KEEPING your bike in tip-top shape requires a little bit of time and effort, but can pay dividends in the long run, with fewer trips to your local bike shop and expensive bills to replace components.
So if you’re up for a bit of DIY, adding a bike stand into your armoury will make everything that bit easier.
Essentially, a bike stand helps to elevate your bike to a height that makes it easier to work on. The bike is generally suspended in the air by a clamp that locks to its seat post or top tube, and the height is fully adjustable.
Another design of bike stands sees the bike secured using its bottom bracket.
Raising your bike off of the ground makes even the most basic tasks such as cleaning it a lot easier. It also helps prevent any damage to the bike’s stem or saddle that can occur if you turn your bike upside down.
When buying a bike stand, if you don’t have a dedicated bike maintenance area, you’re going to be looking for something that is compact and can be folded down.
Another key feature to look out for is the maximum weight that the stand can handle, which could be an issue for some e-bikes.
Our list below looks at the best bike stands available on the market, whatever your budget.
Exclusive to Evans Cycles, the Compact Folding Workstand from FWE is one of the most adaptable units on this list.
The rubber jaws that clamp to a bike’s seat tube or top tube can hold between 25mm-75mm, while the inclusion of a foam wrapped upper allows you to hook your saddle onto the stand for a quick inspection.
When not in use, it folds down to a small, compact size, but once expanded, it can handle bikes up to 35kg.
The Home Mechanic WorkStand from X-Tools takes the FWE offering up a notch, and can fold down to just one meter in length when not in use, making storage that bit easier.
It can be adjusted to between 102-154cm to help you get to even the hardest to access parts of your bike, and it is constructed out of a lightweight-yet-robust aluminium.
Finally, the inclusion of a workshop mat ensures that wherever you choose to do your tinkering will remain clean and tidy even if you don’t.
The American brand Park Tool is widely regarded as one of the best in the business, and is likely to be used in the workshops of your local bike shop.
Its Home Mechanic Repair Stand PCS9 gives you some of that high-end quality in your own home, and can handle a variety of bike frames and odd-shaped tubing.
Although small in stature when folded down, it is a real workhorse and can hold a bike up to 36kg.
The Bike Gator and Repair Stand from Unior is aimed more at the road bike and hybrid bike market and can only take tubes from 24mm-40mm in diameter.
This shouldn’t put you off though. The stand’s aluminium and steel construction leaves you with a handy bit of kit that will last you for years, while the inclusion of a tool tray is a nice touch.
Its telescopic legs fold down quickly and easily when not in use, leaving you with a compact package that can be stored easily.
Taking things up a tad when it comes to price, if you’re looking for a pro-level bike stand, then look no further than the Sprint Repair Stand by Feedback Sports.
Unlike the other stands shown on this list, the Sprint attaches to your bike’s bottom bracket and forks or rear dropouts.
Its tripod design gives added stability, while it’s possible to rotate the entire bike 360 degrees. Although slightly bulkier when folded down than the rest on this list, it can hold a bike up to 38kg.
Enjoyed our roundup of the best bike stands? We’ve got tons of great cycling content in our Health and Fitness section.
Whether you’re looking for new wheels, wall mounts or locks, we’ve got you covered.
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