Great, Inexpensive, DIY Bike Stand
#52
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And....in a pinch you could use it for a fire at your camp.
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#53
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Original stand works for one bike, or at best, one size of frame diameter. If my needs were that limited, I wouldn't need a stand. Quick-Fists make a lot more sense. Still trying to figure out how to make one that can hold a 20"-wheeled DK BMX or a 62 cm Schwinn Continental with 27" wheels at the same height. Or how to hold a mixte, or how to hold the bike vertically in order to read a BB shell serial number, or....
#54
Full Member
+1. I put a 2"x2"x~2ft. into my bench vise and rest the front underside of the seat on it. I wrap the wood in an old flannel shirt to protect my bike seat. Keeps my cables free (Mtn bike) and works great for pretty much most maintenance and repairs. Since the bike isn't clamped down or wedge-fit into anything, it can kind of start to slide backwards if I'm not careful. No nails and already had the 2x2 left over from another project
I like the OP's creativity, tho.
I like the OP's creativity, tho.
In a van down by the river...
I've used similar, a 2x6 in my bench vise, yours looks more stable. Any pedaling on a smaller board and the bike goes everywhere. I bought a "real" bike stand from Aldi for $12 a few years ago, still going strong.
I own an old company work van and it has the metal partition. It doesn't even have to be a lot of stuff in the back, it only has to be one thing flying in the wrong direction!
I've used similar, a 2x6 in my bench vise, yours looks more stable. Any pedaling on a smaller board and the bike goes everywhere. I bought a "real" bike stand from Aldi for $12 a few years ago, still going strong.
I own an old company work van and it has the metal partition. It doesn't even have to be a lot of stuff in the back, it only has to be one thing flying in the wrong direction!
#55
Senior Member
Those are all cool and cheap, very much my philosophy, however:
- A bike work stand should have the bike at a comfortable work height, whether sitting or standing is preferred, and neither of those do. That really saves your knees and back, and even your feet from plantar fasciitis.
- I have 20" wheel folder with a large down tube and no top tube, those won't work.
- My bike is heavy even unloaded, so lifting assist would be nice.
With regard to the latter, a bike shop here has a pro stand with seatpost clamp, which then slides in a steel U-channel on a hoist. Clamp it on with the bike on ground, then raise. Custom and very slick. I can envision something with a bike lifter pulley (used to be expensive but now $8 at harbor Freight), but that is not really mobile.
My current work table is a skinny table, 18" wide and 5' long, typical sitting height of about 29", the length handy to hold my tool box. I work on the bike inverted with me standing, I need to use spacer blocks under the handlebar grips for stability because of the clip on aero bar in the center. I have also used a "Workmate" copy, clamping work table, with the bike inverted and clamped around the seat post to hold the bike. Both setups work for any shape frame, though not a recumbent.
- A bike work stand should have the bike at a comfortable work height, whether sitting or standing is preferred, and neither of those do. That really saves your knees and back, and even your feet from plantar fasciitis.
- I have 20" wheel folder with a large down tube and no top tube, those won't work.
- My bike is heavy even unloaded, so lifting assist would be nice.
With regard to the latter, a bike shop here has a pro stand with seatpost clamp, which then slides in a steel U-channel on a hoist. Clamp it on with the bike on ground, then raise. Custom and very slick. I can envision something with a bike lifter pulley (used to be expensive but now $8 at harbor Freight), but that is not really mobile.
My current work table is a skinny table, 18" wide and 5' long, typical sitting height of about 29", the length handy to hold my tool box. I work on the bike inverted with me standing, I need to use spacer blocks under the handlebar grips for stability because of the clip on aero bar in the center. I have also used a "Workmate" copy, clamping work table, with the bike inverted and clamped around the seat post to hold the bike. Both setups work for any shape frame, though not a recumbent.
#56
Senior Member
Those are all cool and cheap, very much my philosophy, however:
- A bike work stand should have the bike at a comfortable work height, whether sitting or standing is preferred, and neither of those do. That really saves your knees and back, and even your feet from plantar fasciitis.
- A bike work stand should have the bike at a comfortable work height, whether sitting or standing is preferred, and neither of those do. That really saves your knees and back, and even your feet from plantar fasciitis.
Sliding under my car while it is up on ramps is not comfortable but I don't have a lift....yet
Last edited by u235; 02-03-20 at 08:51 PM.
#57
Senior Member
Any form of a "bike stand", even if the definition of a what constitutes a bike stand is applied loosely is probably way better than leaning it against the wall or flipping it upside down. Not ideal but hopefully better.
