I use my car hitch rack or pop the bike upside down on some cardboard (for the seat) and 2X4s (for the handlebars. However I'm intending to get a stand.

These are all the things I figure I need to learn how to do. Road motorcycles for decades and could do all the basic maintenance, so figure I need to learn how to do this stuff on mine too. Sounds like a stand definitely makes things easier.

I use my off season resistance trainer as my work stand, just flip the roller out of the way and your good to go!

IMHO its a must have. I have back and neck issues and bending over and kneeling on floor is not a pleasant experience for me. Its just so easy to put the bike on the rack and everything is in reach. I bought one after my first rebuild and wouldn't work without it. If you buy one don't go too cheap the sturdier they are the better. I have a Park PRS 9 I think it is and I wish it was a bit more robust but it does the job admirabley for now.

I cannot even imagine maintaining my wife's and my four bikes (total) with out a quality stand with the ability to rotate the bike uside down and change the height off the ground. Everthing from chain lubing to cleaning is much easier and quicker. If used frequently, mountain bikes especially neeed a lot of care.

When we travel, I carry a folding Ultimate stand and two tool boxes: one is full of spares. The ultimate wheel maintenance stand is first class and compact as well.

I clamp to my carbon seat post on my mountain bike. No issues. I've got aluminum on my road.

Al

It sounds more and more like a real good nice to have at the very least, and a must have once I become more mechanically trained on bike maintenance and repair!

I would love a bike work stand. In addition to all my bikes, my two grown boy's bring their bikes to my house to use my tools and me to help them wrench their bikes. I currently have three McGiver methods that I use to work on bikes. The hitch rack on the back of my 4 Runner works great to hold the bike up for cleaning and derailer adjustments, but that is outside and not a good option a lot of days. The second method is using the trainer to hold the rear wheel in place, that position is great for changing anything on top of the bike i.e. bar tape, brifters, seat adjustments. The third method is to use the chin up bar to hold the bike from under the seat. I built the chin up bar by hanging two 2 x 4's from the floor joist, in the basement, and drilling a 1 and 1/4" hole in the 2 x 4's then inserting a piece of black iron pipe between the hangers. The chin up bar works best for bottom bracket, chain rings, chain changes and computer sensors using the rear wheel and cranks.

Alas, another Christmas and birthday went by and no bike stand from the boy's, Fathers Day is...

EW! EW! I forgot about Father's Day! Maybe I won't have to wait till Christmas. Course my kids probably broke as he's buying a house, but maybe Mama will help him!!:innocent:

+1.

I'd thought about getting a stand for years, and finally pulled the trigger on the Ultimate Pro Elite 2 years ago.

It's an awesome pro-quality stand, that's easy to use. It also breaks down quickly, and is easy to transport (good for taking to centuries, races, etc.). When not in use, you can collapse it and it takes up very little room in the garage.

If you're going to invest in a stand, get a good one.

I was at my LBS yesterday and asked them about stands and I believe this is one of the ones they have and recommend. This one is aluminum, I believe, and they also have the metal one for about $160. Both look great and I really don't think I need to spend $100 more just for aluminum. The guy, who's one of the mechanics, said he has the metal one and has used it for years with no problems.

The Ultimate stands are all aluminum, and they all collapse down to a small size.

Besides being lighter than steel, aluminum doesn't rust. Making it a better choice for using in the driveway when washing bikes (which is actually what I use my stand most for).

FWIW, bike shop mechanics typically use very heavy steel stands (often with steel base plates). They typically don't need to move them around or transport them, or use them for washing bikes.

+1 for MUST have

I don't know about you, but I hate bending over too much. The more I can work upright, the better. I like to be able to access areas at or around eye level (of course if I remember to pull out a stool or chair, I can lower the bike.)
It just makes working on the bike easier... and hey, I notice that all the pro mechanics use them in the shop (har har).
At first I thought it was a frivolous purchase, but I've had hundreds of bikes up on it and it's paid dividends. The Ultimate stand is good (tripod is best)

Be sure the one you get works with your frame. I have one I got from Performance that is probably perfectly fine, but it doesn't work very well with my Trek Madone 5.5, which has a humongous bottom bracket area. It's wobbly no matter what I do and I have to work around the cable guides.

[QUOTE=HIPCHIP;8933957]Just wondering if it's one of those tools that are a "Gotta Have", Nice'ta Have", or waste of money unless you're a mechanic and working on bikes all the time? I mean do you recommend getting one more than not?

I might have a different answer to this question for 50+ than for the mechanics forum.

When I was a younger man I did a lot of bike tuneing and maintenance with the bike hanging vertically from it's front wheel. I also worked with bikes upended on the floor and on bikes clamped into a resistance trainer. Those methods all work pretty well.

Since I've gotten older I avoid tasks that require me to bend or stoop. As I've progressed farther past 50 my bike work stand has become increasingly more desirable.

Thanks for all the info. It's amazing all the new stuff I'm learning about. At least I won't get a hernia hoisting it up on a stand like I would with my old motorcycles!!! :}

Think I'd put a bike stand in a "nice to have" category. You can improvise for things like derailleur adjustments, and other repairs where you need the wheel lifted, but a bike stand makes it a lot easier. And when not in use, you can lower the clamp, and use it to park the bike!