Vintage_Cyclist

Had a Park PCS1 for many years, a bit wobbly and no height adjustment. It also had the earlier Park clamp, which was a heavy spring clamp that always made me nervous on the tubes.



Sold it on CL after getting a good deal on a Park PCS-10, which is very stable and has height adjustment. It also has a clamp that you screw down, with adjustable pressure on the tubes. Although all mycurrent bikes are steel, I wouldn't be concerned about using this clamp on other tubing.


Easy to home-brew a tool holder for it too.

Kabuki12

I use a Topeak Prep stand Elite . I had built up quite a few rewards with Bike Tires Direct from all the tires I bought (when on sale) . It was around my birthday a year ago , maybe two , and they had a 25% off sale on this stand . It is very similar to the Feedback stand that my friend has and I just could not spend that kind of $$ on a work stand . I had been using a Spin Dr. Stand that was gifted to me. It worked ok but to do the BB maintenance , I had to lay the bike down on a carpet to get the non drive side cup out. My new stand is fully adjustable and super sturdy for just about any thing I want to do. I usually clamp on the seat post but sometime , for light work , I clamp on the top tube with a soft polishing cloth folded over and just a light clamp. I am tall but sometimes still use a rolling stool to sit while I work . This stand is fully height adjustable and can get the bike quite high in the air . The three legs splay out far enough to steady the stand while I work. The clamping jaw has a speed crank for opening and closing , real handy. I do recommend getting the Feedback handle bar holder.





Carrying bag comes with it and the handle bar holder is another $30

The stand in use

smd4

Ideally, I would like to eventually get a Park PRS 3.3-1 stand. But until then, the Lidl Crivit stand seems a worthy stand-in (no pun intended). And at $29 bucks, definitely didn't break the bank. Both use a cam-style clamping device, which I vastly prefer to one that needs to be twisted to hold. They are adjustable, and you don't need to worry about a pre-set spring crushing a tube.

I cannot fathom why anyone would use the "rope from a rafter" (or tree) technique, except in an emergency. Bike stands are meant to stabilize a bike so it can be worked on; ropes aren’t very stable. Might as well work on the bike upside-down (which --personally--I would never do).

If at all possible, I always clamp at the seat post. My frame has an original Columbus decal, which I would not risk by clamping from the seat tube. All this talk about "balance" by clamping at the top tube is a little silly, considering the bike can be easily "balanced" clamped at the seat post. Of course, balancing this way will require that the bike be angled down by the front wheel. But this is fine, because then you don't need to use the silly "front wheel retaining devices" that some stands come with. There is zero reason for me to clamp the bike in a "level" position. I also use a rag. Some people feel comfortable just using the rubber jaws as-is.

I see the benefit in stability using the BB/Dropout clamps, as far as stability, and it seems some pro mechanics use them, but those are more cumbersome, in that you need to remove a wheel to use them.

jdawginsc 

I have one of these. Never use it.

merziac

Really?

This can be a can o worms, one that should be addressed more IMO.

If we took more SP's out, cleaned and regreased them properly, there would be far fewer stuck/nightmare stories.

I try to take most of them out, strip, clean, half round file a bit and chamfer the top inner edge of the seat lug a touch and regrease.

Andrew_G 

I am also using the Tacx 3075 repair stand, which holds the frame by the fork tip (or dropouts) and the BB shell. However, it has been unavailable for quite a while now. Tacx was bought out by Garmin, and there is only one Tacx workstand shown on the Garmin website: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/bike-...sembly-stands/


The Ventura, CA distributor Albabici (home page: Albabici, distributor and agent for Fondriest, Bianchi Milano, BiciSupport, SCICON, Nalini, Selle SMP, Ursus, Forza, Tiso, Limar, Favaloro, Sapo and Hibros cycling products) has a good selection of Italian work stands made by BiciSupport: https://www.albabici.com/bicisupport...-stands-mp.htm


The BiciSupport BS76X is the closest to the Tacx, but the BS76X appears to hold the frame only by the fork tips and BB (i.e., no rear dropout support option). The rear DO support option is most useful when removing the fork to service the headset. The BS090X "B-Stand" looks like a better choice IMHO, since it can suppport either end of the frame.


Albabici used to have a web store, but that link has apparently gone dead. So, I think that Albabici has closed their web store and is only doing distribution to retailers. Per the dead link, the BS76X (previously 076) retailed for $250. The Pro team stand BS92 (was 092) and the Maxi Pro team BS093 (was 093) both retailed for $300. The Ventaglio BS120 (was 120) retailed for $400.


You can call or email Albabici and ask for a local retailer (or one which will ship to you) and also inquire about suggested retail prices. For reference, I've previously used Nonstop Ciclismo in Ventura, CA (https://nonstopciclismo.com) to buy Selle SMP saddles distributed by Albabici. I've also done special request orders with NSC, with excellent results.


I'm optimistic that NSC will work with you and Albabici to provide a workstand of your choice.


Andrew G.

