One of the things we learned on our Cytec Training Course was the need to have a bike workstand if you want to do any serious work on your bike. Squatting down on the garage floor to adjust brake pad might be fine but it’s a lot easier if you can mount the bike on a stand and turn the cranks to check adjustment at the same time. If you are doing bigger jobs like changing a bottom bracket then it’s even more essential.
We opted for the Extreme Assembly Stand S 1300 from Rose Bikes, a German bike shop that offers loads of good-value kit under its own brand name. Delivery was fast but the assembly took a good hour to complete with lots of screws and nuts to tighten. The end result is a very sturdy workstand that stands very tall (working height up to 160cm).
The fixed feet are secure and don’t get in the way but also don’t fold meaning this is a workstand that probably needs to be left in-situ. Folding stands are better if you have limited space although they can suffer from poor stability and you need to be very careful how you attach the bike. The built-in tool tray is made of good quality plastic and can be moved easily out of the way. It’s also a good size to hold cans of lube, degreaser or other maintenance fluids as required.
The height, reach and angle adjustment controls all work very well and are more sturdy than on other budget workstands we have used. The main bike clamp itself though still requires two hands to adjust which is tricky if you are holding a bike in one of them! This is why the pro workstands in the Park Tools range are so good (and so expensive) as they let you adjust and fit the clamp with one hand.
When working on a bike you should always try to clamp onto the seatpost if possible as delicate carbon (and some aluminium) frames can be damaged if you over-clamp. Of course, if you have a carbon seatpost as well then you really have to be careful!
Overall it’s not a bad stand but sits in the middle of the range of workstands. At one end you get the folding stands commonly found on ebay and Amazon that come in at about £30- £40, or the more expensive Park Tools units with detachable clamps that come in at over £200. For the £60 we paid it’s a good solid option but slightly let down by the fiddly clamp.
