Modifying a bike stand

[chengher87]

Nashbar was having a huge sale on their house brand stuff. I like to but their house brand generic tools because they are cheap and generally work well enough. Anyway, I decided that I'd like to have a hybrid bike stand/repair stand. Nothing heavy duty, just something to hold my bike up, especially my rear wheel so I can quickly clean my chain and adjust my derailleurs. This caught my eye:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_170404_-1___

So I called up customer service to ask a few questions about it. The representative on the other end assured me that this stand would allow me to work on my derailleurs, so I bought it. Lo and behold, it arrives and I can't spin my wheel because the hook impedes the spokes. I'm gonna head out to Home Depot later this week to look for something, but does anyone have any suggestions for a fix or a specific piece of equipment I could buy?

I really wanted a stand that I could quickly clean and adjust my bike after every ride, I have a proper stand, but it's a hassle to keep taking it out and putting it away in my tiny apartment. It's stable enough for my taste, plus it was on sale for $11 and free shipping.

Thanks!

[vqdriver]

hmm. depends on the bike i guess. i have a similar stand and my wheel spins freely. it looks in the pic like the lower "hook" is adjustable. can you lower it so that the upper hood catches higher up the seatstay?

or... how about bending the hook?

[chengher87]

hmm. depends on the bike i guess. i have a similar stand and my wheel spins freely. it looks in the pic like the lower "hook" is adjustable. can you lower it so that the upper hood catches higher up the seatstay?

or... how about bending the hook?

It is adjustable, but still the same outcome. With regards to bending the hook....is there a better way than hammering it into submission? It's not exactly made of a malleable material (steel with rubber protection).

[vqdriver]

How about hanging from the upper only and using the bottom hook as a standoff?

Re hammering it I'd probably do a slow press instead to avoid snapping that thing.

[Louis]

I have several of those and they work well, but sometimes the spokes do clip the end of the hook. You can vary the height of the lower hook which gives you a bit of fore-aft flexibility in locating the whole thing.

If you feel like you have to bend the hook in I would use a either a bench-vise or very large channel-lock pliers. (Lowes sells some that are about 18" long that would probably give you enough leverage. Wrap it in rags or paper towels to keep it from being scratched.)

http://toolguyd.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Channellock-10-inch-V-Jaw-Pliers.jpg

[chengher87]

The hook is just too damn bulky. Bending or even sawing off part of the hook will be a last resort. Why did they decide to bend the hook outward? I might buy a long threaded rod and wrap it in handlebar to replace the bottom hook. Or, break a clothes hanger and reinforce that a bit instead.

I don't mind though, I do love to to modify bike stuff. Take chances, get messy, make mistakes. My motto has only failed me a small percentage of the time :)

[Louis]

Unless they've really f'd up the hooks you ought to be able to play around with it and get the rear wheel to spin. As I mentioned above, if you increase the vertical distance between the hooks that will allow you to move the whole thing farther forward between the stays, which will put the hooks in an area where the spoke are closer to the middle of the wheel. (As opposed to near the hub, where they are farther outboard.)

good luck

[chengher87]

Unless they've really f'd up the hooks you ought to be able to play around with it and get the rear wheel to spin. As I mentioned above, if you increase the vertical distance between the hooks that will allow you to move the whole thing farther forward between the stays, which will put the hooks in an area where the spoke are closer to the middle of the wheel. (As opposed to near the hub, where they are farther outboard.)

good luck

It is the hooks. I moved the hooks independent of the setup and even moved all the way in, it still hits the spokes unless tilted inward. It's just the luck of the draw I suppose. It probably does work with a lot of bikes and wheels, just not mine. On the plus side, it is sturdy and well worth the $11, so no complaints.

[avalonracing]

I have an old model like this which I have taken to races for emergencies. Mine has a thumbscrew on the bottom connecting the two pieces so it can pack flat. I can't believe that they would make one so it stays set up like that.

Watch out for the hooks wear your frame touches them. They will start to scuff your frame pretty quickly.

[chengher87]

Here is my fix. I just put a clamp through to replace the bottom hook and I put handlebar tape on the clamp for some friction so it won't slide out of the stand. It's a little less stable, so it might be a temporary fix for the time being. But I was able to adjust my derailleurs, so it's a win (for now)