A mountain bike stand provides support to your bike standing in a straight upward position, used to carry and hold the bike at reachable height from the ground to prevent the bike from falling while repairing the parts of the bike. mountain bike stand can be used to repair the bike parts. A bike stand is used to clamp the dropper post of the saddle and the bike hangs like usual. often there are chances of scratching of the saddle pipe so clean the jaws of the stand for clamping. in this way, it will keep safe for the bike to clamp on a daily basis. the bike stand is used for repairing the bike in the home done by yourself without any mechanic.
things to adjust in the bike stand are:
- Quick-release clamp
- Height of the stand
Quick-release clamp:
it adjusts and fixes the pipe of the bike stand. it contains a lever through which you can lose and tight the height of the bike stand. if the clamp is moving then tight the nut bolt of the lever and again fix it. quick release clamps are changeable, you can buy them online or at a local mechanic shop. these are of different sizes 20mm to 35mm of the quick release clamp.
Height of the stand:
Height matters the most because it affects the center of gravity of the bike also the person’s comfortability while working on the bike :
Usually
- Minimum height of bike stand : 3 feet
- Maximum height of bike stand: 6 feet
The height of the stand totally depends on the bike model and size, because mountain bikes are different in their weight, type, frame structure that’s why you can adjust the height by tightening the quick release clamp where it would be comfortable for the bike.
the height of the owner of the bike, shopkeeper, and mechanic matters the most. if you are tall you can fix the quick release clamp above 5 to 6 feet from the ground.
if you are installing or uninstalling the pedals, cassette, chain, chain crank, the height of the bike stand would be greater as compared to fixing the brake levers the handlebar, and stem body of the bike.
For the best-purposed height, it is common that mountain bikers/mechanics use the shoulder level height in which both shoulders would be exactly parallel to the top front tube of the bike frame.
Mountain bike stands:
There are hundreds of mountain bike stands available in the market but these are the best stands list that I gathered through my personal research and some of them from fellow mountain bike riders.
- Feedback Sports Pro Elite
- Lifeline Folding bike work stand
- Park Tool
- Raleigh Folding bike work stand
- Topeak Prepstand Pro
- Lifeline essential mini maintenance work stand
- Lifeline Home mechanic Workstand
- Elite work stand team
- Feedback Sports Sprint
- Songmics
Feedback sports pro elite:
It is a 360-degree rotating clamp bike stand and it is a foldable bike stand. its maximum height is 180cm.it is made up of aluminum metal it is rustproof with long durability. these are manufactured in the USA. the quick-release clamp works quickly and fastly.it is most stable for the repairing of the bike. the specs of the stand are worthy as that of the other bike stands.
the ends of the tripods contain rubber which makes the stand grippy on any rough ground surfaces.it contains a button for opening the clamp and for closing slide it towards the pipe stand.it does not need any tool for the quick release clamp. The weight of the feedback sports pro elite stand is 12.5 pounds. The price of feedback sports pro elite work stand is 350$.
Lifeline folding bike work stand:
It has four legs through which it is widely spread and has no chances of falling on the ground surface. it contains small levers on the top end of these legs through which these legs are rotated and adjusted to gain the required degree.it contains small-sized nut holes at the bottom ends of these legs which give an extra benefit to fix it on the ground surface with the help of nails/nut bolts and a screwdriver on your own desired place of your house or a mechanic shop.
the other advantage of this stand is that it contains a small tray with small holes on its edges where you can hang all the tools of your bike parts. The height of the lifeline folding bike work stands maximum extends to 175cm high.
you can adjust an appropriate height depending on the feet of your own body height(tall or short). The clamp is rotatable to a 360 degree.it contains rubber jaws which are useful in preventing the bike from damaging or scratching. the legs are foldable which feels much easier in transporting.
Park tool bike stand:
Park tool is a trusted brand by now i think you may have already heard or seen there name somewhere,these stands are really great the reason is that these are quite adjustable and stable bike stands. let me tell you, there are different types of park tool bike stands.
