Ive recently upgraded to a full sus bike, with obligatory dropper post which is great.
however, due to the frame design, I now have nowhere to clamp the bike in my work stand without clamping around the dropper post, which may or may not damage it.

Does anyone have a solution?
How do shops get around this?

Put the seatpost up in the frame, clamp the workstand to the exposed seatpost.
Clamp the frame if it’s a nice round profile.
Use a different seatpost for meching duties.

Here you go http://bit.ly/PhhhDS 🙂

Use a different seatpost for meching duties.

For me this, but then I’ve not fitted a remote.

Clamp the frame if it’s a nice round profile.

This is likely to damage the frame unless you are very careful.

The seatpost is designed to be clamped

Clamp on the shock? (Prob depends where the shock is)

Being a stealth dropper owner I have this issue too, I either clamp the nose of the saddle or more often than not just use my andy stand the OH got me.

I clamp on the frame can’t see the problem I’m hardly applying any force

Clamp the frame if it’s a nice round profile.

This is likely to damage the frame unless you are very careful.

Eh, really?

I always clamp my frame, not the seatpost. Dropper or not.

Am I going to die? Am I already dead?

DrP

Drop the saddle, pull the post out and clamp the now exposed section of lower. Bit of a faff but works for me.

Clamp the frame if it’s a nice round profile.

This is likely to damage the frame unless you are very careful.[/quote]

Really? It’s a workstand not a vice

I’ve been clamping the frame, in fact a number of frames, for years. I’m not dead and neither is my wife.

Or are we?
I’m thinking of a number.
If we’re ghosts, you’re bound to know it…

DRP

Another naughty frame clamper here. I really think damaging the frame is extremely unlikely.

the clamp on my workstand even has channels in the rubber gripperheadthingy so that brakelines and gearcables don’t get squashed when you’re clamping the frame

Some jobs are slightly more of a PITA but generally my sprint workstand is a good option when droppers are involved

http://feedbacksports.com/shop/Sprint-Work-Stand-P74C1.aspx

i have this Revolution Tune Up Work Stand

I like it and the clamp is big enough to hold a big down tube if you need it to

i have this Revolution Tune Up Work Stand

I like it and the clamp is big enough to hold a big down tube if you need it to

This.

I got one of these;

cable runs meant I couldn’t raise the seatpost easily without cuttingzip ties etc, frame tubes on my Maverick didn’t allow clamping due to shape.

I’ve been pleased with this solution

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Topeak-Prepstand-Race-Work-Stand_34409.htm

I clamp on my frame too with the clamp supporting under the top tube.

It doesnt require much tightening, just enough to stop it moving around.

In my head it makes more sense than clamping on the seatpost which, with the whole bike hanging on it, is probably subjected to a fair chunk of leverage.

Edit: What do you think your seat clamp does to the dropper? It probably exerts more compression forces than the work stand and it still works fine doesnt it? Just don’t clamp the slidey bit as you might scratch it.

Just pop a bit of pipe lagging on your seat post and clamp away.

In my head it makes more sense than clamping on the seatpost which, with the whole bike hanging on it, is probably subjected to a fair chunk of leverage.

Nowhere near the leverage of an average sized rider sitting on it during a ride.

I either clamp on frame- I can see that being an issue with super-light thinly butted frames but mountain bikes aren’t generally delicate- or drop the post to its lower setting then raise it by the same amount (where it’s a top-exit cable).

If it’s a bottom exit or stealth I’d hope I’d remembered to leave enough slack in the cable!

I would clamp on the frame – but have nowhere to do this on my frame (whyte t129).
Lifting the post up a little and clamping there seems the most usful option. Thanks for the responces.

I’d clamp to the top tube if I could, but cable routing prevents this. So I use one of these