DIY bikestand

[TylerDurden]

Saw this repair stand on flickr:

Just a 3/4 pipe clamp
on a 12" nipple
(insert joke here)
threaded into a 3/4 -1" elbow
threaded onto a 1" x 30" piece
of black iron pipe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coalandice/2080250726/

Plenty of improvements could be made, but it's a good basis for a DIY stand.



This clamp already has holes for attaching the wood:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94053

 

[kfong]

Wow thanks, hadn't thought of that. I've got one of those clamps. I can clamp a long pipe to my clamping workhorse and have a very quick repair stand setup.

 

[TylerDurden]

Using it with a clamping bench is a good idea.

V-notches in the wood blocks (instead of semi-circular) might help it fit different size tubes better.

Feature wanted: Some way to allow the horizontal pipe to be turned, then clamped at a variety of angles.

 

[Drunkskunk]

Damn. Now thats just cool.

to make it multi angled, why not add a clamp like this on the verticle post, and in it's jaw it holds another bar and clamp horozontaly like this?

 

[John in CR]

Feature wanted: Some way to allow the horizontal pipe to be turned, then clamped at a variety of angles.

On the end of the clamp that is fixed in place don't permanently attach to the wood. Instead just drill holes in the wood to allow various angles and a pin (maybe with a magnet at the end to hold it in place to the clamp). The other piece of wood can remain permanently attached since that part of the clamp can spin to any position.

John

 

[nicobie]

This is what I use. Works great and the parts were just laying around.

Nick

 

[joe tomten]

Tyler,
you could add a union and a short nipple just after the bend and before the pipe clamp.

then you could adjust the work in circles as you wanted.

joe

 

[docnjoj]

Um............ thats really cool engineering unless you have an 80 lb Trike/motor/battery and can barely lift one end! That's the light end!
otherDoc

 

[John in CR]

Um............ thats really cool engineering unless you have an 80 lb Trike/motor/battery and can barely lift one end! That's the light end!
otherDoc

Trikes don't need a stand, and if you need to lift the wheel just put a block under it. You're right though, that stand won't work with my 115lb grocery hauler with 100mi pack.

John

 

[Zoot Katz]

I assume the vertical pipe is just driven a few feet into the ground.
Constructing a steady base is the other tricky part of home made stands.

Xtracycles don't fit well onto conventional stands since their center of balance is a good foot aft of the seat tube.
Throw on a big rear hub motor and it moves back even more.

Be careful clamping your aluminium tubes. They might crush. Grab the seat post itself.

 

[docnjoj]

Um............ thats really cool engineering unless you have an 80 lb Trike/motor/battery and can barely lift one end! That's the light end!
otherDoc

Trikes don't need a stand, and if you need to lift the wheel just put a block under it. You're right though, that stand won't work with my 115lb grocery hauler with 100mi pack.

John

Well they need something to get 'em off the ground so old guys like me don't have to crawl around to work on them. I have used folding tables and a Workmate, but I gotta wait till someone else (wife or a grandkid) to show up to lift the Da*n thing with me! I used to be pretty strong but........................ this senior citizen thing has some disadvantages!
otherDoc

 

[dogman dan]

Great ideas. I have an engine hoist in the backyard doing nothing. I need to put one of those clamps on it. Brilliant!

 

[spinningmagnets]

Here's 8 more good ideas to add to the mix:

http://bikehacks.com/8-bombproof-diy-bike-repair-stands/

 

[TylerDurden]

Taking John's idea a step further, steel disks or round slabs of plywood could be attached to the pipe-clamps, leaving the wood jaws free to spin around the pipe... when tightened, if the clamping action is not enough to keep the jaws from spinning, a pin or bolt could be slipped through the holes to secure the jaws at the desired angle.

Not elegant, but cheap and no welding.


re heavy bikes: block & tackle FTW.

 

[spinningmagnets]

As long as we're on the subject, I'd like to add a couple ideas into the mix, so links will be all in one thread (for future searches). There's a product called a "pull-down" closet rod to increase the hangar space in a closet. Easy to make from scratch and to scale-up to bike size, and a small ceiling-mount pulley with a counter-weight that is half the weight of the bike would make lifting/lowering easier.

The second pic is a device for storing bikes up near the ceiling in a garage to free up floor-space. Not hard to find them if you like what you see, and also easy to copy from generic hardware-store parts.

