS4.jpg

for 180.00

I'm planning to hang out at my LBS in February... see if hey replace any of their old stands... and maybe pick one up used.

I just bought a Wrench Force stand for $160. It looks just like the park consumer stand above except it is hight adjustable as well. I'm really happy with it, it's heavy but it also seems really sturdy. Has anyone else ever heard of this company? I think they're owned by trek.

Also the stand without a clamp may be better for thin metaled bikes, as you could adjust the pressure more precisely.

Whatever you decide, good luck. A stand is a great investment even if you're just cleaning your bike.

Spic-Mick,

If you bought something from him and had a good experience he may be the guy (of course YMMV). He's got a PRS-4 for $155.

Originally posted by Bobsled
Spic-Mick,

If you bought something from him and had a good experience he may be the guy (of course YMMV). He's got a PRS-4 for $155.

I do not understand your comment. "YMMV"?? Sorry.

Originally posted by M_E_B_S

Also the stand without a clamp may be better for thin metaled bikes, as you could adjust the pressure more precisely.

I wondered about the same thing. Normally I would clamp it on the seat post, but if I ever did want to clamp the frame it would have to be adjustable as my frame is very thin walled.

I also read those reviews. The majority of buyers liked it.

I want to thank everyone for all their input. I'm not an impulse buyer and it seems to take me forever to gather enough information to decide on something like this. But it usually pays off!:)

Originally posted by Dirtgrinder

I want to thank everyone for all their input. I'm not an impulse buyer and it seems to take me forever to gather enough information to decide on something like this. But it usually pays off!:)

:thumbup: No problem man! We all(at least I think so) love you!!:love:

Thanks Fubes, I'm touched. (In the good way;) ).
How's your head? Any more endo's?

Originally posted by Dirtgrinder
Thanks Fubes, I'm touched. (In the good way;) ).
How's your head? Any more endo's?

Well, now I have a cramp in my neck, plus the headache..Thanks Now its dark outside so I can't keep trying..which is a good thing I think..I'm kinda shaky to. It all happen so fast!!! WHAM!! I was on the ground! And my helmet was off, that kinda freaked me out, I didn't remember taking my helmet off.

Originally posted by fubar5


Well, now I have a cramp in my neck, plus the headache..Thanks Now its dark outside so I can't keep trying..which is a good thing I think..I'm kinda shaky to. It all happen so fast!!! WHAM!! I was on the ground! And my helmet was off, that kinda freaked me out, I didn't remember taking my helmet off.

You should go see a doctor or medic, ASAP. Falling on your head/face/neck is nothing to mess around with.

Originally posted by Spic-Mick


I do not understand your comment. "YMMV"?? Sorry.

IMHO it refers to 'Your mileage may vary'.

My son gave me the Park basic home stand last year for Christmas. It is great for most things, but I would make a couple of "think about" comments. If you will do work on anyone else's bike, it is not great for smaller frames. It is also not great for Mixte frames or a "womens'"MTB frame. I've had a very hard time figuring a way to get my Hardrock women's frame on. Since I'm short, there is little seat post exposed, so I have to use seat tube which does have cables. If all you are going to work on is a standard size diamond frame, great. If family bikes included, go for a more adjustable pro stand.

OK, time for the old guy to learn something else.

1. Most bikes, it seems to me, until recently didn't have enough seat post exposed to place in a stand's clamp. The new "compact frame" models do, of course.

2. On my bike, and I suspect many others, the seat post is not at the fore and aft center of gravity. As a result, it would be "unbalanced" if held by that bit.

So except for fragile top tubes, why would the top tube not be the "right" place to secure the bike on the stand? I do that for mine, and it works a treat. But they are steel frames.

Thanks...Gary

DirtGrinder
The Park Stands pictured above are excellent, I couldn't see the clamp on your example to compare if it works as easily as the Park clamp. The base on your example may no be as steady as the Park base . I did notice you example shows the bike mounted by the top tube IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO MOUNT THE CLAMP ON THE SEAT POST ( SEAT PIN) TO AVOID DAMAGING THE FINISH OF YOUR BIKE, DENTING THE TUBES OR BREAKING THE BRAIZE-ONS I have seen the above happen too many times.
Good Luck on your choice!!!

