The Pontificato

Along with some tools I also need to a workstand. Stowability is of prime imortance as is cost.

Unless some of those 2nd tier mfr. workstands (Minoura, Sette) are worth buying I'd like to stick with Park Tools. The PCS-1 is within budget but appears to be a bit too large when "folded". The PCS-4 looks very nice but it's a bit out of my budget and again, doesn't appear to fold down small enough.

All things considered the PCS-9 appears to be what I'm looking for. OK, so the clamp isn't as fancy and you can't raise the clamp work height to 6 feet but we're on a budget.

But I also noticed that Park is coming out with an upgraded version, the PCS-10, in "early Spring 2006". Nicer clamp...Nylon fittings that allow the folded legs snap onto the main tube for easier storage and carrying.

An email to Park Tool reveals the selling price will be in the $150-165 range. They didn't give any hints about when they'll actually be available for purchase but then again, I didn't ask.

Is anyone else considering a PCS-10? Anyone have the inside track on then these workstands will actually hit the shelves?

Avalanche325

One thing, since you are a newbie. Are you considering a trainer? If so, it can be your workstand. Some car racks will also work. No, things won't always be at the most convenient height, but you won't be working on you bike for 8 hours a day like a pro does.

Just an idea.

bellweatherman

Man, what a dilemna. Impulse buy and get the PCS-9. Instant gratification and you can start using it immediately. But, the ability to store it easier with the more compact feature of the upcoming PCS-10 will be a welcome feature for the home mechanic that stores his stuff in the closet. I know, my old stand took up a lot of room in the bedroom closet back in my college days. And what's a couple months anyway?

free_pizza

my friend has the PCS-9 and i used it for a bit, and i didnt like it, the legs arent very stable, and the clamp is annoying.

Im getting the PCS-1 for christmas, and from what ive seen, it looks to be way more stable, and the clamp is much nicer.

The Pontificato

The PCS-9's "screw-down" clamp looks like it would be awkward to use.

free_pizza

it is

thwart

get the wrenchforce bike stand if you can find it. I don't remember exactly the price but its around 200 cad. very resaonable and stable

Grand Bois

I paid $140 for my PCS-4 from Supergo. It was a 10% off sale plus I had a coupon. It took 6 weeks to get it because they ran out, but it was worth the wait. I just fold the legs and lean it against the wall when I need to make room for things like cars in the garage.

Surferbruce

i have a pcs-9 and it works just fine.

TrekDen

If your looking for stow away capability, and stability. Go with one of these below. I have one, and it is an excellent choice.

Performance G3 Workstand

free_pizza

when i used my friends pcs-9 it worked pretty good, i just found the legs to be unsturdy, and the screw-type clamp is furstrating. I found that the little screw thing at the bottom of the vertical pole always came loose and caused the stand to fall down some times.

Little Darwin

I just bought a PCS-9 for $90 at my LBS. The primary negative so far is the clamping mechanism, which is not terrible, just not ideal.

It holds my bike fine, and will fold up if I ever decide to tuck it away.

Based on my work with it so far, I find it difficult to believe that I am going to wrench so hard or vibrate so much that it will be unstable to use, or that any of the half dozen screws or bolts will come loose.

The construction which allows for three points of contact with the ground means that any uneven spots on the floor/ground are not problematic. This is why milking stools have three legs.

The height adjustment is a little clumsy, but if you set it at a height that works for you, you won't have to worry about frequent adjustments. To adjust height, it would be best to remove the bike, loosen the retainer (with a hex key) and move to the proper height, tighten the retainer and then clamp the bike back in.

I am sure that there are other work stands that would do better with on the fly adjustments etc. But for $100+ extra, I will deal with some simpler mechanisms that I won't use that often.

Obviously, your desires and priorities may be different and should guide your choice. I hope that at least some of what I have said here will be useful to you, as I have tried to be unbiased.

weed eater

i got an Ultimate workstand from REI this last february with my dividend. LIghtweight and folds up pretty small -- similar to the Performance design someone showed in a picture. Stable, too. Mine was about $130 and you can get a notch-cheaper model for about $100.

bellweatherman

Wow. Nice design. Compact. I wish I had one of these when I had that tiny little apartment way back when.

The Pontificato

Dollars to donuts that's the same workstand sold as the Topeak PrepStand Standard model right down to the "integrated parts bin".

Surferbruce

like i said, never had a prob with mine. the clamp takes an extra .75 seconds to operate, so if you're in a rush it might not be ideal.

Ostuni

agree. a solid, sturdy, and smart stand.

if performance comes out with another 20% web coupon, you can have it for ~$115, which really makes it a smart buy if, as has been said above, you like me are a newbie and spending a ton of money on a repair stand that you use a few times a week does not make sense...

The Pontificato

I only have one concern about the Performance G3 stand and that is that I'm looking at the "clamp point" and it appears to be outboard of the stand's center of gravity.

Any problems at all with tipping over? Yeah, I know...if it did you'd have mentioned it....

Ostuni

negative. but again, i use it for routine, mostly light maintenance, parts swaps, etc. if i was using it daily for jobs big and small, i might think otherwise?

TrekDen

One fact that we all have to face, these are all portable stands. With encouragment, I think any stand can tip. So far my G3 has not, and I usually work with Rotwieller's roaming around my place. My LBS has all the stands they use mounted on benches, except one which is bolted into the floor for 360 work. That's why I chose a stand with a tripod base, it can swivel 360 degrees, and still have the same balance point.

The Pontificato

My biggest concern is the weight of my bike (Hardrock Comp Disc). I don't really know how much it weighs...but it's no 17 lb. road bike.

The Pontificato

I'VE MADE MY CHOICE:

A Pedro's repair stand from Nashbar.

My brother send me some clothing items which don't fit and he said to go ahead and exchange them for whatever I wanted. $125 buys the stand (price plus shipping less cost of returned items).

Fireform

I bought an Ultimate model 80 stand a few months ago. It is just outstanding. Compared to a Park shop stand it is probably more stable because of the wide tripod, and it is smoother and more adjustable. Really nice workmanship. The tool tray works well too. All that and it folds up for storage.

mechBgon

More stable than a Park PRS-2? Now that would be something I can barely lift my PRS-2's baseplate alone. Fortunately mine's the round variety, so I can just roll it if I can get the darn thing onto its edge.

MattP.

I like my PCS-1