Fried_Chicken

Thinking about actually getting a repair stand for restoration/maintenance work. Last bike, I didn't use one and this time I am thinking I should get one for my next restoration and for future maintenance. Would make derailleur adjustments (and many other things) much easier. I'm currently working only on steel frames (not carbon or aluminum).

Two questions:

1) Most modern sites (and even Sheldon to some extent) say to clamp only the seat post. I don't always have enough clearance on the seat post for some clamps (Pedro's stand seems to be 4.5" wide). Am I OK to clamp the seat tube for a steel bike? I randomly found in Barnett's repair manual the following: "the clamp should be placed (in descending order of priority): onto the seat tube, the seat post, or the top tube"

2) Any recommendations for a favorite work/repair stand for casual use? I will probably try to pick one up second hand, so older versions are OK.

Thanks.

(Mods: feel free to move to Bicycle Mechanics forum; just wanted to get the C&V take on it for the older frames)

Chuck M 

I don't have experience with carbon fiber, but I clamp hi-ten, Cro-Mo and aluminum bikes by the top tube regularly. The clamp force is adjustable and as long as you don't horse it down, there shouldn't be a problem IMHO.

redshift1

This one ( Feedback Sprint ) doesn't clamp on to any frame tube. It's been a while since I did cycle repairs but I have used this on my Peugeot steel frame with 126 mm rear spacing. I seem to remember only the front forks are clamped with the bottom bracket resting on the stand.

High quality throughout but expensive.

iab

Feedback Sports is what I use. Good budget. Folds small. Stable. Easy up/down/spin. Tool tray.

Maino 01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

albrt 

Wow, prices sure have gone up.

I like my Park 10, but it's been discontinued and with Park the exact model matters. The way the legs work on some of them is awkward, and I can't tell from the pictures whether the way the newer model legs work would be better or worse. The cam-clamp is a big improvement over the spinner.

I also have a Feedback lightweight stand. It appears some of the features I like are now only available on the more expensive models. I bought it in a retail store for less than the cheapest model listed now. It's been OK for personal use, but the ones we got for the co-op did not hold up very well. It is not adequate for heavy bikes like old Schwinns. I definitely would not pay $500 for one of these unless they are made of completely different materials than the ones I've seen.

Like you, I work almost exclusively on steel bikes. I most often clamp on the seat tube with the Park stand. I usually clamp the top tube on the Feedback stand because the bike needs to be balanced or it will tip over because the stand is so light. To give the paint and decals a little extra protection I have a 6" piece of heavyweight 1.5" inner tube with a lengthwise slit in it. If you get the right diameter of inner tube you can slip it around the frame tube and it will stay while you clamp it.

Fried_Chicken

Yes. This (and the Park Tool Team Issue) are probably out of my price range, even second hand.

Schlafen

I use a £5 saw horse.

thinktubes 

I have a folding Blackburn that I picked up at a rummage sale for $10. Stable and has a rotating clamp.

cyccommute 

Pull the seat post out further. If your seatpost isn’t long enough, get a longer one for the stand.

gugie 

Exactly. It's easy to put a piece of tape to mark your current height so it's simple to reset it.

If you want to get fancy, J. A. Stein sells one of these for $65

I do a lot of raw framework and found this tool very useful.

nlerner

I like the Stein tool above, but I don’t like removing my seatpost or pulling it out longer to clamp it. Once it’s at the right height, I’d rather leave it be.

For the last few years, I’ve been using a Hirobel frame clamp: https://silca.cc/products/hirobel-clamp

i clamp it to my old Park stand. It won’t work for a mixte, but for most other frames, it does the job.

Chombi1 

I usually clamp my bikes by the middle of the top tube because of better balance on the stand. But I'm very careful not to overtighten the clamp as it could damage the frame tubes, especially with bikes that have very thin walled tubing.
​I only use the clamp on the seatpost if I have exert a lot of pressure on a component on the frame.

gugie 

I've recently found a very good reason to remove, grease and replace a seatpost from time to time.

JohnDThompson 

Park used to make an internal seat clamp for this purpose:


But a cheap steel post of the proper diameter would work just as well.

Jeff Neese

Like others, I only have steel and usually just clamp around the top tube, gently. I'm not going to adjust my seat post every time I clean and lube my bike, or for general maintenance. Whenever I need to put some muscle into something (pedals, crank, bottom bracket, etc.) I just take the bike off the stand and set it on the floor.

Any stand is better than no stand, and you might find one on Craigslist, eBay, etc. I have a Topeak Prepstand Pro. It was somewhat pricey (and even more so now) but it might be the best investment I've made in this hobby. A good work stand is a game-changer and you'll wonder how you got along without one.

Road Fan

Many steel bike's tubes are really quite thin away from the butted areas. Stronger steels used for very thinwall tubing such as 7/4/7 (753, 853, Columbus Nivachrome, or TruTemper OX-PLAT) are also very resistant to denting compared to the thinner wall 531 versions, especially in standard diameters. I tend not to clamp away from the butts. TT near the seat lub, ST near the seat lug or near the BB shell, depending on leverage. I also use a seat post, but on most of my bikes there is not a lot of it showing. I should probably buy a Kalloy alloy straight post or two just to have a utility available. For things like adjusting brakes or derailleur it would be fine. For tasks like tightening new BBs or wrestling loose an old BB, I want the high leverage on the bottom of the seat tube or down tube.

