Hi all,

I'm brand new to this forum. I'm very pleased to be here. I look forward to learning about bikes, almost as much as I look forward to my next ride.

I come with a question. Someone has given me a used bike stand, a Park PRS-6 single arm repair stand. I'm delighted to have a free bike stand -- I'd been making do without. But I'm a little puzzled, because the stand does not appear to be very adjustable.

I refer specifically to the central post -- and I'm making up that term; it probably has an actual name. It's the steel post attached to the base. It does not appear to be adjustable. I can't raise it or lower it.

Am I wrong in thinking bikes should typically be fitted onto a stand on the seat post? This is what I've done, but the front wheel touches the floor. It's still useable, but there's gotta be a better way.

My bike is a steel frame Bianchi. Is it okay do attach it to the stand via the top tube?

Any insights will be valuable.

Thanks in advance!

I attach to the seat post, no exceptions.

As far as your particular stand, call Park Tool. They have OUTSTANDING customer service, and can guide you on options. I have had a lot of workstands over the years, I currently have two PRS-2 stands. They are terrific.

Thanks for the info.

I did indeed contact Park Tool, but the results...well...the guy informed me they do not have extensions for my particular stand. He suggested I take the stand to a machine shop and have them add to the tubing. Or, he said, I could "do what we did with our stands back in the sixties...grip the bicycle upside-down."

Instead of that, I put the stand on four cinder blocks. Now I have the necessary clearance for the front wheel. So far, it seems quite stable.

WOW, I really thought they would have made an extension piece for it. I know they do for an older stand I used to have.

I have had great luck with Park customer service, to the point they have sent me replacement parts (no charge) on stuff I bought used. Meanwhile, I tried to get parts for a high end Minoura work stand once, that was all of five years old. "Sorry, we longer make that stand."

If you attach to the top tube, just be really careful. Definitely not the preferred option, but perhaps the only reasonable one at this point.

Oh, no, I definitely will attach to the seat post. I guess I didn't make myself clear. That was the whole issue. Since the seat post is angled, relative to the ground, the whole bike angled downward and the front wheel didn't have any clearance at all. It literally rested on the floor. But the cinder blocks, as crude a fix as that is, seem to be working well.

I was surprised there was no extension available, too. When the reply said "like we did in the sixties," I began wondering how old the bike stand really is. Well -- it was free.

BTW, the guy at Park Tool did send me PDF files of schematics for the stand. This, I think, was in case I went the machine shop route.

Thanks again.