- PCS-4
- PCS-9
- PCS-10
- PRS-25
these are the different types of park tool stands. the clamps of these stands rotate at 360 degrees to give the bike an adjustable position of your own desire where you can feel comfortable. these four types of park tool stands differ in the quick-release clamp and their legs while in a standing position. Every mechanic and the bike owner recommends the PCS-4 park tool work stand because of its grippy legs on the ground surface which does not allow to shake the stand while hanging the bike on it.
Park tool stands do not need any kind of tool to tighten and lose the quick release clamp, it can be done easier by your own hand without any trouble. park tool stands contain tool trays for placing all the tools in them. Park tool bike work stands are used for all the sizes and models of the bike especially for mountain bikes, these stands are not limited to a few bikes.
Here’s a video for all the stands for better understanding.
you can lose the lever for maintaining the position of the jaws of the clamps to hold the bike in exactly that position.
Height difference:
The height of the PCS-9 park tool stand is 99cm to 145cm.
The height of the PRS-25 park tool stand is 119cm to 152cm.
The height of the PCS-10.3 is 990mm to 1450mm.
The height of the PCS-4 park tool stand is 129cm to 173cm.
Weight difference:
The weight of the PCS-9 park tool stand is 16 Ibs or 7.2kilograms.
The weight of the PCS-1o park tool stand is the same as that of the PCS-9 park tool stand(16 Ibs or 7.2kilogram) and the PCS-10 park tool work stand holds weight up to 80 Ibs or 35kilograms.
The weight of the PRS-25 park tool stand is 13 Ibs or 6 kilograms and it holds weight up to 44 kilograms.
The weight of the PCS-4 park tool stand is 26 Ibs or 11.79 kilograms.
Price difference:
The price of the PCS-9.3 park tool bike stand is around 190$.
The price of the PCS -10.3 park tool bike stand is around 240$.
The price of the PRS-25 park tool stand is around 337$.
The price of the PCS-4 park tool work stand is around 296$.
The best thing that i like about park tool is there customer service they are quick and efficient that is a big one for me atleast.
Topeak prep stand pro:
The clamp of this work stand rotates at a 360-degree angle.it contains an extra feature of a digital weight checking scale near the clamp. the frame is made up of aluminum metal.it is a tripod stand with three legs. you can adjust the height of the stand by moving the lever up and down.
the digital screen of the Topeak prep stand pro shows the weight of the bike hanging on the stand. this scale plays an important role in measuring the weight of anything by connecting any extra clip tool with the stand and hanging anything on the clip you will see the weight of that part on the digital screen.it is the reason that it works as a weight measuring machine for the bike.
Weight measure:
it contains a small spaced rubber pad on the top front surface of the stand which is the modern feature where you can place the hook of the saddle of your bike. after placing the nose of the saddle on the weight you will see the weight of your bike on the screen. it is one of the most appreciated features of this stand as compared to other stands that why most riders recommend Topeak prep stand pro work stand.
Elite work stand team:
the clamp rotates at a 360-degree angle. the quick release clamp and the lever is made of plastic.it is slightly different from the other stands in the functioning of the lever.it contains two levers one for the opening and the closing of the jaws and the other for the rotation of the clamp to bring the bike in different steep positions.
Move the levers up for losing and down for tightening of the clamp and the jaws.it has two base legs, you can give it a name as dipod stand, also the tripod elite work stands team repair stand is available with three legs. it also contains a downward lever on the joining place of both legs which works to adjust the legs of the stand. The weight of the elite work stand team is 10 kg.
it has an extra feature of the lock pin system present in the upper region. a small steel rod of 2 inches hanging with a spring that works to lock and unlock the upper rotating portion of the stand. The weight-bearing capacity of the elite work stand team is 17 kilograms and its height is 930 millimeters.
bike stands Alternatives :
If you can’t afford a bike stand right away and you are looking for alternatives or you had like to make a stand yourself at home then here are some of the easy methods that you could try at home.
