There are a few tools I use more than any others, and until just a moment ago I would have listed the 5mm hex wrench and my homemade spoke poker as the top two. As I write this I realize that my repair stand is actually used more than any other tool in the shop. I’m actually using it now and I’m not even working on a bike.

A bike repair stand is the mechanic’s way of having a stable platform to clean, inspect, build, and adjust a bicycle. Most repairs would be possible without the use of a bike stand, but struggle is often the case. The repair stand will stabilize the bike and articulate to give the mechanic the best view of the part of the bicycle needing attention. The ability to bring the ailing part of the bike closer to eye level is a huge advantage. You can also use a bike repair stand as a fancy kickstand when you just need to store a bike.

For someone that’s never used a bike repair stand it’s hard to know what to look for in a stand. There is more than likely going to be some compromise when deciding on a stand to aid in fixing your bicycle. Price is always a consideration, but what else should influence the decision? In my opinion, durability, portability, and stability are the key factors. Most repair stands will hold a bike with no problem, especially if you go for an established brand. How well and how long are where stands start to differentiate from one another.

The Ultimate Support Pro Elite Repair Stand is a top contender in the portable bicycle repair stand world. The 13lb repair stand folds down with the flip of a couple quick release levers and slides right into it’s own little duffel bag. No need to make special arrangements transporting the Pro Elite Repair Stand from place to place, it’ll fit just about anywhere. Folded down, the Pro Elite Stand is as compact as any other stand I’m aware of.

The ease of transport is irrelevant if the stand doesn’t make working on a bike easier. The first thing I noticed when I removed the stand from the box was the newly redesigned clamp. Ultimate improved on the knob that tightens the clamp around the bicycle and added a large release button for easier removal of the bike. The Ultimate claims “industrial strength”, and I definitely had zero problems over the course of weeks of use and hundreds of bikes. It even handles tandems and downhill bikes that weigh upwards of 60lbs with no problem. Besides being burly, the clamp is about the easiest clamp I’ve used to date. Getting it properly adjusted with one hand was no problem. The release button was a nice feature too, the clamp is instantly loosened once you hit the button. You just have to be careful about hitting the button while working on the bike. I fell victim to that once, but once my awareness was raised it wasn’t an issue again.

The set up of the Pro Elite Stand is as easy as th break down….maybe easier. The tripod easily opens every time and secures with a quick release lever. The height adjustment is also secured with a quick release and offers short to as high as I would ever want. The clamp arm is secured with a knob and let you adjust the angle of the clamp and how the bike is positioned. If I had to guess, I would say the total set up takes about 20 seconds. That’s darn quick.

The lightweight aluminum construction does have a bit of flex, especially with the heavier bikes. The amount of flex was certainly acceptable, and compared with other manufacturers designs, is well worth the exceptional weight savings. Besides that, care should be taken in positioning the tripod legs to the bike. One incident with the wind caused a bike and stand to fall over, but again, my raised awareness kept that from being an issue again.

The Ultimate Support Pro Elite Bike Repair Stand receives a 5 of 5 rating from me after a significant amount of use. Portable stands will never be as stable as the 300lb shop stands and they don’t need to be. The price of the Pro Elite stand is makes it a decent value and works at least $100 better than most of it’s competitors. The customer service department at Ultimate Support is easy to deal with should there be an issue with the product.

The Pedal Wrench highly recommends the Ultimate Support Pro Elite Bike Repair Stand and is claiming it’s the best portable or stationary home mechanic’s stand on the market today. Check it out.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 6th, 2007 at 6:33 pm and is filed under Tools, Mechanical Hints, Daily Rant. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.