I use an old tripod stand Performance used to sell, I think it's now the "Feedback" brand, it came with a carrying case and a tool tray. A wheel truing stand was an available option but I haven't seen those for quite a while. I really like it. I wish it had a crank to spin down the tubing clamp, like a Park, but it's been ok for 25 years, so why mess with it? Only problem is, its not quite stiff and stable enough for cold-setting rear triangles. I could put the frame on the floor, but usually I'm just correcting small errors or bends, and testing fit with the bike's own wheel or a trued/dished shop wheel. For lighter duty alignments like derailleur hangers and making dropouts parallel at correct spacing, this stand is fine. But it's not stiff enough to let me do much with forks.

tkamd73 

I bought my original Blackburn stand shortly after buying my Supersport in late 85, saw it at my local bike shop, displayed with a Paramount clamped by the top tube. Bought a second bench mounted one on eBay a few years ago for 20 bucks. I have always clamped vintage steel, and Aluminum bikes on the frame tubes, with no issues, but a lot of modern frames won’t fit in the clamp so then I just use the seat post.
The only issue I have ever had with the Blackburn stands is, that the large blue bushing eventually gets brittle and falls apart. The first time I was able to source a replacement, the second time I had to make one.
Tim

Road Fan

For a bare frame the TT middle is pretty much the balance point, at least the actual balance should be within the clamped length. But with wheels and gearing (IGH or steel cassettes) and saddle and bars installed, the CG moves back closer to the seat lug. I'm also very sensitive about thin-wall tubing - I love the ride but I don't want to cost myself a $2k frame just from being too hasty.

rm -rf

Feedback Sports stands!
My Ultimate (now Feedback Sports) stand is at least 25 years old. It still works perfectly.

It has the clutch clamp: slide the clamp shut until it makes contact with the tube. Then turn the knob to tighten--easy and controllable. A quarter turn counterclockwise releases the clutch, and I can slide it all the way open. Convenient.
That clutch mechanism started slipping 5 years ago. Feedback has replacements for $14! Nice! Still the same design, but it seems sturdier now.
Feeback replacement parts page.

Stand usage
I can simply set the nose of the saddle on top of the stand's horizontal clamping tube if I don't need to steady the bike. This is how I store the bike all the time now.
I like the column's quick release to raise and lower the stand height. It's normally set with the seat tube vertical, so the front wheel is lower and won't flop over. The front wheel is just a few inches off the ground.
I can raise it quite high, too, for working on derailleurs or bottom brackets. And the clamp can be easily rotated and locked in position as needed.
The legs fold up, easy to transport.
I added the tool tray when I got the other replacement parts. (I think REI carries the tray?) It's convenient, I usually don't have a tabletop nearby.
I wouldn't like a stand that is "clamp the front fork in the stand, with the front wheel off". Too much trouble and I do like having the front wheel attached and spinnable.

Shortening the clamp jaws
The Feedback jaws are 3 1/8 inches tall. Years ago, my bike's seatpost was too short to fit the clamp jaws. I hacksawed off the bottom of the clamp jaws, right through the rubber covering. They could be shortened to about 2 1/2 inches. It's aluminum, easy to saw off. When I got the clutch replacment, I bought new clamp jaws, so I'm back to full size jaws.

Classtime 

If you want to save money for a nice one, and you have a ceiling that cooperates you can string your bike up by the seat tube and head tube and assemble or adjust most things. I did that for a long time. The saw horse idea is pretty nice.

jeirvine 

My workshops have always been in the basement with rafters exposed, so I've just used a rope loop around the saddle nose, and hooks for the handlebars. Takes up zero floor space or storage space, no adjusting of seat post needed, and it takes about 2 seconds to throw a bike on or off. There a re only a few jobs where the freely-swinging isn't ideal, but that's never really been an issue.

Just another option.

Steel Charlie

I have three different kinds of stands. No matter what part of the bike I clamp on I always use a soft cloth pad. Easy on the paint and won't wipe off the decals.

seedsbelize2

I have a Park PS10 and I clamp to the top tube. I have used one like the Feedback Sports one pictured, and prefer that type. It gives a more positive hold on the bike. Less movement during heavy wrench turning.

repechage

I have seen a number of images of small Italian bike shops that use lines and hooks from the ceiling. I did that 50 years ago, works but the in balance of the spinning rear wheel does allow movement.
cheap, gets out of the way and allows good access. The work stands that require a front wheel to be removed limit easy front brake work.

non-fixie 

I prefer stands that enable me to secure the bike by the dropouts, rather than a tube.

The Tacx T3075 has long been a favorite. They fold flat when not in use and are very stable.



My favorite these days, however, is a stand which came to me as part of a package deal in a garage sale. Adjustable for height and very stable. A T3075 for a taller person who works on bikes with fenders.