Sliding under my car while it is up on ramps is not comfortable but I don't have a lift....yet
Sliding under my car while it is up on ramps is not comfortable but I don't have a lift....yet
#58
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Original stand works for one bike, or at best, one size of frame diameter. If my needs were that limited, I wouldn't need a stand. Quick-Fists make a lot more sense. Still trying to figure out how to make one that can hold a 20"-wheeled DK BMX or a 62 cm Schwinn Continental with 27" wheels at the same height. Or how to hold a mixte, or how to hold the bike vertically in order to read a BB shell serial number, or....
Last edited by mjac; 02-05-20 at 02:49 AM.
#59
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Those are all cool and cheap, very much my philosophy, however:
- A bike work stand should have the bike at a comfortable work height, whether sitting or standing is preferred, and neither of those do. That really saves your knees and back, and even your feet from plantar fasciitis.
- I have 20" wheel folder with a large down tube and no top tube, those won't work.
- My bike is heavy even unloaded, so lifting assist would be nice.
With regard to the latter, a bike shop here has a pro stand with seatpost clamp, which then slides in a steel U-channel on a hoist. Clamp it on with the bike on ground, then raise. Custom and very slick. I can envision something with a bike lifter pulley (used to be expensive but now $8 at harbor Freight), but that is not really mobile.
My current work table is a skinny table, 18" wide and 5' long, typical sitting height of about 29", the length handy to hold my tool box. I work on the bike inverted with me standing, I need to use spacer blocks under the handlebar grips for stability because of the clip on aero bar in the center. I have also used a "Workmate" copy, clamping work table, with the bike inverted and clamped around the seat post to hold the bike. Both setups work for any shape frame, though not a recumbent.
- A bike work stand should have the bike at a comfortable work height, whether sitting or standing is preferred, and neither of those do. That really saves your knees and back, and even your feet from plantar fasciitis.
- I have 20" wheel folder with a large down tube and no top tube, those won't work.
- My bike is heavy even unloaded, so lifting assist would be nice.
With regard to the latter, a bike shop here has a pro stand with seatpost clamp, which then slides in a steel U-channel on a hoist. Clamp it on with the bike on ground, then raise. Custom and very slick. I can envision something with a bike lifter pulley (used to be expensive but now $8 at harbor Freight), but that is not really mobile.
My current work table is a skinny table, 18" wide and 5' long, typical sitting height of about 29", the length handy to hold my tool box. I work on the bike inverted with me standing, I need to use spacer blocks under the handlebar grips for stability because of the clip on aero bar in the center. I have also used a "Workmate" copy, clamping work table, with the bike inverted and clamped around the seat post to hold the bike. Both setups work for any shape frame, though not a recumbent.
#61
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I made a stop, so my tailgate/hatch stays open and hang my bike there on a strap for servicing the bike on travels but can of course be used at home as well.
Or you can turn your bike upside down, as cyclist have been doing for over a century. I bought these little stands, to keep computers etc. clear of the ground.
Or you can turn your bike upside down, as cyclist have been doing for over a century. I bought these little stands, to keep computers etc. clear of the ground.
Last edited by pbekkerh; 12-24-23 at 08:52 PM.
#62
Senior Member
I like!
Hey, I like those ideas above! Didn't make sense when I read in my email, but now does with pics. For me, "tailgate" means a flip down one, that one above to me is a "hatch". I like your pipe-props on the gas-lift strut; Many decades ago, I did the same for a lifting window on a wagon that had a lower tailgate; The window lifts were dead and the replacement costs (from dealer only at the time) were a fortune, so I used a piece of pipe that just nested around the strut body when the window is down. But for your application, be careful about overloading the gas-lift mounts, as each ball end is loaded in cantilevered bending; I'd recommend putting that style stop on both struts, not just one side.
I also like your small handlebar stands, those look light and fold small, so could be taken with you on the bike, for mobile flat fixes or other field service. I may look for those, would be a big help for my bike which won't stand inverted due to clipon aero bars. If you'd like to share an amazon link or description to look for, please do, thanks.
HEY! That blue bike looks like a folder! What kind? I can't see well enough. Looks like swinging rear triangle and not mid-beam hinge.
I also like your small handlebar stands, those look light and fold small, so could be taken with you on the bike, for mobile flat fixes or other field service. I may look for those, would be a big help for my bike which won't stand inverted due to clipon aero bars. If you'd like to share an amazon link or description to look for, please do, thanks.
HEY! That blue bike looks like a folder! What kind? I can't see well enough. Looks like swinging rear triangle and not mid-beam hinge.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 12-24-23 at 09:10 PM.