Chuck M 

The knob in the drawing of the Park tool looks like a better option to me than the handles on the photo. Those handles look like one could over-tighten the wedges as easily as an external clamp.

non-fixie 

Thank you for the links. Wasn't aware of the BiciSupport offerings. If I'd be in the market for a new stand, I'd be interested in the BS100K:

JohnDThompson 

The handles were my fix after the knob cracked. I haven't had a problem with overtightening, and the wedges are plastic, except for the threaded one at the bottom.

albrt 

I am really curious about the stands that hold the bike by the dropouts, without the wheels.

The main thing I need a stand for is to hold the bike off the ground so I can spin the wheels while I adjust gears, brakes, and other things such as fenders that might contact the spinning wheel. Of course I do lots of other things on the stand, but most of the things that do not involve spinning wheels could be done without a stand. So two questions for the people who use the dropout stands:

1. Are you doing a lot of painting, brazing, or other frame work that is better performed with wheels off?

2. How do you do the spinning wheel adjustments?

squirtdad

Best investment in tools is getting a good stand IMHO

after years of DIY and such got a park pc10......repeat best tool purchase ever

I don't like stands where the front wheel is off, too much stuff you can't do or have to fuss to do

cyccommute 

I’m sorry but that is just silly. Get a Sharpie and mark the post. Pull it out enough to clamp and then put it back. Easy peasy and far cheaper than a $65 tool.

I would also say that if you have less than 4” of post showing on a frame, the frame is too large for you.

cyccommute 

I have one of those as well as an ISC-4 which I find a little bit better tool than the ISC-1. I don’t use either very often, however.

cyccommute 

I fully agree. I own a pre1996 Park PRS-6 (actually 2 of them) and a PCS-1. I also have a Bike Vise clamp that I use outside. My original PRS-6 I had modified long ago by adding a section of tubing to raise the height which was way too low in the original. I did replace the spring clamp with a 100-9C clamp




This one was a bit too high so I found another PRS-6 and cut the tube and added a a PCS-EXT extension and a second collar for the extension. Now I can adjust the height.


The PCS-1 is at my daughter’s house. I replaced the spring clamp on it with a 100-5C clamp and added PCS-EXT extension as well. Both clamps are far better than the spring clamps. The clamps are far easier to adjust and less likely to damage anything on the bike.


My outdoor clamp is something I picked up from the scrap at my local co-op. I mounted it to a couple of pieces of 2x4 and used carriage bolts to clamp it to the posts of my garage. I can move it up and down as needed and don’t have to drag out the larger repair stand. The only problem is that it won’t clamp a seat post much larger than 27.2mm.



I’ve never regretted buying any of the stands I have.

Prowler 

I like my old Ultimate unit too. FYI, if your pads are worn or hardened, you just take cut a length of mountain bike inner tube, a bit longer than the clamp pads, cut a slit “hole” down the center of one side then slip that over the clamp pad. Makes a good cover for the clamp. Improves grip and protects the paint. I like how easy it is to creep up on the clamping force, as needed, for the job at hand.

smd4

+1.

BTinNYC 

Good round up of stands, and includes some budget stands.
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear...RoCfYAQAvD_BwE

JohnDThompson 

I got in the habit of using the ISC-1 when I was with Trek, and the bikes I worked on were recently painted and decalled. Damage to paint or decals meant stripping the frame and repainting. Fresh paint (less than a couple months old) is pretty soft, and even clamping on a non-decalled tube risks paint damage.

nlerner

Gosh, I love getting insulted by random strangers on the Internet!

Calsun

Carbon fiber frames can be damaged by clamping onto the tubing to support the bike. A great solution is the Hirobel support bar sold by Silca. I use it with my Park Tools bike stand for my two 27 lb CF e-bikes. The Hirobel bar is clamped in the vise instead of the frame and then supports the frame at two points with the soft plastic knobs. Easy to adjust to different length top tubes.

https://silca.cc/collections/tools/p.../hirobel-clamp

non-fixie 

I do all of the disassembly, reassembly and adjusting on the old stand ...



... with the exception of the final adjustment of the front brake and front fender. For that I put the bike on the floor, with the rear wheel in a display stand. I got a bunch of these for cheap a few years back. Very useful:



Painting frames is one of the two things that I actually use a tube clamping stand for (and an old seatpost that fits snugly enough not to need a clamping bolt). In my case a BBB BTL-36:




However, its most important role is the other one: to help me weigh my bikes:

Kabuki12

cyccommute, I have not had to move the seat post lately but that sharpie idea is good. I was using a piece of tape occasionally , didn't even think about a sharpie even though it is right there in my tool tray!

Trav1s

I picked up a gently used Park Tools PRS-15 on Facebook Marketplace two years ago for $120. It's heavy, strong, and indestructable - perfect for working on 80's and 90's mountain bikes as well as the new stuff. I was annoyed with the weight/size at first but quickly changed my mind. I clamp the seat post most of the time but am known to clamp the top bar on steel frame bikes. A good bike stand is priceless!


https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-PRS...rb_top?ie=UTF8

non-fixie 

I'm with Neal on this one. Getting the saddle height just right is a matter of very small differences, and once it's right I don't want to have to redo it every time I put a bike on the stand. I'd happily make the $65 investment to avoid that.

The Golden Boy 

This is the one I got- picked it up off Craigslist for way less than I thought I could get a good stand for.