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 On: 2009-05-11
I have been riding, maintaining and enjoying bicycles for over 50 years. That does not make me an expert, but I think I know quality engineering and high-function designs when I encounter them. That is the case with this stand. I have wanted a stand for a long time and the jump start for me was when my teenage son asked for one of my old bikes. I thought it would be a good thing for him and agreed, but decided to clean it up a bit first. When I started to do that I realized I just could not part with it as we had many memories together and it was still a very sweet ride. I did the next best thing and found him a good road bike on CL. It was a Trek from the mid-80s, suffering from neglect.
I dug out the tools and started to give it that needed TLC. When I was done I gave him a great bike for low money. Now it was time to turn my attention to the original bike I was going to give him, and that process of getting his ready for the road made me want a stand. I did all the usual comparison shopping and finally decided this one met my price point and my needs. I should point out that it is essentially (as far as I can tell) identical to the Topeak PrepStand Elite, for a lot less.
Just to be sure this was the one for me, I went to check it out in a store first. Amazon sells these sourced through Performance Bicycles and there was one near me, so I went there. I was immediately impressed and brought it home with me.
Here is what you will like: It comes completely assembled - take it out of the box and put it to work. The user manual is one page. The fit and finish are of a quality that you would expect from a good bike. All of the operations are easily accomplished and intuitively obvious. If you are handy at fixing bikes you wont need to do anything extraordinary to accomplish your objective.
The clamp is capable of holding a wide range of tube diameters. The height can be adjusted to actually work on a bike almost overhead if you want. You can spin the bike through 360 degrees without unclamping it.
The tripod legs allow you to stand between two of them without tripping over either one while you work. My bike weighs about 22# and holding that was a breeze, and I am confident it could hold a bike that weighs twice that amount.
True, the tripod may pose a challenge on a slope, but I use it in my garage and dont plan on taking it out on a trail.
It is likely that almost any stand in this price range can accomplish all of these things, and perhaps make a cup of coffee as well. But I have little to find fault with this one and highly enjoy using it. Okay - here are the obligatory things:
PRO:
* Comes assembled
* Fit and finish are fabulous
* Great range of settings and clamping positions
* Rock solid on the floor
* Can store it vertically in a closet
CON:
* No tool tray (buy the Topeak one if you need it)
* The integrated parts storage is tiny and not particularly useful
* A tad on the awkward side setting it up and taking it down
* Quick release clamps may need a turn to properly hold (this is being picky!)
I doubt you will regret purchasing this and if I ever do, I promise to come back and share why ...
On: 2008-07-07
I have looked at many stands and this is first rate quality. The clamps all operate like a fine camera stand. It is extremely steady and does what it is supposed to do. It also folds up really small when not in use. You will not want to use it for fear of scratching it, the quality and finish are that good. You cannot go wrong.
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