My last work stand disappeared when we moved house – not too sure how that happened – I suspect it’s still in the garage at the old place.

But anyway ..

I want/need to buy a new one, for not a lot of money. It’s for one bike (pity me!!) doing the usual simple stuff – adjusting brakes, gears etc. keeping the derailleur/fork off the ground while I’m cleaning the wheel. I’m on the verge of “pulling the trigger” on a Bikehand for 99 quid on Amazon, but before I do that, maybe there is a better option?

If you don’t mind buying used, Have a look on eBay, just had a quick search myself and there are deals to be had,

I noticed at least three park tools work stands for under £60 on there currently

Gumtree and social media marketplaces may also be your friend(s)

Planet X currently have some good deals on their work stands for less than the Amazon offering your looking at

At least buy it from a bike shop!

https://www.merlincycles.com/bike-tools-workstand-49075.html?utm_source=PHG&utm_medium=AffiliateMarketing&utm_campaign=phg-GB&app_clickref=1100lwANqAfI&source=PHG&utm_medium=Affiliates&utm_campaign=shopforwardcss

Also this is a bit of a bargain package

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BNTORQUESTAND/jobsworth-torque-wrench-and-workstand-bundle

There’s no way you need to pay £100 for a budget stand. I’ve got one of these ( or a version of it, they seem to be sold under loads of different names), it’s been fine for years

https://www.merlincycles.com/bike-tools-workstand-49075.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Workstands&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6fafBhC1ARIsAIJjL8lYifk0Vh_4NE_Gkw55fz5jLuFmk21XuG6O3rKQjKlJUt_MkqyL3toaAjrVEALw_wc

*Edit – and I should add that it wasn’t even new when I got it 10+ years ago, it was second hand off the classifieds here.

I’ve got the planet X one as my wash the bike in the garden stand. It’s ok, but a bit crude. You need to get the balance of the bike just right IME.

The stand from Merlin looks a bit of a no brainer really based on reviews.

I have this decathlon stand and It’s okay. I wouldn’t really recommend it but I’m also not in a hurry to replace it if you know what I mean. The annoying thing is that it is easy to overbalance it if you’re not paying attention to the placement of the feet.

I reckon a foot layout more like the Merlin one above probably makes better sense.

Oooh – STW comes up with the goods again!!

I’ve got the Merlin one… had it over 10 years… it’s a bit draggy going up and down due to the coating wearing off… but after 10 years or more, it’s hard to grumble.

That Planet-X one looks identical to my £25 Aldi stand. The only difference is that mine has 6 feet rather than 4. The only annoying thing about it is the gigantic footprint but it’s so stable that you don’t have to fully extend the legs.

Those 2 legged ones, in my experience, are fine with the weight of a bike holding them straight down but as soon as you start wrenching and leaning on them they can fall over backwards or sideways.

Quite happy with my Aldi version for the infrequent use it gets. If I used it every day I’d be looking for something much more robust that bolts onto the wall or something.

IME the design of the Merlin one (I used one for years when it was badged as ‘Revolution’ and bought from Edinburgh Bicycle Coop) is crap and it tips over too easily. I still remember the feeling of watching my stand tip over with my nice new Tallboy frame in it…

The Planet X one – which appears identical to the Aldi/Lidl racks when they sell them for £25 – are much, much more stable. Clamp isn’t as nice but it’s functional. It’s what I’ve used the past 5+ years.

For £30 that Planet X one includes a torque wrench, absolute bargain.

Edit – what @sharkattack said 3mins before me!

Those 2 legged ones, in my experience, are fine with the weight of a bike holding them straight down but as soon as you start wrenching and leaning on them they can fall over backwards or sideways.

This is true, but it’s pretty rare that you’re doing a job that needs much wrenching/leaning, and a foot on one of the legs usually sorts it

**EDIT – saying all that given

For £30 that Planet X one includes a torque wrench, absolute bargain.

If I was buying today I’d give the Planet-X one a go.

This is true, but it’s pretty rare that you’re doing a job that needs much wrenching/leaning

We must have a totally different style of working on bikes.

I still remember the feeling of watching my stand tip over with my nice new Tallboy frame in it…

Cry.

Ha, maybe 🙂 Honestly though, the only job I can think of that needs enough ‘oomph’ to topple the stand is getting old bottom brackets out, which is often easier on the floor anyway cos you can stand on the spanner.

I made my own stand 😃

I’ve got the Aldi one, which does indeed look identical to the Planet X one. I’ve had it a good few years now, used it regularly and it does everything I’ve needed it to do – I built my daughters bike from the frame up with it last week. I’ll be fitting new cables and indexing the gears on the hardtail this afternoon

That’s an absolute bargain with the torque wrench as well for 30 notes

@fruitbat – that looks awesome!

£24.99 delivered – very nice for the money

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/raleigh-home-mechanic-bicycle-workstand/

I ordered 2 by mistake, £20 unopened if you near West Bromwich for collection.

When I posted my original query I was fully expecting to hear that I can’t hold my head up without a super duper stand with carbon legs and a depleted uranium base, costing as much as a small car. So all these bargains are a very welcome surprise! Thanks!

