Cheaper workstands - any good?

Hi all,

I'm pretty fed up at leaning the bikes up against things to work on
them, and have been looking at workstands on Wiggle.

Yikes, some of them are expensive, I don't really want to spend more
than £40.

Can anybody share their experiences with something like this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360007167

or this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766

Can you work on the gears and drivetrain without too much hassle? Are
they stable enough for a tall bloke's hybrid?

Cheers,

--
jc

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Peter B said:

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I'm pretty fed up at leaning the bikes up against things to work on
them, and have been looking at workstands on Wiggle.

Yikes, some of them are expensive, I don't really want to spend more
than £40.

Can anybody share their experiences with something like this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360007167

or this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766

Can you work on the gears and drivetrain without too much hassle? Are
they stable enough for a tall bloke's hybrid?

The trouble with them is that you have to bend down.
From personal experience: I bought something similar, but cruder, to the
ones on the links, it was better than nowt, just, then I bought a Minoura
W300 2nd hand from an ad in the paper. What a revelation! Knowing what I
know now I'd willingly have bought one full price, there is no comparison to
the ones that support only the back wheel, and what if you want to remove
the back wheel?
I s'pose it boils down t how often you may use it and whether you have, or
want to have back problems :-)

Thanks, I just wanted to know they weren't completely cr*p! I'm
pretty used to bending over to work on the bike, so my lower
back knows what to expect!

Cheers,

--
jc

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in message <[email hidden]>, Jeremy Collins

(') said:

Hi all,

I'm pretty fed up at leaning the bikes up against things to work on
them, and have been looking at workstands on Wiggle.

Yikes, some of them are expensive, I don't really want to spend more
than £40.

Can anybody share their experiences with something like this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360007167

or this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766

Can you work on the gears and drivetrain without too much hassle? Are
they stable enough for a tall bloke's hybrid?

In that price bracket, you might consider this (wall-mounting bike
clamp):

<URL:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360014544>

I use one of these (Minoura W3000), which is a bit more expensive but
has proved a wonderful buy and easily worth the money:

<URL:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Generally Not Used
;; Except by Middle Aged Computer Scientists

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I'm pretty fed up at leaning the bikes up against things to work on
them, and have been looking at workstands on Wiggle.

Yikes, some of them are expensive, I don't really want to spend more
than £40.

Can anybody share their experiences with something like this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360007167

or this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766

Can you work on the gears and drivetrain without too much hassle? Are
they stable enough for a tall bloke's hybrid?

They're OK, and I use one myself, but I'd much sooner spend a few quid more
and gotten a proper stand that gets everything up in the air if I were
buying a workstand again TBH.

Simon Brooke said:

I use [a] Minoura W3000, which is a bit more expensive but
has proved a wonderful buy and easily worth the money.

From past experience, the two things that make a workstand a joy to use are
to me a smooth running clamp that you can twirl open and closed with one
finger, and rock-solid rotation (and then rock-solid holding) when adjusting
the angle of the bike.

As it happens, I'm also interested in buying (or making I expect) a
workstand for the Windcheetah. I had a look through the stands that Wiggle
stocks, and none of them are what I'm looking for because the main tube of
the chassis is 50mm in diameter and none of the clamps go that big! There's
also a stability issue since the centre of gravity would be above the clamp
rather than far below it with a DF, and the machine weighs quite a bit as
well.
Anyone have any ideas before I buy some white PVC plumbing tubes and
connectors and make the equivalent of axle stands?

Becky

Jeremy Collins said:

Hi all,

I'm pretty fed up at leaning the bikes up against things to work on
them, and have been looking at workstands on Wiggle.

In betwen the "lift the wheel off the ground" type and the
"super-duper hold your bike at any angle" type are the "Hold your bike
at waist height by supporting the bottom bracket and clamping the down
tube" type.

The OZZO stand was an example of this - it cost me around £30 many
years ago. Unfortunately, Mike Dyason seems not to stock them any
more.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm sure you will get a more practical
workstand for less than £40. I just don't know where from anymore!

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 15:10:55 GMT, Jeremy Collins
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Can anybody share their experiences with something like this
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360007167
or this
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766
Can you work on the gears and drivetrain without too much hassle? Are
they stable enough for a tall bloke's hybrid?

Yes, they are fine for adjusting gears etc., but not much cop for
other work (BB etc.). I find mine invaluable for maintaining the
'bent, which does not fit on a standard workstand, and also handy to
keep in a corner of the kitchen for odd job son the other bikes. I
think you will find the DX more stable.

