Bicycle Mechanics - REPAIR STAND for $cheap$????

Recommend one, please, along with price and link if you know them. And let me know why it's good--versatility, durability, user-friendliness, alternative uses, whatever. For working on normal road bikes/fixed gears.

thanks in advance.

For many years I simply used a couple of old tubes hung from the joists in my garage/basement. Works fine, loop one around the stem and the other around the base of the seat and hang from the ceiling. I have a cheap Performance Spin doctor stand now, but I should either buy a better stand (like a low end Park Tool) or just go back to the tubes. The Spin doctor is junk- the plastic lever wears out and opens without warning.

Not knowing what your real budget is, or your ultimate goals are, many people who have rear-mounted bike racks on their car (hitch-mount, trunk-mount) get by with just using the rack as a repair stand. Limited flexibility (no adjustments) but it works.

Above that, I agree with ZenNMotion: you can just hang ropes from a garage ceiling and pulley your bike up, or buy a bike storage hoist (http://tinyurl.com/6yc5a) and work from it.

What is cheap? The Minoura RS-5000 (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1227&brand=&sku=11656&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) was marked down a little more when I bought it, and I find it to be a great value. It's solid, very adjustable, and folds up nicely.

Not knowing what your real budget is, or your ultimate goals are, many people who have rear-mounted bike racks on their car (hitch-mount, trunk-mount) get by with just using the rack as a repair stand. Limited flexibility (no adjustments) but it works.

Above that, I agree with ZenNMotion: you can just hang ropes from a garage ceiling and pulley your bike up, or buy a bike storage hoist (http://tinyurl.com/6yc5a) and work from it.

Budget? Less than $100 bucks would be nice, more like less than $50, actually. That's pretty much why I asked for prices from posters, so I could figure out what would be a realistic price range to fulfill my needs.

I live in a small apt. in Brooklyn--no car, no garage, and not enough room to hang pipes or attach other garage- or car-friendly paraphernalia. I'm just tired of having my bike bang down on the ground or into the wall or my leg whenever I try to adjust something. And I don't feel like I should have to spend an arm and a leg to get something whose basic function is to keep the rear wheel up and the bike steady. Hanging pipes/hooks sound great, but my apt/room is just too small to set up such a contraption.

Well i dont know your living situations but if you have an unfinished basement or attic....
take two 2x4's that are maybe 24 inches in length.
Screw a NYLON COATED hook on the bottom of each
On the opposite end of the 2x4 put in a metal thing that a hook would go into
put in two screws on cross beams for each board, corresponding to the metal thing you put on the 2x4.
Hang up the boars, hang your bike. GO to work
Total cost- Under 15 dollars
I will get you a picture when I go homebecause i know my description is confusing

Just get a vise clamp, bolt it to a heavy work bench, throw an old rag in there, and you're good to go!

Ah. Brooklyn apt, I get it. I used to live in Park Slope. What you prolly want is just a bike display stand, like the ones they use in some bike shops. They just hold your back wheel off the floor so you can turn the pedals, they fit under the bottom bracket. 10 bucks cheap enough for you? God, I miss Brooklyn. Havent had a decent knish in ages-

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=805213775123&d=single&c=Shop%20Aids&sc=Display%20Stands&tc=Floor&item_id=WS-405

Yes, last several are good. Keep 'em coming. Knishes aren't going anywhere!

El Twe, can I just get a vice clamp at a hardware store? I could maybe attach that to my large wooden Ikea desk, right?

The display stand ZenNMotion suggests is a good idea... I used something similar for a while. If you have a stud in the wall that you use to screw a bracket onto, Home Depot (at least out here) sell a bike hanger for about $5... it's just a simple bracket to support the bike by the top tube, but it is useful for working on the bike. I used one of these on the side of my garage before buying a proper repair stand.

El Twe, can I just get a vice clamp at a hardware store? I could maybe attach that to my large wooden Ikea desk, right?
Yeah. I found an old one of my grandpa's and screwed it into a piece of pine on some Ikea table leg things. That'll work well.

I must say, I like that $10 lift, but I still think the vice is better simply because you can really get up into the bike.

Just made one out of 3/4" iron gas pipe. About 20 bucks from Home Depot. 2 x 4 construction would be even cheaper. Don't have to be pretty, just has to hold your bike. You can get several "real" stands under $100, check out performancebike.com, supergo.com & nashbar.com

SYDNEY, I'll say it for ya::)


"Who needs a hat rack? I've built a bazillion bikes without a stand"

I use this thing for quick stuff. Nashbar has it for $9.95 right now
http://www.nashbar.com/profile_moreimages.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1227&sku=3523&brand=

But I love my repair stand (thumbnail below) and it folds up when not in use. ($179 when I bought, usually around $200)

Hey, I started a new thread on this very subject without searching first. (Boneheadedly. Is that a word? I boneheadedly started a new thread. Hmmmm.) Is that stand in the thumbnail from Ultimate, by chance? Thanks, Mark.

I kinda fixed that up for you. If you're going to be doing a lot of work on your bike, or other bikes, spend the cash on the Ultimate. I'd use mine more but my Cannondale has been clamped in for 2 months as I try to sort out how to replace the ****can they call a Headshok. Makes me sad. :mad:

I kinda fixed that up for you. If you're going to be doing a lot of work on your bike, or other bikes, spend the cash on the Ultimate. I'd use mine more but my Cannondale has been clamped in for 2 months as I try to sort out how to replace the ****can they call a Headshok. Makes me sad. :mad:
What is that a 1.25" headset or 1.5? E.thirteen makes reducer cups from 1.5 1.125

What is that a 1.25" headset or 1.5? E.thirteen makes reducer cups from 1.5 1.125


It's some crappy 1.5 or something like that. Ordered one set of reducers, waited a week. "Oh, the company went out of business". Ok, ordered another set from someone else. Installed them. Installed headset. Need about a 9 inch steerer tube if I want to mount the stem. I have 2 brand new pairs of forks, both cut to about 7.5. Not buying another pair. Don't you ever sleep?

Don't you ever sleep?
On occasion, but like my alter ego you'll never really be sure when.
Click (http://faultgame.com/images/shadow02.wav)
Besides you've never actually ever seen me "on" here

Good point. But it does show the time of your posts in my local time.

ps. Does anybody talk about Pie anymore? Jones on Santa Monica Blvd. in LA has the best Apple Pie. It's served on a slab of hot cast-iron and the sugar carmelizes and the ice-cream melts. I'm moving back to LA.

I LOVE their pie. But not moving back to SoCal. Where's good pie in the boros?

Check out this thread
Workstand/bikerack (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=91789)

jjmolyet had a pretty good idea and built a decent looking workstand

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/jmolyet/bikerack.jpg

There is a site on ebay that has Park work stands for $105. Can't remember the name but just go to ebay-bicycle work stand.

i got a park pcs-9 on ebay for under 90$ and i love it.

I've got this:http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?LPROD_ID=25223&lsubcat_id=1531&lcat_id=7604&referpage=
stand and it works well. $90 at Supergo. As someone else mentioned, Lowe's has a bike hanger for <$10 that mounts to the wall and folds when not in use.

Depending on what you want to do, if you already have a trainer you can put the bicycle in that.

This is what I did.

6" PVC pipe cut in half down the length of it

Cut pipe insulation same way and same length

Glue pipe insulation to inside of PVC pipe

attach 2 2x4s at right angles with a diagonal for strength

insert into a bench clamp

you can even adjust it up and down.

Good point. But it does show the time of your posts in my local time.
It shows when I was here. It doesn't show when I am here. <evaporates>