It's that time of the year again - Lidl Bike accessories
 

Lidl has bicycle accessories for spring. The most famous of those is the Crivit bicycle repair stand. It is now an inflation adjusted $39.99. They also have the following bicycle accessories:

• Floor pump with a big gauge
• Bike bag and tool kit
• Bike cleaning kit, including an assortment of brushes
• Head light and tail light
• Cycling shorts
• Bike cover
• Pump with gauge mounted that mounts to the bottle bosses

I tried to find the Lidl flyer with the bicycle accessories but wasn't able to find it.

I have the apparently-identical one from Aldi, and use it a lot. Light, portable and the base has a wide spread when extended, so stable.

The one issue I have with it is the adjustment for the bike in the "pitch axis" (front of bike up or down) is a friction fit and in some instances no matter how much I tighten the knob, it might slip (especially if you're not clamping it at better-of-gravity). I am considering cross-drilling the entire stand at that attachment and putting in a removable pin to eliminate that... but if you work on various bikes with differing frame angles you might not like that.

Even at $39, the Crivit stand is still a steal. While many of the parts are plastic, it features an actual cam for the clamp instead of a bolt that needs to be twisted to tighten down. Probably one of the best deals in cycling.

A few years ago, they also had a basic bike tool kit for $19. I still use several of the tools included. Highly recommended.

I have been waiting for this repair stand to be offered at our local Lidl. I have a Park repair stand and while it is good, there are three things that I don't like about it: 1. I would prefer to clamp the seat post, however the Park stand is a fixed height that puts the drive train too low if I clamp the seat post, so I am forced to clamp the seat tube. This is an old solution. Their pro stands used to be the same way. You have to clamp the seat tube. And even the pro stand can mess up those old Fuji seat tube stickers. 2. Mine has the curved legs and the legs never are aligned so there is always a bit of rocking to the stand. 3. It takes up a lot of room for storage.

The Crivit stand is cheap enough that I willing to give it a try. I can extend the vertical tube way up and clamp the seat post. The tripod base seems to be ok. It is all those plastic joints that I am concerned about.

It is incredible that I may replace my Park stand with a cheap stand from a Supermarket. I now have two stands and the best one will stay. Probably neither one will check all the boxes.

While I was at Lidl I was tempted into buying their bike bag/tool kit for $8. Not bad for the money. It even has what is supposed to be a spoke wrench. They also label one tool as a rivet breaker but I have no idea how this would work. The rest of the tools are tire irons (plastic), screwdriver bits, Allen key bits and tube patches with a rasp.

The Crivit isn't perfect, of course. Mine uses four legs instead of a tripod, but it's plenty stable. Folds up easily and very compactly--would be easy to put in the car to get to a ride. I use it to clamp my DA seat post. It's adjustable in several ways. Really, this is the stand everyone who has ever worked on their bikes upside-down should own.

Whoa! Did not notice that! My Aldi stand looks like it could have come off the same assembly line... but has five legs. PICTURE FROM INTERNET:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...549e36b1ec.jpg

Interesting! I don't remember what my adjusting knobs look like--they may be different. I'll look when I get home tonight. I think I'd prefer a tripod--which would be stable on any uneven surface.

The Aldi stand I use is great---beautifully designed and easy to use. People have occasionally reported that they hate the stand because they're always tripping over one of its five legs, but the legs don't have to be extended to their full length---the stand is quite stable with less splay at the base.

Versatile, too. The other day, I was in the process of swapping cranksets and bottom brackets between two of my bikes. Both bottom brackets were very uncooperative, the factory assemblers apparently having ignored the torque specs and used air tools to install the cups. Tried various conventional solutions in vain.

Finally, as one does, I looked around the room and asked myself, what is there here, within a 10-foot radius, that can solve the problem? Aha. Pulled the height-adjustable clamp tube out of the Aldi stand and used it as a cheater on the handle of a pipe wrench. Still a near thing, but it worked. Satisfying.

So my Lidl stand uses quick release levers for the legs and height adjustment. Tri-knob for clamp angle. And a much larger shelf with magnetic section in the middle.

I love Park. Eventually I hope to own one of their professional stands.

They need to learn a lesson here.

I have both a Park professional stand and an Aldi stand. Why? The Park stand is too awkward to drag up out of the basement shop for a quick tune-up (and the bikes are too awkward to drag downstairs). Major work gets done downstairs. Little stuff goes on the Aldi stand in the garage or driveway.

Mine as well.

I've told this story before. Stop me if you've heard it. I bought the fiber leg Aldi stand to use at the vacation place in Michigan. I took it up there (still boxed) and promptly forgot about it for several years. One day while rummaging around I noticed it and figured I should take it home and at least give the thing a try. I listed my Park stand on CL within a week.

