Tandem Cycling - Tandem repair stand, what to buy?

Its about time to look for a repair stand as i am fighting to keep a couple of tandems on the road. Enuf getting someone to hold the thing or leaning it against a chair etc. But of course ...

what kind to get?

Nashbar and Performance have a cheap $50 stand; is this sufficient or will the thing fall over. Are tandems supported on a stand the way other bikes are, or do they need something different.

The two tandems i work on are a Schwinn Duo sport from the 80's and a Northwoods cheapo MTB tandem. Not looking for expensive but cheap and good enuf, even if i have to have someone hold the stand.

Perhaps someone has a success/horror story on repair stands and tandems?

thanks

Duo

Any decent stand will work for a tandem as well as a single bike.

Any decent stand will work for a tandem as well as a single bike.

thanks. Is the tandem clamped on just like a regular bike? Which seat tube should i use, or does it matter?

a 5 gallon bucket is the thing to buy. Clamp the stoker seatpost, rest the front wheel on the upside down bucket.

Do not crimp the top tube.....

a 5 gallon bucket is the thing to buy. Clamp the stoker seatpost, rest the front wheel on the upside down bucket.

Do not crimp the top tube.....

thanks

for now i bolted a piece of pvc pipe hollowed out to hold the bike. It grabs any tube, and since these bikes are built like Mac trucks, don't think anything will happen to them. Both of these bikes are built like 80's Schwinns.

A refresher on that era with a lot of humor...

http://www.serotta.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62645

Clamp by the rear seat post with the front wheel on the ground. Ideally you only need to rear wheel off the ground for pretty much most of your work.

I have a Park PRS-15 that I use for all my bikes. Not cheap, but it is a "lifetime" investment, and you can hold the bike and flip it around. Just hold it at the rear seat tube (if you have a thudbuster or not enough scope) or seat post. You can hold it completely off the ground by clamping around the captain area, but the front wheel is much better behaved when it is on the ground.

I waited too long to get a good work stand. Don't hesitate.

There have been some horror stories of damaged top tubes if the top tube is clamped. The clamping force along with the twisting force can damage the top tube if the bike is out of balance. I use an extra seatpost in the stoker spot since a suspension seatpost does not leave room for the clamp.

There have been some horror stories of damaged top tubes if the top tube is clamped. The clamping force along with the twisting force can damage the top tube if the bike is out of balance. I use an extra seatpost in the stoker spot since a suspension seatpost does not leave room for the clamp.

So far this 80's steel tandem has shown no weakness in the top tube. My makeshift lift is loose and does not clamp hard at all. All it does is lift the rear wheel off the ground. When i do some heavy duty wrenching, mostly turn the bike upside down or use the kickstand with a second person holding it.

The bike is supported on my homebuilt stand by the stoker's top tube and the front wheel is on the ground. This also may be the secret to it's success.

Really though, i am not happy with this arrangement and may spring for a quality stand.

I used the Ultimate with my MTB tandem. No worries ever.

I have a $15 bike stand that holds the rear wheel off the ground. I use it for the single and the tandem. No problems.

I have turned a lot of my friends on to my "cheap'o bike stand. I have never found anything I cannot do with this setup, relative to a floor mounted stand.
It is made from 1" tubular nylon (REI) and Velcro. Assuming you have a garage that has either trusses or joists for your ceiling, you can make one for about $10.
1. Get two screw-in hooks (available at Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) for about $1 each.
2. Screw into ceiling joists or truss about 68-70" apart.
3. Get about 12' of 1" tubular nylon. You can also use flat nylon, available at any fabric store.
4. Sew a small loop at each end to fit over the hooks.
5. Figure out how far off the ground you want your bike. Loop one end under your seat and adjust up or down to get the distance you want. Sew a big loop in that end.
6. Put your saddle in the loop. Put the other end around your stem and adjust until the bike is level. Mark the point with a marking pen.
7. Leave about 3" either side of the marking. Sew about 18" of Velcro on either side. Your stem should sit in the "saddle" of the nylon.
8. You are done. The velcro should last about 4-6 years. It is good for single and tandem bikes as well.

And we'll be swangin'.

Ultimate works for us.

I use the fork mount I use on the trainer to hold the fork and use my regular stand for the rear. http://thumb0.webshots.net/t/64/464/7/9/37/2705709370100377780aqrPqx_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2705709370100377780aqrPqx)

I use the fork mount I use on the trainer to hold the fork and use my regular stand for the rear. http://thumb0.webshots.net/t/64/464/7/9/37/2705709370100377780aqrPqx_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2705709370100377780aqrPqx)


So, a Kreitler Fork Stand (http://www.kreitler.com/product.php?section=product&item=accessories) would work? (This is $99, so there must be a cheaper alternative).

http://www.kreitler.com/images/fork_stand.jpg

What about a beam equiped tandem? :-)

I have turned a lot of my friends on to my "cheap'o bike stand. I have never found anything I cannot do with this setup, relative to a floor mounted stand.
It is made from 1" tubular nylon (REI) and Velcro. Assuming you have a garage that has either trusses or joists for your ceiling, you can make one for about $10.
1. Get two screw-in hooks (available at Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) for about $1 each.
2. Screw into ceiling joists or truss about 68-70" apart.
3. Get about 12' of 1" tubular nylon. You can also use flat nylon, available at any fabric store.
4. Sew a small loop at each end to fit over the hooks.
5. Figure out how far off the ground you want your bike. Loop one end under your seat and adjust up or down to get the distance you want. Sew a big loop in that end.
6. Put your saddle in the loop. Put the other end around your stem and adjust until the bike is level. Mark the point with a marking pen.
7. Leave about 3" either side of the marking. Sew about 18" of Velcro on either side. Your stem should sit in the "saddle" of the nylon.
8. You are done. The velcro should last about 4-6 years. It is good for single and tandem bikes as well.

nice stand.

Sometimes i have somebody help me hold the bike, but that makes it more fun. Also you end up with two heads solving the problem.