How We Evaluated These Bike Repair Stands Many repair stands have a weight limit that’s high enough to support most e-bikes, but some of the lighter and/or portable stands that are meant for travel may not be appropriate. And if you plan to work on e-bikes, make sure the stand can support the weight and has a wide enough base to be stable when loaded. These are generally heavier, cost more, and have a sturdier clamping system-should you ever need to crank on something that just won’t budge-and either sit on a heavy-duty base or are permanently installed on your workshop floor. If you have a dedicated space or think of yourself as more than a home mechanic, a permanent, pro-style stand, like the Park Tool Deluxe Double Arm Professional Work Stand, might better suit your needs. If your bike has hydraulic disc brakes, look for a stand with a second pivot, like the Topeak Prepstand X, which allows you to point the bike upward, with the bar facing the sky, for easy bleeding of the brakes. Some even come with a carrying case for transport. These are often lighter and cheaper than the heavy-duty stands and fold down for easy storage. If you’re a home mechanic who wants a stand for basic repairs and maintenance, and you have no intentions of setting up a permanent workshop, consider a portable model, like the Feedback Sports Pro Elite or the Park Tool Team Issue. Race-style stands will let you do that as well, but you have to flip the bike around and mount it by the rear dropouts. But he prefers the clamp-style stands when doing front brake and headset work. And because most stands of this style fold down, he can fit them in his luggage if he has to fly to a race. Vincent Gee, head mechanic for the Aevolo Pro Cycling Team, says he prefers a race stand when traveling to events because he can rotate the bike to access both sides without having to walk around it. If your bike has thru-axles, however, make sure the stand comes with the appropriate adaptor. These are a great option for aero or other bikes with funky tube shapes. They don’t work well on all aero seatposts and non-round tubes, since the clamping mechanism is usually circular.Įuro-style, or race, stands hold the bike at the bottom bracket and the front or rear dropout. Within those categories, there are portable and permanent stands and basic models versus those for the pros.Ĭlamp-style stands hold the bike by the seatpost or frame tubes (although clamping the tubing can damage your frame, so we’d recommend the seatpost). There are generally two types of repair stands: those that use a clamping mechanism to secure the bike by, well, pretty much any tube you choose to fix them to, and Euro-style models-sometimes called race stands-that secure your bike by the bottom bracket and front or rear dropout. What to Consider When Shopping for a Bike Repair Stand Which Type of Clamp Best Suits Your Needs? I’ve worked on bikes in one of the top pro shops in New York City, visited some of the largest bicycle factories in the world as a product director, traveled with elite mountain bike teams, and wrenched on countless bikes of my own in garages, basements, and parking lots. The Expert: With almost 30 years of experience as a bicycle mechanic, product developer, and now Deputy Editor of Bicycling’s test team, I have seen and used every style of bike repair stands. Most Sought-After Repair Stand: Efficient Velo Tools EZ-Lift Repair Stand.Best for Last-Minute Repairs: Topeak FlashStand Portable Tune-Up Stand.Sturdy With a High Weight Limit: Feedback Sports Sprint Repair Stand.Best for Tall Mechanics: Unior Pro Road Repair Stand.Best for the Weight-Obsessed: Topeak PrepStand Pro.
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