Halfords bike work stand down to £36 from £45 – bought mine about 4 years ago for about £30

When I posted my original query I was fully expecting to hear that I can’t hold my head up without a super duper stand with carbon legs and a depleted uranium base, costing as much as a small car. So all these bargains are a very welcome surprise! Thanks!

When you spend 9 grand on a plastic bike with wi-fi gears, bluetooth tyres and AI suspension, there’s not much cash left for tools. Especially when you have VW Van payments every month.

I’ve had a Merlin one for ten years, it’s fine even for the full suss.

@jkomo, I’m tempted. I have that £25 one, it’s not great.

What’s it like for spannering on your bike?

Buy nice or buy twice ime

Halfords bike work stand down to £36 from £45

I have this one. For the occasional use it gets it works very well :o)

Buy nice or buy twice ime

Or, don’t spend money on flashy crap that isn’t as functional as stuff at a fraction of the price.

Another Planet X type user here. 7 years if I remember correctly.
I’ve left mine set up in the garden next the outside tap (for Insta-wash / lube / dry after every ride) for about 3 years and it’s not even rusty.

Edit:

Look for a used park pcs-9

That Planet-X one looks identical to my £25 Aldi stand

And my £25 Lidl stand! Must’ve had it ten years, it works fine.

Torque up bottom brackets with the bike on the ground.

Aldi/Lidl style eBay special for £12.99. Does the job, even on 25kg of eBike. My mate’s Park Tools stand looks much nicer but doesn’t keep the bike off the floor any better than mine…

The Planet-X deal with the torque wrench would be my choice if I needed either item right now. It’s a deal, it’s a steal, it’s the sale of the **** century.

Why do <span tags appear in pretty much every post at the moment????

I have one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sportneer-Bicycle-Adjustable-Removable-Maintenance/dp/B08X4DXCXM/

Not that exact one, but an equally made up brand and similar price (£20ish before the end times so £25 now looks OK). Detaches from wall when not in use. Multiple brackets (for different places in different weather). I have never got my folding telescopic stand out since buying it. And I built a bike from scratch on it no worries.

Another +1 for the Merlin stand. I’ve had it well over 10 years. Probably more like 15.
Still fine.
One ‘stop block’ on the main slider tube popped off a few years ago (just a pop rivet and a plastic disc) but easy to fix with another pop rivet or screw and didn’t stop it working as a stand anyway.

I have one of the £25 ones, and also the wall mounted equivalent, they’re perfectly decent. Not as good as my feedback pro, but that’s to be expected. It lives outside 24/7, gets used mostly for cleaning but occasionally for spannering, I’m glad I have the nicer one for bigger jobs etc and it’s just nicer to use, but, the cheapy is incredible for the price.

You can get it under loads of brands and at loads of prices, I paid £19 I think, £25 is more common

RM The Merlin one keeps the bike up off the ground, but it’s nothing special, its nicely height adjustable, the legs are also not in the way. It’s not exactly steady enough to do stuff that needs a lot of oomph.
If I had an Aldi one I wouldn’t see it as much of an upgrade.
I also have a brand x desk mounted one that I bolted side on to the steel struts of a big set of racking, that will hold the 25kg electric full suss. I use this to keep a bike on.
From here I’d go to the Park 10.x but what I have good enough.

I have an Aldi one which is a bit disapointing. The plastic joints don’t really hold under load so it can’t be used for anything that requires a bit of torquing. Also, if you remove a wheel, the end with the wheel left on, dives down under the weight. The frame clamp is also most annoying – it requires about a hundred turns to open and close and that’s with the qr. And when you fold it up after use, the support pole slides out of the base framework. The magnetic base in the parts tray works though.

I’ve got a merlin/Edinburgh bike coop one. Been fine for over a decade. Far from perfect can be flexy but does the job. I don’t make my living spannering bikes so why spend more

The Aldi/Lidl ones need some sort of grip assist (I think I sanded the inside), after that they’re fine (even my child like wrists can get them tight enough)

Well, my PlanetX stand arrived this afternoon and I’m pleasantly surprised – seems quite sturdy and stable. Time will tell, but so far so good. And the torque wrench looks a lot like my Pedro’s one that cost more than twice what the whole stand/wrench package was.

STW result! Thanks everyone!!

I have the Edinburgh Cycles aka Merlin one. Pretty old. When I first got it, it use to annoy me as it would fall over when you took a wheel out, and the rotating clamp was pretty sloppy and would sometimes slip.

After several years I finally took the clamp apart and realised it was a really simply job to tighten up, and then I cable tied a timber batten under the rear of the stand and its now super stable and I can clamp a bike on the seatpost (so not balanced) and then remove the rear wheel without any worry its going to fall over!

It would be nice to have a flat cradle on top of the clamp for those annoying bikes that have suspension brackets welded to the top tube and a dropper post, for simple jobs I’d like to just balance the tope tube over the top of the clamp.

@DrJ

I gave away my work stand as it just got in the way most of the time.

I now have two joist hangers either side of the garage walls Above head height and a rope across. I hook the saddle over the rope to hang the bike and then have a hook for the bars to stop it moving.

I push the saddle from side to side depending on which side of the bike I’m working on.

I’m 6ft 3 so it’s at the perfect height for me. I never have to put it away, it’s always there and it doesnt damage the bike. It’s worked great for me for the past few years. Probably cost me a tenner for the joist hangers.