$30 bike stand

[OakLeaf]

Good job, and handy!

But just curious - why do you need to turn your bike upside down to turn the pedals backwards? I usually don't bother with the stand for a quick wipe down, just lean the bike slightly against a wall and pedal backwards. But that's a mtb flat bar. Maybe road bars are too narrow.

+1, with a road bike. As long as there aren't any projections on the wall (or if there are, you remember to lean your handlebars against them), not a problem. I guess it's technically possible to have a BB/crank/pedal assembly wider than the narrowest road bars, but I don't think I've ever seen such a thing.

Also - the instructions say you can use particleboard for the base. IMO that's a Very. Bad. Idea. Even if your garage is perfectly dry, as anyone who's owned particleboard furniture can attest, that stuff will not hold up to much torque, and at best it will deteriorate and get wobbly over a few years.

[Melalvai]

I think I ended up with plywood for the base. It's really heavy. I hope it lasts, but if it doesn't, it will be a simple matter to transfer it all to a new base.

Sorry, I didn't explain the upside down bit very well. I meant, I can't turn it upside down very easily because of all the stuff on the handlebar. (It's a trekking bar, which is a kind of weird looking thing.) So I try to hold it up and turn the pedals backward--but the whole procedure was precarious and I kept knocking into things and it kept wanting to fall on me or away from me...I was holding it up with my head so that my right hand could turn the pedal and my left hand could hold the rag onto the chain.

I needed two more hands to make that one work. Or more coordination. Balance is NOT my strong suit. Amazing I manage so well on a bike...

[OakLeaf]

No, what we didn't understand is why you have to turn it upside down or lift the rear wheel at all, just to clean and lube the chain.

[anorange]

Let us know how it turns out. I had one of those cheaper stands from Performance that used the bottom bracket and down tube to support it. What a piece of c**p! The plastic quickly wore off the place where the bottom bracket sat and the bike was always slipping off. I ended up getting a more substantial stand from Performance based on a friends recommendation. I think I paid $ 130. If the article on building your own would have come out a few months ago I would have attempted it.

[Melalvai]

No, what we didn't understand is why you have to turn it upside down or lift the rear wheel at all, just to clean and lube the chain.

Ah. I don't turn it upside down. I lean it against my head (leaving both wheels planted on the ground). My head, though, isn't the most stable of places...

[WindingRoad]

Anorange I LOVE your picture! How sweet. That is such a beautiful kitty