For a long time I resisted the urge to buy a bike stand. Eventually, I relented. A few weeks later I realised I had missed one that perhaps would have suited me better for simple jobs. Whilst there is no doubt that the one I chose does exactly what it should, the one thing it is missing is portability.
Buying a bike stand is one of those moments when you realise maybe you are getting a bit too into cycling. What will be next? I cannot be sure. Perhaps a whole garage dedicated to cycling. With bikes hanging from the walls and bicycle parts scattered all over the place. The problem is; I don’t have a garage. So my neighbours will be the first to complain when they have to battle locked up bikes to reach their front door.
Anyway, when you want to get more into playing with your bike and doing maintenance yourself eventually you get sick of a bike that seems to have a mind of its own. You go to adjust the brakes and the handlebars turn and the bike topples over. Angered you set it back up again. Within seconds it’s back on the ground.
To defeat the bike with a mind of its own you need a bike stand. Problem is it’s a little expensive and it takes up a lot of room. That’s where a portable bike stand comes in.
Portable bike stand numero uno
Nicole has already mentioned the Andy Stand. At £40 it’s pretty much half the price of most regular big bike stands. The good news: It keeps the bike really stable. The bad news: it only fits certain bike types. Not ideal.
Then came along a great recommendation from Craig in the comments and mentioned the…
Topeak FlashStand
Now were in business. The Topeak FlashStand looks like this:
Folded up it is:
7.5” x 3.1” x 1.8” (Folded)
Or a little bit bigger than a pint glass to alcoholic you and me.
Price wise it’s cheaper than the Andy Stand. The Topeak costs £29.99 at most places but on Wiggle they have it for just £24.29 (Normally: £26.99).
The portable bike stand means that you can spin your cranks without having to lift up the bike yourself. It also keeps it from toppling over while you are tinkering with different parts.
The downside is it doesn’t lift the bike that far up so you still have to lean down to reach different parts. If working on a bike for a long time then this becomes a problem. Also according to reviews the portable bike stand isn’t that stable. So if you are applying heavy pressure and doing more complicated maintenance jobs it probably won’t suffice.
Also recommended in the comments is the…
Halfords storage and maintenance bike stand
Again the stand suffers from some limitations. But at £9.99 you may well be able to overlook that. The Halfords bike stand is small, cheap although not quite as impressively foldable as the Topeak.
It is available for £9.99 from Halfords.com
Then there is also the:
Minoura bike stand
Hilary recommended it saying:
I’ve had this Minoura stand for a few years.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/minoura-ds30blt-workstand/
It’s cheap, folds flat so it takes up no room and is dead easy to use. I find it ideal for drive train maintenance or just supporting the bike.
At £19.79 the price is pretty good. According to reviewers the best way to use the Minoura portable bike stand is to shove it on a table which also saves you from leaning over. The only downside reported is that fitting it to some bikes can be a little fiddly.
The Minoura portable bike stand is available from Wiggle.
If you’ve got a little more cash lying around (look in-between the sofa cushions) then suitable for heavy maintenance jobs is the:
Raleigh folding bike stand
It costs £73.16 but it makes light work of all maintenance jobs without taking up too much room.
In the end if you are picking the right one for you, you should ask yourself: what kind of maintenance will I be doing? If you are still happy to leave the big jobs to the pro’s then the Topeak portable bike stand or the Minoura will do. If you want to get more into bike maintenance then the folding Raleigh is the right choice.
See also:
I had the Topeak stand that’s slightly more expensive than the Raleigh stand shown here delivered just this week.
I’m only just getting into servicing my own bike, but having watched a pro in the bike shop service my bike with one I was convinced. Having the bike at head height and being able to walk around it makes everything so much easier
It really well built and I have no qualms about leaving my bike on it. If you’re happy to spend over £60 I’d recommend getting a similar stand. You certainly don’t *need* it, but it does make life easier.
Yes, I think you summed a bike stand up very well, It is not essential but certainly makes life easier just having the bike at a working height and not falling over.
I too have been looking at various stands and at the moment I have not decided on one, but the Toepeak kit is a good make and if I am paying around the £80 mark then I would be happy to pay a bit more for a trusted make than save few pounds to only buy gimmick.
John
This Delta Maintenance Stand looks okay for £18:
http://www.bikecare.co.uk/acc/maintenance_stands.html
Too good to be true. Just realised it’s only a “rear stay stand”
I have to say that I bought my bike stand out of sheer frustration when trying to change the pedals on my bike. Not knowing the first thing about them and needing one quick, off to Argos I went and bought one or about £70. Now I wouldn’t be without it. I use for everything, including cleaning my bike as it makes it easy to get under the bottom bracket and those other ‘underneath’ places. It also makes cleaning the gears a heck of a lot easier too as you can spin the rear wheel. I have just checked their catalogue though and sadly they do not stock it anymore
Rutland had the Raleigh stand for £59.99, so I treated myself. What a great bit of kit! It folds down to fit under a shelf and yet it’s a substantial piece of ironmongery that hold the bike secure and makes adjusting brakes and gears a doddle. I even use it to clean the bike now. I’ve used more expensive stands but I reckon, for the money, the Raleigh stand is brilliant. (I’ve just read that, and it sounds like an advert – sorry!)
shame you could not review the halfords stand more, so basically is it not worth getting one?
Having finally decided last weekend to get a stand after a long maintenance session, ihad a look around..
This one look like the best deal I could find:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-spindoctor-race-workstand/
aBike repair stands are definitely a must. It makes bike maintenance much easier and faster. However very few fit in what a good qualily stand should be.
Appreciate the effort and work done by the writer in this blog, highly recommended!