dleccord

What other alternatives are there instead of Park Tools? I'm sorta on a budget at the moment. Thanks

JTGraphics

Make one do a search lots of threads on them

larwyn

I understand the budget thing, I had more time and scrap metal than money when I decided I needed a repair stand so I just built my own. My homemade stand is not a downgrade from the lightweight folding stands that most home hobbyists end up buying. A bicycle repair stand takes up very little floor space, I really do not understand the preference that many have for folding stands. Mine weighs in around 60 pounds with cast iron plate on the base and does not fold but is rock solid and takes up less floor space than any of the lightweight folders. If you can weld or know a welder building your own might be worth considering I spent $0.00 on mine.

VGStand1.jpg

wrk101

Options? Think USED. I've gotten several stands, all used, cheapest one was FREE (and it was a good stand, originally retailed for $300).

lostarchitect 

Keep an eye on Craigslist. I got one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-PrepSta.../dp/B004H4V7EI

For $80.

dsbrantjr

Northern Tool has one on sale for $39.99. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...9669_200419669 I have one and it does an adequate job.

I find myself using the Sunlite bottom bracket stand https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Bottom.../dp/B000C17HJ4 sitting on a workbench more often, though.

ka0use

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! it's even park blue! you made me snort!- but it looks great and you have everything on it you wanted.

well done!

i'm a-gonna tell ya, i'm in the same boat as far as $, but if you get TOO cheap it will cost you more in the long run, not to mention the aggravation factor. i'm still shopping.

larwyn

Yep, it's blue, but the paint was left over from when I modified my welder stand to also hold my plasma cutter, so it is actually Sail blue which was chosen to match Miller blue (as in Miller welding machines). But thanks just the same.

CACycling

That was a cool stand and, if you have the equipment and ability to build it as well as room to house it, it would be fine. However, if you, like me, need something that folds to store away really small, it ain't gonna do it. I pondered a long time before deciding on a Park PCS-10 but am so glad I took the plunge. Any thing less would have ended up being "the stand I had before buying a Park".

larwyn

I'm sure you are right. But it is just a 60 inch tall bit of 2 inch square tubing on a flat steel plate. Effectively it only ties up 4 square inches of floor space in my garage. I'll bet most folding stands take up more floor space than that, even when folded for storage.

But honestly, I do understand that some people have a need for a stand that they can put away when it is not in use and would prefer not to wrestle a rigid and heavy stand into storage. And a lot of people do not have the scrap material, welding equipment and skills to build a decent stand. It is just another option.

excalibur1976

I have heard of some individuals using speaker stands as a base for their repair stand. I was wondering if the stands of old movie screens (the kind you used with movie projectors) would work. I have a couple of those lying around somewhere and I am curious if anyone has used such in the construction of a bicycle repair stand?

cyclist2000

I don't have the tools, scrap or skill to make a stand like that, I'm sure that its cheaper for me to buy a simple park stand than to make one like yours. Yours look really good and was probably a fun project also.

cyclist2000

I don't think that would work at all, the first time you start to torque on a bottom bracket will collapse those flimsy legs.

HillRider

I agree. All of the movie screen and other similar stands I've seen are designed for their intended use under stationary conditions. They are neither strong nor steady enough for the demands of bike maintenenace.

To the OP: Buy a good repair stand even if it stretches your budget a bit. Your bike and your quality of work will thank you. Park and Feedback Sports are two good makers and Craig's List can be a good source of quality stands at low cost.

Bill Kapaun

If you do a web search, there are a lot of build it yourself stands.
Maybe one will strike your fancy.

interested

For the price, nothing beats a pair of hooks on chains hanging from a beam/the ceiling. One hook for the handlebar, the other for the saddle or similar. It keeps the bike steady enough and very level at the same time which is great for adjusting gears.

I do own a very good Park Tool PCS-10, but since I have to stove it away every time I use it, my chain and hook system is used for almost all maintenance work.

I use this ready made system (around US$4)


It works very well for most bicycle work, and in those cases it doesn't work like when attaching handlebars or removing stubborn bottom brackets, one can just perform those jobs by propping the bike up against the wall or similar.

I haven't used it for building up bikes from the raw frame, but one could probably just attach the top tube to the chains with a discarded inner tube to hold the frame level and steady. I much rather use this cheap system, than a cheap regular repair stand. Of course, you may not have a suitable ceiling/beam/pipe for attaching such a system, but if you have, it may be worth trying.


--
Regards

himespau 

I've been looking for one as well. Not much on craigslist and the moment. Some of the inexpensive ones on ebay look like they have lots of nice features, but I don't know if I trust them to stand up to stresses like hard wrenching (or even the weight of my boat anchor bike). Might just go with the park stand after all.

PHT

One of the plastic bushings on my not cheap but not super pricey Feedback Sports brand stand broke in about a years time. I am looking for another stand myself, and I'm trying to decide between taking the plunge for a pro-level one and hope to have it for 5 or more years, or cheaping out and buying that northern tool model posted above to buy me time until I can come across a steal of a deal for a top-end model. I would love to be able to find one used, but havent had luck. (I flip a lot of bikes so I'm on craigslist all the time too.)

himespau 

I have to say I really like the idea behind this one and it's versatility, but there's an awful lot of plastic on there that might break too easily for my liking. Price is right though.

Amesja

The Park PCS-9 is a great stand for a decent price.

The ability to raise and lower the bike, as well as spin it upside down (or any orientation like front up or rear up) is invaluable.

$100 is money well spent.

And if your work area is your living room, the ability to fold it up and put it under your bed or in a small coat closet is not just a luxury.

skydog6653

We've made a lot of deer stands with discarded angle from bed frames; usually gotten for free. It would make a nice stand, although I prefer the chains from the ceiling method better.