Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
For most jobs I prefer the stand that clamps the fork and supports the bottom bracket (or conversely the rear dropouts and the bottom bracket). Park makes a couple - PRS-20 and PRS-21 (regular and light). I only have a Blackburn tripod version of those - it folds up to the size of a 3 foot long 2x4 and I bring it to races etc.
I worked in shops for 15 years and we always had the PRS-3 or its double version, the PRS-2. Once at the right height (pretty high for being in your basement or even a standard room) they are excellent - they'll outlast the building they're in. Just twirl the bike around so whatever you're working on is right in front of you.
I've tried the fork mount type of stand you suggest and never liked it. Since most work on bikes takes place at the bottom bracket, I always had to kneel on the ground to do the work. Not that much of a problem since I had a bike/car accident 20 years ago that destroyed the nerve in my knee (I can't feel anything in that knee) but I did get tired of dirty pants all the time
The other problem with that stand is working on the headset is more difficult. The bike has to be supported by the fork so removing the fork becomes problematic.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
However, if you don't have it at the right height, you end up with a crick in your back. This is my paranoia. It might have something to do with the first low stand I ever used - the guy who bought it said he saw the stand in an unmanned shop. It was so low it barely raised a bike off the ground - how could anyone work on it? He called out and some old guy shuffled out of the back room - his back had a huge hump in it and he was at virtually face level with the stand.
lol I've always been afraid of becoming that old guy.
My stand was like the one you describe until I had someone add a piece of tube to it. Park no longer sells stands of that height. One nice feature of the PCS-4 is that it has an adjustable height. Rather than just spin the bike around, you can also move the height up and down.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
With a seatpost clamp stand, sometimes ceilings will limit you - tire or fork marks in the ceiling may not fly for some people (or the occasional light smash). Additionally, with modern bikes, when you really need to hammer on something (frozen BB cup for example) I'd worry about breaking something on the bike like the post or the seat tube (since you always clamp the seat post). Seatpost (carbon or other light stuff) with a long extension going into a fragile superlight seat tube - doesn't make for strong leverage.
I have knocked lights out of my fixtures in the garage. But you learn not to do that after the 6th or 7th time
I've never had a problem with breaking the post or anything else on the frame. But I also always lubricate threaded parts before installation. Park also sells an insert for the frame if the seatpost is particularly fragile. I use it when working on my wife's bike too since her bike is really tiny and harder find a place to clamp too.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
Plus I'm little so my post never fits in the clamp unless I move it around. Carbon posts discourage any moving and I never get the seat back correctly.
So for me, fork/bb or rear dropout/bb.
afraid of having a hump in my back,
cdr
Use a permanent marker and mark your height on the seat post. On a black post it's nearly invisible (you can turn the post in the light to see where it is). That way, if you have to remove the post, you can put it back where it belongs.