In my effort to review a good bike repair stand, I read a lot of reviews from various users, many of which were sharing their total radiant satisfaction about their bike stand. In fact, the ones that are not fully happy tend to stand out like sore thumbs. I noticed that even when a customer was dissatisfied, they still made an effort to say nice things about the diy bike repair review stand they bought or constructed themselves.
I found this to be a big warning sign to watch for when reading reviews of any bike product. If the reviewer is trying to be nice about a product they are obviously not fully satisfied with, do not buy that product. Watch for the products that consistently get rave reviews. They are not hard to find and there is so much choice that you do not need to settle.
While doing my research, I came across a few oddball tips that you may find really helpful with your own research.
Here are some of the things you will definitely encounter when researching bike repair stands online.
Buying Your Bike Repair Stand vs. DIY
For all the satisfied home mechanics raving about their store bought bicycle repair stands, there seem to be almost as many talking about their Do It Yourself (DIY) work stand that they have created themselves. You don't have to look very hard to find a variety of wild metal and wood sculptures that look like something out of an art gallery and can also hold your bike in place while you work on it. Quite honestly there are some creative ones out there and I give all the DIY enthusiasts full marks for creating them.
I am fairly positive that the reason there are so many DIY repair stands out there is because:
If you are doing home bike repairs, you are obviously at least a semi-do it yourself kind of guy or gal, and therefore it is not that far of a reach to build your own work stand.
We are all obviously trying to save some money; otherwise we would just take our bicycle to a bike shop. Creating your own work stand saves you that much more.
If you are really a strong Do it Yourself kind of person, the option of creating your own may be right for you. However, a DIY bike stand is not for everyone. It is a bit like making your own table. My Dad can make his own furniture as good as any professional, and I'm sure the same applies to many of the DIY bike stand creators.
Many however cannot, but would still like to use their own creation anyway and that's cool. I remember when I was a little younger, my roommates and I made some of our own furniture with old crates and it served the purpose for that time and our house was all the more funky for it. However you lose in quality, and with a bike repair stand, you need it to hold you bike extremely stable or you completely sabotage the entire purpose for making one in the first place. A good stand will not only hold your bike sturdily in place, it will raise your bike to any height you need it and can even rotate 360 degrees. It is hard to reproduce that in a DIY version.
Wide Range in Pricing
The prices for home mechanic bike stands are all over the board. Some are super cheap and some cost much more than your bicycle. A good repair stand is a tool that makes your repair work easier, simpler and a heck of a lot more enjoyable. If you don't have one, you are in for more frustration and it is hard on your bike and possibly your back.
So if you are going to buy one, buy a good quality one. It doesn't have to be the lightest, the fanciest or with heaps of features, but get one you are going to be happy with and that does what a home mechanic repair stand should do.
You don't want it wobbly. You also don't want it to be cheap, because if it is cheap, it is cheap for a reason. $150 can be a good price range to look at. This is not pocket change for most of us but keep in mind it is a one time investment. A repair stand will last you a long time, so make sure you are happy with what you create or buy. If you can't afford it right now, then I would suggest make do with something at home until you can afford a good one.
Portable or Heavy Duty
The racing repair stands are built super light and portable, because they are designed to be taken to the track or on the road with you. You will naturally lose some stability when they are this light, but they are also designed to hold your bike without hurting the super light racing frame.
Some home mechanic stands are heavy duty, and if you are a real full on mechanic who will be spending lots of time on your bike repairs and have a good spot to park your stand, then these can be a good option. Otherwise most people seem to go for the middle ground; one that is stable but that can also be folded up and stored away. For the average home mechanic, these middle ground bike repair stands will serve your needs and you will likely become one of the rave reviewers.
For those looking for a good quality bike repair stand, hopefully the above sets a good foundation as you search for the one that is right for you. After you choose and work with it for awhile, let the world know how you feel about it by giving your rave or unsatisfied review online. It is the best way for the rest of us to learn.