Ride well maintained
Pat

Originally posted by Dirtgrinder
After some thought and some of your input, and an email from RainmanP, (he's an excellent driver by the way), I've decided on a full blown workstand. What do you all think of this one? Any negatives? Thanks, DG

This is an excellent work stand. I have one and have used it for almost a year now. It holds even heavy old cruisers with good stability.

The grip device that holds the frame swivels so you can grab the any tube on the bike.

This stand allows you to turn the bike 360 degrees so you can work on the the bike from any angle - which is a really big advantage. It also allows you to raise or lower the bike position to suit you best for working on different parts even while you sit down.

The stand folds up and goes into a carry bag for storage or transport.

You can also get a stand mounted wheel trueing stand and a stand mounted tool box. Both are very convenient and I recommend them.

This is an excellent stand and for $160.00, it is a steal.

Mick,

Bikerider is right. YMMV = your mileage may vary. In other words someone else may get different results when purchasing from this guy. He seems to have a ton of positive transactions tho.

If the seatpost isn't normally extended very far, why not just mark the spot where it usually is, and then extend it to clamp onto the workstand?

I think this one is mine. :)

Mainly because that is just one more thing to do each time. And eventually the constant use would probably weaken that mechanism anyway. Of course the seat post might not be long enough to take the strain when loaded with the bike either. BTW - the jaws are about five inches or so wide.

However, I have a steel frame, with no braze-ons anywhere near the center of the top tube. I value my finish a lot, but with the neoprene or similar soft material in the jaw covers as this stand has, there is very little possibility of scratching, etc. And I certainly won't crush it, especially as the jaw pressure is constantly adjustable.

Would I use the seat tube if it were a convenient option? Probably, as I tend to hedge all the bets I can. I guess I will just have to live with Damocles. ;)

Cheers...Gary

I don't know how good it is (I'm at the trying to hold the bike with one hand whilst turning something with the other stage, or trying to balance it on the garden table ;) )but I came across this and it's cheap:

http://www.probikekit.com/index.php?showitem=T3075&cat=06&sub=00

and even cheaper (but only for light jobs):

http://www.probikekit.com/index.php?showitem=T3000&cat=06&sub=00

Richard

I was very hot on this one in the beginning (it is made here). But over time, decided on the Elite/Performance SpinDoctor Deluxe because of one limitation of the TACX.

You must remove a wheel - front or rear - to use the mounting bracket, which is like a quick-release. The bike stays in pretty much one position. Period. I have two city bikes to maintain as well, and they do not have quick-releases.

In practice, the single position seems like a small sacrifice. And many pro teams apparently use this stand. But being able to change the orientation of the bike seemed to have its benefits, so ...

Cheers...Gary

Here is some detail on the TACX stand.

Performance has just put the SpinDoctor Deluxe on sale at $79.98.

Cheers...Gary

I've used both the Ultimate model and pretty much all of the Park models. The Ultimate is a very nice stand and folds up into a pretty compact bundle for when you're not using it. The dial clamp works quite well and adjusts for a wide variety of tubes with little effort. I personally own the PRS-5, the portable version of the shop stand. My decision process was based on my experience with shop stands (durable, familiar, easily replaceable parts) and the fact that I could get it at a discount. If I had had access to the Ultimate, it would have been a harder decision and I would most likely have gone with the less expensive. If the Ultimate comes with the truing attachment and/or the tool box/tray, I would jump on the deal. The truing stand is a functional unit and adds to the value.

Jean, you might look into the internal seat tube clamp if you use your stand fairly often. The Park part # is PA-ISC1. It goes for about $45 at biketoolsetc.com Here is a link to help explain what I'm talking about. I don't have any affiliation with the site, it was just the first place I found a picture.

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=58749286108&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Repair%20Stands&tc=Accessories&item_id=PA-ISC1

Bought a local Euro-mag yesterday, and for the first time saw the Pedro's stand in print. It is not on their Web site yet. Looks like a winner, albeit a tad on the expensive side as I understand it.

Cheers...Gary

I have a Park PCS-1 and it works fine. I think it's one of the best for the price (approx. 120.00).

After all these months, and finally seeing it in print (though not on their Web site yet?), I had a chance to play with the new Pedro's stand today.

What a piece of work. If I did not already have one, I would jump at this one in a second. Better than anything I have seen - Park, Elite/Performance, etc. It might be a tad more money, but it is a great design, and solid as Gibralter.

Cheers...Gary