Hammonjj

I'm looking at buying a repair stand as I want to save some money doing my own maintenance, but the cheapest stands I am finding are in the mid-low 100s. I've tried Craigslist, but the pickings are slim around here. I found a stand on ebay, but the $40 price tag makes me think it's not going to last very long. Does anyone have experience with this stand?

Pro Bike Adjustable 43" to 75" Repair Stand w Telescopic Arm Bicycle Cycle Rack | eBay

Thanks!

pressed001

I also didn't want to spend a bunch of cash on one. So I waited, and waited, and waited some more. After about two years of waiting, one popped up on the local used advertisements. I would say for 40 bucks it aint too bad. It looks pretty flimsy but for 40 bones it should last you a while. See if they have a guarantee. That would be cool, a 1 year guarantee.

exmechanic89

That eBay model should work ok I would think for home stuff depending on what you're planning on putting on it. I was in the same boat and kept watching CL until a Park home model came up which I got for $75. Works pretty well, but if I had the room I'd probably buy an old Park shop model or two.

One thing I've noticed is that with the changes in tubing and frame designs over the years, standard stands dont seem to work very well anymore. You often see mechanics in shops having to clamp bikes by the seat post, which is definitely less than ideal, imo. For me its not a problem, because the bikes my wife and i ride are all 80's or 90's era, so their seat tubes fit well into the standard clamps, but for people with modern bikes, it can be a real hassle.

_ForceD_

There is this option for much less.

Conquer Bench Mount Bike Repair Stand Bicycle Rack



Dan

HillRider

I think it would be adequate but, frankly, more money buys a lot better stand from Park or Feedback Sports. A repair stand should be a one-time investment so buy a good one and buy once.

The bench mounted stand Force D pictured requires a suitable sturdy bench to bolt it to and limits you to working on one side of the bike at a time. A free-standing one in much more versatile.

BikingZombie

^ what he said. You get what you pay for. Spend the money on a quality stand so you only have to do it once. I bought a PCS-10 almost 2 years ago and it's worth every penny.

jimc101

You still need to buy a bench (if you don't already have one, + the magic glue to fix it to the bench (where's the bolts in that photo!!!))

Retro Grouch 

I built one once from scrap lumber that looked kind of like a saw horse. It used a front axle and quick release to hold the fork. The BB rested on the opposite end. You need to design the rear legs so they don't interfere with the crank. It was nice and sturdy and cheap but a little bulky to store. If I didn't have my Park stand I'd build myself another.

CroMo Mike 

Bought a Park pcs-10 on sale at Performance and never looked back. It's tall and sturdy and folds up pretty small. Life's too short for an unsatisfactory stand.

nickkoto

I got this Conquer stand from Amazon and it has worked perfectly for me, very stable. It has a few plastic pieces, but nothing that seems like it'll break anytime soon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085ADXP6/

CrippledKonaBoy

I'm curious why you'e of the opinion that clamping by the seatpost is "less than ideal". Been the standard method everywhere I've seen for over 15 years. I built 31,000 bikes that way (yes, THOUSAND).

ramzilla

I built my own saw horse style bike rack with wood & these little rubber grip things. The rubber grips have held up really well. Going on about three years now.

~https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Fist%C2%AE-Clamp-mounting-equipment/dp/B006NOC8Q6/ref=pd_bxgy_469_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=06GPBEA4TPDY8PKVVWAV

ramzilla

Picture of my rubber thingy bike stand...............

~

exmechanic89

It's probably been the standard method for the last 15 years because it's the only thing that's worked for the past couple of decades due to changes in frame designs and tubing shapes. The problem is it makes the bike sit way too low if you're taller, so you have to bend over a lot while working on or assembling a bike. Also it puts more stress on the post/seat tube than I would prefer.

Kotts

Actually, clamping by the seat post is the preferred method for all decent bikes nowadays. It ensures the least likelihood of damage to the frame.

exmechanic89

Pretty sure that's what I explained in my first and second post.

BikingZombie

Get a stand that extends. Problem solved

Though one could make the argument that we created stands that extend to deal with seatpost clamping stands. Whatever, HYOH (hike your own hike - backpacking term). Buy what works for your budget and needs.

exmechanic89

I agree.

TGT1

I just got one of these for a few bucks at a hardware store


Started out just clamping it in the bench vise and later made a support for it.

Haven't found a need for a "clamp" yet and that includes using the bike for a truing stand to build a rear wheel. All the bikes have horizontal top tubes though.

02Giant 

I have a Park PCS 4-2 given to me by a family member as a thank you for several days of carpentry work I did for them. I had wanted to purchase a quality stand for quite some time but balked at the cost of one.
The PCS-4 is a really nice stand, easily adjustable in both work height and 360 degrees of clamp rotation. The clamp also has a wide range of jaw adjustment. It will last me the rest of my cycling days.

Hammonjj

While a fantastic idea, it would require me to have a bunch to mount it on. I live in an apartment, so I don't have room for a true workbench

_ForceD_

Well...do you have a stationary trainer of any sort? Sometimes if I have one bike on my workstand and need to do something to another...I'll just put it in the trainer and do the work.

Dan

RubeRad

The stand you link to is the kind of stand I plan to buy eventually, to replace the first stand I bought, which is like this one. That one is terrible, the downtube clamp is not big enough for my oversized bikes (a strip of velcro works ok though), and it's annoyningly inconvenient to secure the bottom-bracket with the bolt. Also the rubber bottom-bracket cradle is prone to shift.

The one-clamp design seems vastly superior, if you get it, please post back your impressions of its strength, adjustability, size, and reliability.

squirtdad

+1000000000000

I goofed around with various homemade/diy rigs (i am an inveterate DIY/build it your self type) and spent more time, money and aggravation trying to get those work than just getting the Park. single best bicycle tool investment i have made.



but in the spirit of options check out this link 8 Bombproof DIY Bike Repair Stands - BikeHacks


in the end you will get a good stand

Yoyo2012

For me its not a problem, because the bikes my wife and i ride are all 80's or 90's era, so their seat tubes fit well into the standard clamps, but for people with modern bikes, it can be a real hassle. For me the problem with clamping my vintage bike by the seat tube is there is only limited room for the clamp where the decal is stuck. the seat post exposed is also too short for the clamp. And because of the cables on the top tube, it's also not suitable for the clamp. I assume I need to choose that kind of "BB shell fixed" repair stand.