My basement/shop floor is quite uneven (I guess 100+years of concrete patches will do that). The main thing I would change on the Aldi stand is to have just three legs. I realize that would be impractical though. In addition to requiring beefier legs, it would probably be more tippy in some situations, which would probably just be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

The friction clamp mentioned earlier is also problematic. I'm not sure there's a good MacGyer fix for that. Maybe glue some sandpaper to the inside of the clamp and rough up the shaft?

My Aldi stand is used for garage adjustments and occasional bike painting. For the price I don't even worry about the overspray on it.

Lidl bike bag repair kit
 

Here are the tools contained in the bike tool bag. The bag fits under the seat with a strap through the seat rails and another strap to secure the front of the bag to the seat post. It has small stripes of reflective fabric sewn to it.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...11285c4766.png
On the right side of the multitool are:
2mm Allen key
2.5mm Allen key
3mm Allen key
4mm Allen key
5mm Allen key
6mm Allen key
Brake pad opener and bottle opener

On the left side are:
Slotted screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver
T25 Torx bit
Spoke wrench !!! for 14 and 15 gauge spokes
8mm Allen key and a "hole for breaking chain rivets"

Not pictured is a soft cleaning cloth.

I have no idea how the hole for breaking chain rivets is supposed to work. But it is there.

Won't Bury The Lede, But Will Derail This Post.
 

The Independence Mall Lidl in Wilmington NC stocked their Bike Stuff last Wednesday, 10May2023. As of Saturday, after depleting their stock by one, they had five of their bike work stands remaining.

Last Thursday, after picking up a ~1999 (maybe '01?) 59 cm.10-Speed Record, (save for the Headset), equipped MAX tubed De Bernardi, rendering it road worthy, and riding it towards home, caught up to and rode with a younger guy who said he was training for an impending race. Told him an Art Opening at the CAM was on the itinerary, but might stop at the Lidl to see if they'd gotten in their Bike Stuff yet, They had. Already laden with a backpack of tools and whatnot, couldn't figure out a way to transport a stand on the De Bernardi, so bought a pair of fingerless gloves for five bucks and rode on.

Seller's Pics.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1831a8451b.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...350f69ea4a.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2d56813418.jpg

Nothing Good and Interesting ever shows up for sale here at a reasonable ask, until it does.

Anyway, Lidl in Wilmington has their bike stuff. It may extrapolate to the Region, or State, or the whole South Eastern US?

Don't know. Forty bucks for a stand is splendid, Have been waiting for them to present since this thread started. So, thanks!

It might be worthwhile for you to hit the Lidl website and use the Contact Us function. A couple of times I've done so, they have promptly responded. You could ask if they knew when they next intended to feature bicycle products including the stand.

Dont you guys have Lidl online in the US which sells pretty much the same stuff almost all year long? Sometimes even with dirt cheap delivery? (I mean we have but Im also always excited that i can dig through the stuff in person.. same with hand tools)

Quixotic
 

Yes, but where is The Fun in that?

Could've driven down to look at the De Bernardi, but instead packed a rucksack, hiked a mile or two on a shiny 90F day to a Bus Stop, walked from a Bus Stop about the same, spent a couple hours making the De Bernardi Max roadworthy while hanging with the seller and his kids, and then rode it home, enjoying a random encounter with another rider, discovering the Bike Stuff at Lidl's and attending an Opening.

It's all about The Journey, if you let it be?

Yeah, you are right, and for that bike I would have even crawl on my fingernails (I'M a sucker for MAX). I passed on the same frame twice (although under the Jan Janssen Anniversary moniker) because of the nice paintjob,
I dig the Carlo Dossena style paintjob, but not beaten. So in my case, they were too bad to be beautiful, but I wouldn't have the heart to grind em, decided to wait for something simpler (preferaby by SOMEC).

Stopping by Aldi on
the way home from the Wife's Doc. appointment.
Wish me luck re:bike stands.

aaaaaaaand??

No stands:(, but they had all that other stuff. Multi tools, cable locks, phone holders, lights, and about six or seven cases of padded seat covers in two different sizes:lol:.

FYI: Not strictly bike, but this week's Lidl offerings include some tools. I picked up a digital caliper for $9.99; just now I tested it against my existing caliper (NOTE: I am NOT an official testing facility with the correct instruments!) and it seems spot-on. I probably should have picked up one of those magnetized tools/smallparts trays as well.

That Time of the Year Again - 2024
 

I went to my local Lidl and the bike repair stand is in stock again. But this year it is $20!!! I paid $40 last year and thought that was a good deal. They also have helmets, top tube bags and gloves. I suspect water bottles, pumps, tool kits and other accessories are still to come. They did have a few sizes of woman's cycling shorts and cycling capris available and a seat, probably left over from last spring available, as well. Also, for some of you planning a tour this summer are ultralight weight sleeping bags.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...347e970df4.png

Insane deal, I hope people see this.