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Richard Bates said:

In betwen the "lift the wheel off the ground" type and the
"super-duper hold your bike at any angle" type are the "Hold your bike
at waist height by supporting the bottom bracket and clamping the down
tube" type.

I'm thinking of getting one of those (as I don't like the idea of clamping
frame tubes, and my seatposts are usually not free). Any more comments or
reviews on this type, folks? Are they stable enough for heavy-duty work?

The ones that clamp the bike via front or rear forks look great except I
wouldn't want to be rrrsed to remove a wheel for every job.

~PB

in message <[email hidden]>, Arellcat

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

I use [a] Minoura W3000, which is a bit more expensive but
has proved a wonderful buy and easily worth the money.

From past experience, the two things that make a workstand a joy to
use are to me a smooth running clamp that you can twirl open and
closed with one finger, and rock-solid rotation (and then rock-solid
holding) when adjusting the angle of the bike.

As it happens, I'm also interested in buying (or making I expect) a
workstand for the Windcheetah. I had a look through the stands that
Wiggle stocks, and none of them are what I'm looking for because the
main tube of
the chassis is 50mm in diameter and none of the clamps go that big!
There's also a stability issue since the centre of gravity would be
above the clamp rather than far below it with a DF, and the machine
weighs quite a bit as well.
Anyone have any ideas before I buy some white PVC plumbing tubes and
connectors and make the equivalent of axle stands?

There are the workstand type clamps which bolt onto wall brackets. That
would deal with the weight and stability issues, but you might have
reach issues. You also need to be sure that your frame tubes will stand
up to the crush force of the clamp jaw - my Cannondale frame's warranty
specifically says the warranty is void if I clamp the bike anywhere but
the seatpost.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This .sig subject to change without notice ]

Response to Pete Biggs:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In betwen the "lift the wheel off the ground" type and the
"super-duper hold your bike at any angle" type are the "Hold your bike
at waist height by supporting the bottom bracket and clamping the down
tube" type.

I'm thinking of getting one of those (as I don't like the idea of clamping
frame tubes, and my seatposts are usually not free). Any more comments or
reviews on this type, folks? Are they stable enough for heavy-duty work?

I've got a Tacx workstand -

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300002447

- like that, if I've understood you & Richard correctly.

If your gear cables run down the downtube, you'll have to be very careful
not to trap them with the clamp, or rather what the clamp is clamping
against. This can on occasion be a PITA.

When performing controlled violence on the bike, you'll have to put one
foot on the base, and be careful: a bike/stand combo flapping
uncontrollably around in e.g. a kitchen can be destructive. DAMHIK...

--
Mark, UK.
Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

Response to Arellcat:

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any ideas before I buy some white PVC plumbing tubes and
connectors and make the equivalent of axle stands?

I have the AVD rear rack on mine. I'm a lazy sod, so I confess I got a
*big* block of timber 1.5" higher than the bottom of the rack, screwed
shelf brackets all round, and just bung it under the rack when I want to
get the rear wheel off the ground. I was going to put some sort of
fixing on the block to stop the rack sliding off; so far it's not been
necessary.

--
Mark, UK.
Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The ones that clamp the bike via front or rear forks look great except I
wouldn't want to be rrrsed to remove a wheel for every job.

That's what I started with, a low stand which has a rest for the bottom
bracket and a clamp for the front forks, apart from the bend-down factor
it's fine for adjusting transmission and rear brake but little else. By
design it rules out headset and suspension fork service, front brake
service, and chainset and bottom bracket service are awkward with a major
bend down & grovel factor..
I was going to say it's a half-measure but on reflection it isn't even close
to half.
The Minoura stand is great, clamp a tube or seat post and everything is
presented at the correct height, ideal for everything from cleaning to a
complete strip-down and rebuild.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ Offer a Veloman stand that looks interesting if you
have a spare wall.

Pete

Peter B said:

That's what I started with, a low stand which has a rest for the bottom
bracket and a clamp for the front forks, apart from the bend-down factor
it's fine for adjusting transmission and rear brake but little else. By
design it rules out headset and suspension fork service, front brake
service, and chainset and bottom bracket service are awkward with a major
bend down & grovel factor..

For real cheap, a couple of inner tubes or webbing straps looped over a
rafter in the garage works pretty well. One goes round the saddle and
one round the bars.

Tony

Pete Biggs said:

Richard Bates said:

In betwen the "lift the wheel off the ground" type and the
"super-duper hold your bike at any angle" type are the "Hold your bike
at waist height by supporting the bottom bracket and clamping the down
tube" type.