#63
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The handlebarjack.com s are designed to fold and nest inside each other held by small magnets, so they form a small cylinder when packed.Mine are an older version a bit lower than the recent ones and narrower straps.
Yes that is my permanent car bike. A Bike Friday Tikit Hyperfold.
Yes that is my permanent car bike. A Bike Friday Tikit Hyperfold.
#64
Senior Member
Bike Friday
HAH! Somehow I thought it might be a BF due to the trademark tubing bends at the rear dropouts, but the linkage looked wrong (for a New World Tourist); I hadn't thought of a Tikit. I had never bought a BF due to price, but I'm a fan of BF based on their reputation of customer support, and now realize they offer a good value given that, and that each bike is custom made to size. I passed right by their shop in Eugene Oregon on a trip on a shuttle bus between the train station and the Pacific coast but could not stop. That said, the bike I created at much lower cost, I prefer for a number of reasons, it's a 20" wheel Dahon that I have outfitted like a BF NWT, except the mid-beam folding hinge, I find much more user friendly; It's still not a "frequent folder" like a Tikit/Pakit or Brompton, but is a neater fold; The NWT is more for a "trip" bike, as it's a major endeavor to fold and pack. Mine, I can fold without removing the rear rack, though would need to for airline checked luggage, which I will eventually do. I've stayed away from 16" wheel folders because a) wheels are small enough to need an internal gear hub for a tall enough top gear (overdrive), with attendant maintenance issues (in wet environment, needs annual $100+ teardown and lube with marine wheel bearing grease), and no chance of field service on a tour; With 20" wheels and 50/34 x 11-32, I have 21-85 gear inches, not high enough for the tour de france but enough to pedal down a gentle slope, and the low gears I need for hills, and I can service anything in the field, and b) internal hub gears are not as good for high tractive or cargo loads, such as for loaded touring, and c) unless in direct-drive hub gear (2 on a 3-speed hub), about 5% energy loss due to gear friction, d) weight, e) Cost. EDIT: I see now your Tikit does not have an internal gear hub. Huh. Either you have one of those cassettes with a 9 tooth small cog and perhaps an XL chainring like a 60T, or you just are limited in top end speed.
My folder is also my daily bike, I'll never go back. I used to be a 700c race bike fanatic, but then added cushier tires, a beam rack and bag, then went to a hybrid bike as my daily, but now the 20" folder; I don't need to fold it often, but when I do, it's great, and it makes a tremendous townie, holding front and rear panniers with low C.G., trunk bag, and huge space above front wheel for boxy cargo like package pickups.
Thanks for the info about the handlebar stands, I will look for them. EDIT: Looked on amazon, dang, them's expensive little buggers, $35 for a set of two, $140(!) for a set with 2 jacks, seat cover, and nifty bag to hold other tools, but that's an even worse deal. I'll have to think if I can fab something cheap.
My folder is also my daily bike, I'll never go back. I used to be a 700c race bike fanatic, but then added cushier tires, a beam rack and bag, then went to a hybrid bike as my daily, but now the 20" folder; I don't need to fold it often, but when I do, it's great, and it makes a tremendous townie, holding front and rear panniers with low C.G., trunk bag, and huge space above front wheel for boxy cargo like package pickups.
Thanks for the info about the handlebar stands, I will look for them. EDIT: Looked on amazon, dang, them's expensive little buggers, $35 for a set of two, $140(!) for a set with 2 jacks, seat cover, and nifty bag to hold other tools, but that's an even worse deal. I'll have to think if I can fab something cheap.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 12-25-23 at 05:46 AM.
#65
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Since you can get a real bike stand for about £25 this all seems a lot of work to create a bad solution to a non-existent problem
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#66
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Since you can get a real bike stand for about £25 this all seems a lot of work to create a bad solution to a non-existent problem
I'd have a Park Tool stand by now, except my townie with panniers, a) has a tall-section monobeam frame so not rackable there, and b) It weighs a ton with racks and panniers and thus a pain to lift to grab by the seatpost. I saw a repair rack at a bike shop years ago, it grabs the seatpost, then is counterweighted and slides up a channel to lift the bike. Only a couple months earlier I saw an old multiplate weight machine for sale cheap at a surplus sale, could have made same from exactly that, but didn't make the connection. But it wouldn't fit in my small city room anyway. If I had a house, I would just rig a bike/kayak pulley-lift, which are now as little as $8 on sale at the discount tool shop here. My room landlord does not allow drilling into the ceiling to mount such a thing here.
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#67
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Saw a motorised one at a bike shop on a Spanish island and thought that was a bit odd then realied they probably have to work on a lot of ebikes these days!
