Bike repair stand

Planetx have one for £35. It does go on sale sometimes down to £25

Planetx Workstand

Merlin have some similar price as well

Merlin Workstand

Go for a second hand park or feedback if you can
I got a second hand kestrel workatand for £100 off Facebook marketplace
https://www.kestrelcyclestands.co.uk/product/model-bk-repair-stand/
Do keep your eyes peeled

I've had that Merlin one for about 7 years now and it's been excellent. Sturdy but also packs away easily when not in use

Planet X have a deal on a stand and torque wrench buried somewhere on the site. I've just bought one, it's identical to one that I've been using for 5 years apart from rectangular legs instead of round tubes.

Saw somewhere that Lidl are selling bike stuff, including stands, this week.

I used to have one like the Bike Tools Workstand on the Merlin site but much prefer the Pro Folding Work Stand look-a-like I inherited (which may have come from Lidl).

Alot of the cheaper stands cannot support the weight of a bike held by the seat post and twist downwards. Park ones have a nice big friction clamp for that reason

FWIW, I always find it's easier to clamp on the top tube anyway.

I asked this question recently and ended up with the PlanetX "stand plus torque wrench" package. I'm quite happy. I'm a bit wary of squishing an aluminium top tube in the jaws and the bike does tilt a bit when clamped by the seat tube, but it's manageable

I've got the Bike Tools one in the Merlin link above; I've had it for nearly fifteen years, and to be honest it struggles with the length of modern bikes. I wouldn't buy one now, it's not stable enough to handle a bike with a long wheelbase. Sorry, this is more of a caveat than a recommendation!

If it's going to be used in a garage with joists - a couple of adjustable webbing straps threaded between the joists work well, one around the bars, the other around the saddle (offers loads of alternatives too) - and is a cheap solution.

FWIW, I always find it’s easier to clamp on the top tube anyway

Be careful with this. I've seen a fair few badly dented aluminium frames from being clamped on the top tube. Doesn't even have to be tight as any leverage put on the bike while it's in the stand can also cause it to dent. The tubes really aren't very thick.

Think I may try a Planet X one. Where is best
To clamp them then. I’d ideally like to go around the seat post? My bike is ally so I don’t want to damage it.

Thanks
Tom

I get the caution, but I clamp them at the 'centre of gravity' point on the top tube, so they're balanced before you've even tightened the clamp. Never done any damage on steel, carbon, ally or even scandium frames. If it's a job that needs any kind of oomph, like getting an old stiff bottom bracket or something, in my experience is best done on the floor anyway.

The Jobsworth,and lots of other cheap ones, is exactly the same as the even cheaper Amazon ones. THe wall/bench mounted version is good too.

I have a really nice stand too and sure, it's better but it cost about 4 times as much and it's not 4 times better! The cheap one lives in the garden, has done for about 4 years now and it's still doing good.