- Hanging your bike from sealing with a rope
- installing a rod/pipe in wall to hang the bike
- installing a rod/pipe in the ground.
- welding some metal to make your own bike stand.
These are all DIY alternative methods that you could use, here’s a little bit of info that might help you accomplish that.
Hanging your bike from sealing with rope :
If you have a hook in the sealing an old fan hook or something like that you could use it to hang your bike, here’s what steps you would need to take.
- tie the rope tightly to the the sealing
- hang your bike from seat post stem that is usually the center of gravity of the bike hanging it that way would keep the bike more stable.
- keep in mind that length of rope matters so be careful when hanging the bike check that if the bike is lower than your shoulders so that you can easily reach every part of the bike.
- if the support is not enough use a table or a chair to support the crankshaft/the middle of bike since most probably you will be using the tires.
- Last but not least Do I recommend this method? No, absolutely not but you can do it for a short period of time and buy a proper stand later on
- Try not breaking things keep it simple and tighten the rope.
installing a rod/pipe in wall to hang the bike :
This method requires a bit of effort the goal here is to achieve the same result as a wall mount bike stand, they are expensive or should I say too much expensive so here are things you will need.
- A rod/durable pipe
- A clamp with which you can hang the bike
- a hammer/drill to make holes in the walls
- bolts to keep the stand sturdy
- Testing and adjusting
Well I would say a curtain hanger pipe would be ideal but its not sturdy enough and may even bend, So use something sturdy definitely not aluminium mad use steel made.
Length of the the material that you will use matters alot use a long stick and it will come falling down the ideal length would be max 2-3 feet you can adjust the length by measuring the one side of the handlebar so that I would move with ease, so be really careful the ideal length that should allow you to do the work on the bike without breaking the bike or the support is what you should be aiming for or keeping in mind the most.
Also remember in this method do not install the rod in the corner you will be left with no space to move around the bike.
installing a rod/pipe in the ground :
This is the same method as installing a rodon the wall but its more easier and ideal, you can use the same method drill some holes in the ground install the rod and use a extender so that you may get something like the wall mounted situation except the ideal length for this would be alot less a 1 foot extension vertically is enough you are aiming for a inverse “L” shape.
You can use this method in the corner of the room not right in the corner but still it would save you from installing it in the center of the room.
welding some metal to make your own bike stand :
I am sure you already have figured out what you need to do to make the bike stand but here’s what to be careful with.
- make sure you weld the parts on perfect angles
- make sure you make something foldable.
- make sure you use safety gear
- Last but not least do not try it if you had never tried it before or you are not a proffessional
I would highly suggest not going with this method you may achieve the results but it will almost cost you the same as a brand new bike stand maybe more.
Extra precautions :
Make sure you use foam in the parts that may touch the bike directly or indirectly to save you bike from scratches
Make sure you always wear safety gear before attempting anything like this.
If you are not sure you will be able to do it perfectly jus hire an expert fix some rate with them that’s better than you busting your 3 days to no fruit.
Why you should not try DIY methods :
If you are attempting to do it to save money “dont do it” other than you being an enthusiast about these kind of things I really recommend not doing these methods here are a few reasons.
- Wate of time
- Waste of money (you will almost end up spending more than a new bike stand or more)
- Trial and error factor (even If you succeded in doing this you may still not be able to nail it completely that will leave you on the endless loop of trial and error)
- Property damage
- May cause more damage than good
Dedicated products/ company made products always go through alot of testing its better you buy those than trying DIY at home methods it may cost you but its a one time purchase that may last years if you put in the effort to be careful with them rather than trying to recreate one.
Still this is my opinion if you are an enthusiast about these things by all means try them but remember to wear the safety gear always
Conclusion :
I have listed everything there is to know about bike stands all of the products are tried and survived that were recommended by some friends and family some gathered by my own research.
I hope this article was helpful to you in some ways.