#68
Senior Member
My bike with racks, panniers, trunk bag full of tools, aero bars, etc, weighs 55 lbs, and is thus near max limit for me hauling up stairs, I have no elevator in my building. An ebike would be even worse, I'm glad I don't yet have a desire for one as I bike for exercise in addition to transport. I have a car but use it very seldom. But if I ever get to where I need an electric, I think I'll need to move someplace with an elevator.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 12-25-23 at 07:44 AM.
#69
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Since you can get a real bike stand for about £25 this all seems a lot of work to create a bad solution to a non-existent problem
I've had two like that. Gave one to a friend. They're about $40 in the US. My time is billed at $200+/hr. Building a POS thingy out of wood or anything else for that matter simply does not compute. $40 for something that will last effectively forever and go anywhere ? You have to think about that? The price of a couple six-packs? That's a really strange interpretation of "thrift".
#70
Senior Member
I've had two like that. Gave one to a friend. They're about $40 in the US. My time is billed at $200+/hr. Building a POS thingy out of wood or anything else for that matter simply does not compute. $40 for something that will last effectively forever and go anywhere ? You have to think about that? The price of a couple six-packs? That's a really strange interpretation of "thrift".
Like I said, the only reason I haven't bought a good bike stand by now (and I would invest in quality, rigid, and a good clamp interface), is the difficulty in using with my bike frame style and weight. Plus I live in a tiny subsidized room (like I said, old and poor), and there's no room to use a stand; The skinny table that I store the bike on to keep it out of the walkway, also doubles as a repair stand with the bike inverted.
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#71
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I have used my trainer for years and have been happy with 90% of repairs, excepting headset.
#72
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.......... EDIT: I see now your Tikit does not have an internal gear hub. Huh. Either you have one of those cassettes with a 9 tooth small cog and perhaps an XL chainring like a 60T, or you just are limited in top end speed.
............
Thanks for the info about the handlebar stands, I will look for them. EDIT: Looked on amazon, dang, them's expensive little buggers, $35 for a set of two, $140(!) for a set with 2 jacks, seat cover, and nifty bag to hold other tools, but that's an even worse deal. I'll have to think if I can fab something cheap.
............
Thanks for the info about the handlebar stands, I will look for them. EDIT: Looked on amazon, dang, them's expensive little buggers, $35 for a set of two, $140(!) for a set with 2 jacks, seat cover, and nifty bag to hold other tools, but that's an even worse deal. I'll have to think if I can fab something cheap.
35$ expensive? Makes your life easier, protects your 100-400$ computers for less than one good tyre!!
#73
Senior Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDudeIsHere
You should get some rubber bands and a clothes pin. Mount it on those aerobars and shoot paperclip at the cyclist ahead of you!
I use my trainer to do maintenance and building my bikes. And the couch for photography.
Originally Posted by TheDudeIsHere
You should get some rubber bands and a clothes pin. Mount it on those aerobars and shoot paperclip at the cyclist ahead of you!
I use my trainer to do maintenance and building my bikes. And the couch for photography.
I haven't put a shooter on the aero bars, though I'm just the kind of guy able to devise one . But it has made a convenient mount for a bell, headlamp, water bottle (designed specifically for those aero bars), and a "mid-cable" front brake lever so can emergency-brake when on the aeros; Mid cable levers are all designed for road brakes so are short-pull, but it works with my (long-pull) V-brakes, provided I have the brakes well adjusted so I don't run out of lever travel. The aero bar also makes a nice hanger for a large shopping bag, one I have has handles just long enough so the bag also rests on top of the front rack, and this is good for travel and faster access versus the panniers.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 12-31-23 at 07:47 PM.
#74
Senior Member
$35 is not too bad, and would pay for itself in easier repair on a tour. I could also lay the bike down on its side, but inverted is better. Making the tripods multi-purpose, like having a camera mount, would be a plus. To space up a computer tower, those don't look stable (at first I thought they were computer stands used for bike, but I see they are designed to interface with bike handlebars and not a computer); I would just use a couple bricks . But I think they make better stands for a tower computer.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 01-01-24 at 12:58 AM.
#75
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Word of caution about the van loaded with stuff. Friend of mine is an electrical contractor with a van full of stuff on shelves and on the floor. One day a driver crossed the center line and hit him head on. Not only did he get a frontal impact, but all that crap in the back came down on him and caused a serious head injury and a broken spine. Took a full year to recover. A year without any income.
He now has a metal partition between the front seats and the rest of the van.
He now has a metal partition between the front seats and the rest of the van.