How to Buy a Bike Work Stand

Tired of leaning the bike against the kitchen counter or flipping it upside down to work on in the middle of the living room? Consider getting a repair stand.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Persons Display/repair Stands
• Bike Repair Stands
• Bike Tools

1. Decide how much you want to spend. Repair stands can cost as little as $70 and as much as $300.

2. Consider stability, which is especially important for working on heavier bikes or involved repairs. Generally, the more expensive the stand, the more stable it is.

3. Consider portability. Do you want to be able to pack up your stand and take it with you? If so, you'll likely pay more and the stand will be less stable.

4. Consider the clamp quality. This is one of the main components that sets apart the professional stands from the consumer models.

5. Keep in mind that the best clamps are very sturdy and can adjust to a wide variety of tubing diameters. They will also have padded jaws and a very smooth, positive feel.

6. Consider a bench-mount stand if your workspace is especially cramped. Of course, these offer great stability, although they limit your ability to move around the bike.

Tips & Warnings

• A good alternative to a repair stand is the Persons display/repair stand, which costs about $15 and holds the rear wheel up off the ground for quick tune-ups. Although this stand has been around for a long time, not all shops stock them, so you may have to make a special order.
• Don't clamp your bike on the frame if it's a lightweight or aluminum frame. Instead, clamp your bike on the seatpost.

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on 3/6/2006 For most tuneups, you can use a trainer. Just put your bike in it, set resistance to low or none, and you can spin the rear all you want to adjust derailleurs, etc.

on 11/22/2005 I own an SUV, and I also own a bike rack that goes into the receiver on my Reese hitch. I had a friend of mine weld a base plate on a piece of square tube stock that my bike stand would slide into. My bike is all aluminum and carbon so it's really light. I simply mount the bike stand sideways and clamp the bike using the V mounts (used to hang your bike from) as a clamp for the bike and it allows me to work on the bike. This way I don't have 2 pieces of equipment to take care of. It's a little cumbersome, but it works.

on 11/22/2005 For a lot of repairs, you can just flip your bike over and let it rest on the seat and handlebars. This opens up the rear wheel, crank, brakes, shifters and chain for easy maintenance. For really involved repairs, a stand might be worthwhile (like when replacing a crank or headset).