Technical > General Technical

Short workstand -- recommendation sought

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Andre Jute:
I have a fullsize work stand, of course, but haven't used it for a couple of years. It's simply not appropriate to my everyday bike, a Utopia Kranich crossframe with a Rohloff gearbox, and every other component also selected to be either zero-maintenance or as low as you can get. Almost everything I want or need to do to the bike is conveniently done by parking it on the kerb of the high pavement in front of my town house and standing in the gutter...

Almost everything...  When removing and refitting the wheels, which are both keyed by anti-torque tongues (Rohloff rear, Bafang QSWXK front) and require to have cabling aligned, it would help to raise the wheel in question a few inches off the ground. Ditto for adjusting the brakes, which I need to do when I fit a different width of rim. It quickly gets to be a pain holding up a 23kg bike by the handlebars or the rack with one hand while trying to work with the other hand.

The only stand I've been able to find that is even approximately suitable is the Topeak FlashStand Bike Stand pictured below. It is rated for only 14kg and according to reviews has plastic parts to save weight, which perhaps accounts for why SJS does not stock it.


Photo from http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7345

Any other suggestions/ideas will be welcome. Ideally I'd like something that can raise either the front or the back wheel to choice.

Andre Jute
Incidental bike mechanic

Danneaux:
Andre,

Surprisingly (to me, who remembers when such stands were more common) the Topeak Flash Stand seem to be the most readily available of this sort. If you do decide to go for it, however, beware of the potential for damage, as found by this cyclist: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/482088/topeak-flashstand-warning

Apparently, the rubber dip-coating on the top hook is not sufficient to protect the bicycle's finish in extended or frequent use, and can cause damage. That would be beyond tragic in the case of your hand-applied coach-lining.

Fuller views and descriptions of it in-use here: http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2009/09/26/flashstand/

Looks pretty iffy in user reviews: http://www.rei.com/product/722562/topeak-flashstand?cm_mmc=$%28partner%29$-_-0-_-0-_-722562&mr:referralID=1f995f15-c6eb-11e1-8e16-001b2166becc

I'll keep looking; something better has to be out there.

Best,

Dan.

Andre Jute:
As always, you're the firstest with the mostest, Dan. Thank you. That's enough information for me to decide firmly against the Topeak. One of your references mentions the Nashbar Stand By Me stand http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2009/03/26/stan/ which is unfortunately now out of production. I suppose I could have something like that made but it works only on the rear wheel, which is the lesser of my problems (the Rohloff wheel slides in easily in a couple of seconds), and I really want a small stand that works on the front wheel as well, or even only on the front wheel, as the Bafang electrical hub takes quite a bit more alignment and jiggling to get it correctly seated than the Rohloff.

Thanks again.

Andre Jute

Danneaux:
Andre!

I have found a source for the old "Y" stands I recall from days gone by. They look like......and are available for the minimal sum of USD$14.99 + shipping from http://www.amazon.com/STORAGE-ACTION-STAND-BLACK-BIKE/dp/B0046E41GU

The Nashbar Stand By Me looks familiar, 'cos I have three of them, marketed by Nashbar's parent firm, Performance Bikes and probably made by Delta. Mine use a pivoting coated/dipped tray for the chainstay, but essentially the same function is accomplished with the two coated hooks on the stand available from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P9GZZ4?tag=cheapinusa-20, that looks like......and costs just under USD$20. The very similar Ice Toolz Stand By Me is here: http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Toolz-Stand-Display-Repair/dp/B002NXHQSG My Performance-branded Delta version works very nicely, and I would expect the others to be functionally equivalent, though the finish and execution is not as nice.

Other variations:
http://www.bikebling.com/Aztec-Delta-Matisse-Bike-Floor-Stand-p/aztec-matise-bike%20stand.htm
http://www.bikebling.com/Feedback-Sports-Ultimate-Rakk-Bicycle-Storage-Stan-p/feedback-ultimate-rakk.htm
Minoura make a DS-520 folding version, shown here: http://www.velotique.com/tool-rs.htm Minoura's stuff is always pretty well made, even if the finish is sometimes a bit...functional.

Andre, if the Y-type stand didn't interfere with a bottle mount or frame boss, it might best fit your need for alternately lifting the front or rear wheels (provided you weighted the rear rack to elevate the front wheel; the stand might need to sit on a block of wood or a paving stone to provide the needed elevation for the bike to pivot on it). Watch the hook doesn't come in an unbutted section if you put much weight on it (besides the bike, of course).

Have you considered the rear-axle stands? A very similar type was used to hold '60s-era GP motorcycles upright in the pit garages back in the day. The general type is shown here:
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/bicycle-hub-display-floor-rack-bike-repair-stand/YC-117N
Nitto's very nice and expensive (!) version is here: http://www.compasscycle.com/bike_stands_nitto.html

Hope one among these will prove helpful.

All the best,

Dan.

Andre Jute:
Thank you so much, Dan. Now that I know what to search for, I've instantly found these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DRAPER-HEAVY-BICYCLE-WORKSTAND-BK-WS2/dp/B008630Y6I/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1341545103&sr=8-12

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raleigh-Rear-Maintenance-Stand/dp/B0012Z7FBO/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1341545103&sr=8-13

Every attractively presented, this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacx-Gem-Bicycle-Stand/dp/B005M9DXKS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_18

Pity that they won't raise the front wheel, as the rear wheel is the smaller of my worries. I don't much fancy weighting the rear of the bike to raise the front. Stability will be a worry, denting expensive tubes, and the extra handling might be a strong contributory factor to scratched paint.

Truth is, I can't quite conceive of what a small stand to raise the front wheel without making it impossible to remove the wheel might look like. (No problem envisaging a large stand to hold up the bike by the handlebars.) Yet the purpose of raising the front wheel is definitely to remove the wheel and replace it.

Enjoyed the contemporary compass/GPS thread...

Andre Jute

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