 

[docnjoj]

Those are good ideas, S/M. I use a Harborfreight rope hoist outdoors but not in the summer. Too dam* hot out there to work.
otherDoc

 

[vprwill]

I built a similar unit also using a pipe clamp and some scrap lumber. The base is a plywood box beam mounted to 2x4 legs. The head unit is attached to a 2x4 which slides inside the base and allows for height adjustments. The head unit clamps around the pipe so the pipe can rotate as well as move in and out. It does a good job holding my 100+lb bike equipped with an X5 and 50 lbs of SLAs. Since my ebike is too heavy to lift with one hand and secure the clamp with the other, with this setup I can remove the pipe from the stand and secure it to the bike on the ground. Then lift the whole thing up with both hands and slide the pipe into the receiver. Tighten the clamp and I'm good to go.

 

[TylerDurden]

I built a similar unit also using a pipe clamp and some scrap lumber.

That's a nice rig.

The telescoping base brings to mind hospital bed-tables, which I occasionally see at thrift stores. They have a crank to elevate the table... a person could ditch the table top and attach your clamp setup instead. No lifting, just clamp and raise.

 

[vprwill]

The telescoping base brings to mind hospital bed-tables...

That's an awesome idea. A lift would be perfect. When all the batteries are attached it can be a handful to raise these things. Especially for those of us too cheap to spring for lithium. I do see some Headways in my future but I digress.
If I had made the base a bit deeper I could have put a hydraulic bottle jack in there to push up on the 2x4 to raise it. Cut out a slot in the base for the handle to raise/lower. Hmm... I think some sort of lifting mechanism is in order.

 

[nicobie]

I think some sort of lifting mechanism is in order.

A come-along or small block and tackle attached to joist?

 

[vprwill]

A come-along or small block and tackle attached to joist?

That could work, but there are no exposed joists in my shop. I was thinking of something that could be incorporated into the stand that I already built, or something similar, to prevent me having to lift the bike. Preferably something floor mounted incase I need to move it or want to work outside.

 

[TylerDurden]

I was thinking of something that could be incorporated into the stand that I already built, or something similar, to prevent me having to lift the bike.

I rekon any cheap winch (or diy winch) could raise the centerpost. Put the winch at the top and connect to the bottom through some routered slots.

 

[vprwill]

I rekon any cheap winch (or diy winch) could raise the centerpost. Put the winch at the top and connect to the bottom through some routered slots.

Thanks, TD, for the great ideas. I probably have some bits laying around the shop that could be made to work for next to nothing. Normally I just lurk around here and hardly ever post. Glad I did today. Lots of great ideas I haven't even considered for improvement.

 

[spinningmagnets]

I recently thought it would be handy for me to be able to spin up my back tire inside my apartment. I decided I wanted something that was cheap, easy to copy, and (if possible) something that folds into a compact shape, since I will use it again, but only on rare occasions. Everything on this is 1/2" PVC except the 3/4" part the chainstays sit in. The straight white lengths were free trash being thrown away, and the joints were purchased.

To fold, the gray lengths are an 18" threaded-end section thats cut in half, as is the the threaded half of the elbow they insert into. Smear some grease on the threads, insert the threaded pieces all the way, then back them out 1/2 turn before glueing/screwing the entire assembly to allow the 45-degree swiveling. Dry-fit everything and test it on your bike before glueing.

If I had to do this again, I would use 1" T's at the tops of the posts so it could accept larger chainstays. I'm certain it would not support my weight (like a track-stand for pedaling indoors). The handlebars still have to be braced and secured to prevent wobbling.

 

[lifepo4ever]

I recently thought it would be handy for me to be able to spin up my back tire inside my apartment. I decided I wanted something that was cheap, easy to copy, and (if possible) something that folds into a compact shape, since I will use it again, but only on rare occasions. Everything on this is 1/2" PVC except the 3/4" part the chainstays sit in. The straight white lengths were free trash being thrown away, and the joints were purchased.

To fold, the gray lengths are an 18" threaded-end section thats cut in half, as is the the threaded half of the elbow they insert into. Smear some grease on the threads, insert the threaded pieces all the way, then back them out 1/2 turn before glueing/screwing the entire assembly to allow the 45-degree swiveling. Dry-fit everything and test it on your bike before glueing.

If I had to do this again, I would use 1" T's at the tops of the posts so it could accept larger chainstays. I'm certain it would not support my weight (like a track-stand for pedaling indoors). The handlebars still have to be braced and secured to prevent wobbling.

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thanks for the idea me too i live in apartement i will make one with bigger tube like 1 inch but i am not sure if i can find 1'' T