I'm thinking of getting one of those (as I don't like the idea of clamping
frame tubes, and my seatposts are usually not free). Any more comments or
reviews on this type, folks? Are they stable enough for heavy-duty work?

The ones that clamp the bike via front or rear forks look great except I
wouldn't want to be rrrsed to remove a wheel for every job.

I bought one similar to the Tacx T3000 job, new, from SJS Cycles via eBay
(auction) for £27.95 inc postage, some went for more, some went for less
than that when I bought it a few months back. It goes by the name of "SJSC
folding cycle repair stand" and is listed at £44.99 minus postage on their
site.

It might be worth contacting them regarding further auctions of said item.

So far, having built up one bike, I'd say it has proved to be an excellent
purchase. I've never owned any other type of workstand so I can't compare.
What I can say is that on my GT Bravado, which has the two cables running
along the downtube, is that it's a breeze to work with and doesn't foul the
cables at all. It's solid enough and the clamp mechanism and bb cup are
well designed, at least for my bike.

For the price I paid I'd say it was a bargain. I also looked at the tube
clamp swivel everywhere type but the cheapest I could find was £65-ish
also on eBay.

Good luck.

--
Callaghan

Just zis Guy said:

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 15:10:55 GMT, Jeremy Collins
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Can anybody share their experiences with something like this
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360007167
or this
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360011766
Can you work on the gears and drivetrain without too much hassle? Are
they stable enough for a tall bloke's hybrid?

Yes, they are fine for adjusting gears etc., but not much cop for
other work (BB etc.). I find mine invaluable for maintaining the
'bent, which does not fit on a standard workstand, and also handy to
keep in a corner of the kitchen for odd job son the other bikes. I
think you will find the DX more stable.

Thanks, I went for the DX. With the 5% discount and my £5 voucher
it worked out at £26.34. The last time I replaced a BB was without
any workstand at all, so it can't be worse with one!

I fear my friends will benefit more than me anyway. I'm the only
one with a set of decent bike tools, so with a workstand as well
I'll probably get more requests to help them fix things!

--
jc

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Callaghan said:

I bought one similar to the Tacx T3000 job, new, from SJS Cycles via eBay
(auction) for £27.95 inc postage, some went for more, some went for less
than that when I bought it a few months back. It goes by the name of "SJSC
folding cycle repair stand" and is listed at £44.99 minus postage on their
site.

It might be worth contacting them regarding further auctions of said item.

So far, having built up one bike, I'd say it has proved to be an excellent
purchase. I've never owned any other type of workstand so I can't compare.

Yes, if I was building up a bike I don't think I'd consider anything
other than an upright stand with clamp.

Fortunately / unfortunately I don't have space for any more bikes,
so won't be doing that for a while!

--
jc

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Mark McNeill said:

I've got a Tacx workstand -

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300002447

- like that, if I've understood you & Richard correctly.

That's the bunny.

Quoted message said:

If your gear cables run down the downtube, you'll have to be very
careful not to trap them with the clamp, or rather what the clamp is
clamping against. This can on occasion be a PITA.

When performing controlled violence on the bike, you'll have to put
one foot on the base, and be careful: a bike/stand combo flapping
uncontrollably around in e.g. a kitchen can be destructive. DAMHIK...

Thanks Mark and Pete, that's enough to put me off. Now got to decide
between the tube clamping type* and the "race" type that clamps forks. I
don't want bike hanging from ceiling or clamped to desk in my middle room
"office"!

* Don't really fancy that for strangely-shaped and thin Ti tubing,
otehrwise would be most convenient.

~PB

Simon Brooke said:

Clamp the seatpost. That's always my trick with fancy bikes. Usually
thicker walled than the frame tubes and if it should crush not too
expensive to replace.

That's inconvenient when accessories are on the seatpost or there's not
enough seatpost exposed. Perhaps I could risk clamping the seat tube
afterall.

Regarding the "race" type: One would be good for my road bike but not for
bikes with mudguards as they get in the way, so I'm abandoning this
option.

There doesn't seem to be a very good solution for me, which is why I've
never bought a stand before. Every job is possible without one (with bike
various ways up) but bending into strange positions is not gonna be good
for me now so I've *got* to get a stand of some sort. Either that or use
b**e sh**s! ;-)

~PB

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:40:45 -0000, "Pete Biggs" <

Quoted message said:

There doesn't seem to be a very good solution for me, which is why I've
never bought a stand before.

Nobody has mentioned the cheaper clone version of the Minoura W500
stand that is distributed by Spacycles. it's about 75quid. According
to the recent C+ review it's reasonably good build quality, though I
haven't seen one.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s72p120

Worth a look at that price.

tom.

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