The Golden Boy 

When you're putting your bike in the stand, where do you clamp it?

Is there a "right" way to do it?

I don't think any of my bikes are super thin in the tubes, otherwise I'd be a little more worried about where to clamp.

I just clamp onto the top tube- at a point from front to rear that the bike is balanced.

While I think clamping onto the seat tube with the post in as a reinforcement is good- I don't like the idea of having to clamp so tight.

I know there's people that raise the seat post and clamp onto that. That seems to be the "safest" but most energy expending way of doing it.

gomango

Seatpost or just hang it from the saddle.

The Faction

clamp the seat post or risk damaging the frame (paint or structurally).

koolerb

Clamping the seat-post "I think" is the only accepted method.

gomango

I walked into a local chain shop the other day and they had a poor CAAD 10 strangled by the top tube.

Building it for a customer as he waited.

I could barely bite my tongue.

They did have Revelate bags on sale though.......

Standalone 

I'll put an old bike, esp. Hi-Ten or gaspipe into a stand (Lightly clamped) different ways to make it more convenient to work on various bits, but mainly keep to the seatpost rule. If I need to clamp tightly enough to apply any heavy force, I definitely clamp the seatpost.

However, before learning any better on BF, I have clamped seat, top, and down tubes--- carefully--- and haven't destroyed anything.

wrk101

Its not just possible damage to the tubing, its the paint and decals too.

Seat post always. Two seconds to raise the saddle.

Drillium Dude 

+1000 seatpost.

I recall a thread about a year or two ago that illustrated damage to the seat tube of a nice yellow Colnago that was almost certainly caused by an over-tightened workstand clamp. IIRC, the shop was trying to back away from responsibility, too. So, yeah, it can happen with the wrong ham-fisted mechanic.

DD

Bianchigirll 

Hanging it by the seatpost makes it a bit low for me (even in flats) so I usually carefully use the seat or top depending on the bike and what I am doing. My stand doesn't have a spring clamp like a park but more like a screw vise so it is easy to vary the tension I also keep a nice clean washcloth in the clamp.

I have never seen a frame actually damaged but I have seen plenty of decals ruined.

JohnDThompson 

Seat post or Park ISC-1:

thirdgenbird

The dropouts

gomango

My old Park stand at the cabin uses dropouts as well.

thirdgenbird

I've been very happy with stands that support the bb and clam on the dropout. For most maintenance and repairs they work great. It's not ideal for a stuck bb cup, but fortunately, I don't deal with that often.

one of these days, I want to upgrade to a feedback sprint:

rootboy 

That is a great gizmo.

Grand Bois

I clamp all of my bikes on the top tube and most all of them are DB Reynolds 531. One of the advantages of the more expensive Park stands is that the clamp can be easily micro adjusted with one hand. I give it just enough pressure to hold the bike securely, but nowhere near enough to crush a tube. I've done it that way for many years and all of my top tubes are just fine. I clamp to the down tube when I invert the bike to work on a headset. The one mixte is always clamped that way.

snafuboy90814

Most of my bikes are not c&v steel, so I too have a clamp to the fork do pouts and support the bb stand. I must say, my favorite part of that work stand is the flat parallel surface to rest tools and parts on while I work. No transmitting of grease onto any of the tables around the house while I work!

Bianchigirll 

I always had trouble with both the device and the bike twisting in the stand.

Scooper

Only on the seatpost.

wahoonc

Seat post on the smaller bikes, on something like my DL-1 it is going to be the top tube or nothing! I can't hold the beast and work the clamp on a vertical tube. I always use a clean rag in the clamp, and keep the clamp just tight enough to steady the bike. If the bike has to be flipped upside down, seat post or seat tube, again with the rag. I have been working on bikes for almost 40 years, I was taught early on that the seat post was preferable but not always the best choice. I have never crushed a tube nor damaged a decal.

Aaron

thirdgenbird

See dropout comments above.

wahoonc

Ever seen a DL-1? Bolt on front wheel with rod brakes... not easy to remove the wheel! Besides that would mean purchasing another stand.

Aaron

thirdgenbird

I didn't think about rod brakes

Isn't an excuse to buy a new stand a good thing?

Zinger

I have an older Minoura folding stand that clamps on the downtube, while the BB sits on the base, and has folding pieces of flat bar that steady the front wheel. I don't think they make this version anymore.....or I can't find it advertized anymore. Sorry, no camera yet or I'd show a picture.

Problem with it is that it wants to move back and forth sideways while you're working on the bike sometimes. The padding in the downtube clamp rubbed off a long time ago so I just fold up a piece of sock in it before clamping onto the downtube.

It's probably not ideal (or they'd still be making them I imagine) but at least the weight is supported under the BB. So I'm not planning on replacing it as it's what I've used for 30 years.

southpawboston

You and I seem to be in the minority, GB. I do this too, it's simply more convenient and keeps the bike and stand in a more stable configuration. I always use a soft rag between the jaws and the frame tubes, and it's never once caused a dent or crimp to the steel, nor scratch or blemish to the paint. The only thing that happens occasionally is the brake cable housing gets snagged by the jaws, but that's only when I'm not careful and it doesn't cause damage. I don't even have a park stand, but my cheapo Nashbar stand has a micro adjust jaw, and it's easy to dial in just the right clamping pressure.

SJX426 

I feel chastised! I always clamp on the TT but the jaw is adjustable and I am very careful about decals and brake cables. Haven't dented anything yet. I may become a convert by using the post whenever there is enough length to clamp.

The Park post accessory, ISC-1, is no longer shown on the park site. It looks like it was replaced with ISC-4. Much simpler design and lower cost of manufacture. BG's view may have influenced the change! ISC-1 does have the advantage of keeping the bike/frame high relative to the stand.