11 Apr Is it worth getting a bike repair stand?
It’s a question that weighs heavy on many minds right now – do I need to get a bike repair stand? A cheap bike stand can be purchased for around $10 – $50, depending on the quality and materials used. But is it worth it? To find out the answer, we spoke to people who already have one and asked them about their experience. Not only are these people willing to share their experiences, but they also have valuable advice on how to use bike repair stands effectively.
Is it worth getting a bike repair stand?
Whether you need one for your bike or know someone who does, here are some of our favorite places to get a repair stand and also advice on how to fix up your own. Personal experience aside, it is wise to heed the words of those that have previously invested in this kind of accessory. A bike repair stand can dramatically help your situation. You may be interested to read: Stationary bicycle stands
How to fix up a bike repair stand?
Does getting a cheap bike repair stand really make sense? Get these steps:
Step 1: clean your bike.
Step 2: drill small holes into the bottom of the stand to place bolts in for support/stability reasons. (if you’re looking hard enough, there’s no doubt you can find a sturdy wooden dowel laying around somewhere that can be obtained from home depot or wal-mart on free two day delivery or even your local hardware store.) Other options include using power drill batteries and wires, but this is quite a cumbersome process and can put you at risk. Keep reading https://greatestjournal.com/how-do-i-choose-a-beach-cruiser/
Step 3: put a bungee cord in the holes and secure your bike to the stand.
Step 4: a stronger but still light-weight “Pony” is secured between two long rubber coated steel wires running parallel with each other (so it provides more support on both opposite sides of your bike). Two simple wraps around this pony can now provide enough hand strength necessary to securely tighten nuts across multiple bikes whenever not using standing methods. A telephone books washer and cleaning cloth to wipe bikes (paint, mud etc.) can also be beneficial. This is because this keeps the wrench from sliding around on your bike while you’re checking or testing fitments by hand.
Step 5: use a saddlebag as an additional level of cuteness and/or functionality with d-rings mounted & tied off both sides just under where it’s secured within the stand itself if so desired.
Step 6: carrying your bike by the front wheel, use a towel wrapped around both ends of a long piece of rope to keep it balanced aft and fore in addition to shoulder straps for shouldering responsibility (note this how-to may apply as well if not just fine tuning such an already proven easy method). Your package will be more stable that way. When traveling is concerned with ease comfort, myles has provided an addendum to this via an inspiration he has been inspired by.
Bike repair stand – why you should have one
These practical solutions and other creative or ingenious solutions can be made by anyone to meet their own specific needs, is his view. Variations will no doubt occur amongst such references, with your input being the type you feel most comfortable with for use in this manner. One mentioned a 12-year old having bought an additional bucket for his pump siphon stand so as he could fit a bottle of hand soap taped to it as well as keeping several sponges at the ready to mop away spills from this previous advice.
This is a serviceable manner of using one in fact and myles believes it can apply not only for pumping but for any other means of liquid transfer he knows about or that may come to be known as conveniently useful with which its thinking exceeds itself without undue direction—like what happens so often, when we’re inspired by nature’s magic circuitous constructive ability when anything new springs up, as in our accumulated wisdom pool.
What are the important things to consider?
The material
The bicycle maintenance stands are “Unisex,” which means they are always suitable for any type of bicycle and are mainly made of two materials: steel, which is resistant but heavy, or aluminum alloy, which offers excellent combined strength to lightness. Weight is an important factor in folding stands or those that need to be moved often.
The support base
Bike maintenance stands must have a wide support base. In professional workshop ones, it is often a flat and very heavy base, but in the models, we are interested in, those for home maintenance, it is mainly made with opening legs, normally 2, 3 or 4 legs.
When we have to buy a kickstand, we pay close attention to the support base and put it in relation to the bicycle that we have to place on it. If we have to work on a 7 kg road bike, a stand with a small support base could also be fine since it has to support little weight, but if, for example, we have to work on a 25 kg bike, something very robust and very stable is needed. So let’s go on a very broad base of support.
Type of hook
Looking at the hook or “Clamp, which is the part that blocks the bicycle, it is immediately clear whether we are dealing with a high-end product or a cheap one. Suppose the components we have to use to adjust our kickstand are obviously made of plastic. They will be less resistant than those in steel or aluminum, but plastic ones are not necessarily not functional.
The tool holder
When buying a bicycle maintenance stand, it is right to evaluate the presence or absence of the tool holder, on which we can place our keys while we are carrying out maintenance on the bike. You don’t need a particularly large one, but a small tray is enough, in which we can safely store the screws we have just removed.
Fixed or foldable
Here it all depends on how much space you have. If you are one of those lucky ones who have a corner dedicated exclusively to bikes, perhaps with a mini-workshop, then a fixed stand will not only give a professional touch to the area but will allow you to get the best out of your repairs.
Unfortunately, however, the sad reality is that we are often forced to repair the bike in the living room or on the balcony, avoiding the screams of those who live with us and are not cyclists. In that case, it is better to go on a light and foldable easel, which can be stored perhaps in a bag in order to store it in a corner without bothering and without dirtying.
This second category is also very interesting for those who do many races a year and should always have a folding workshop stand with them in the car in order to prepare the bike before the start comfortably and without turning it upside down, resting on the ground on the saddle and handlebar … One of the 7 deadly sins of bikers.
The e-bikes
If we intend to buy a maintenance stand for our bike and the latter is an e-bike, we need to check the load very carefully since most e-bikes weigh more than 20 kg. If you check the cards of the 10 easels that we have selected, you will have to buy the most beautiful ones.
No Comments