Cheap bikestand solution

cstoebe

New Member
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Got this on ebay. It's adjustable to most bikes and gets the bike up enough to lube your chain and adjust the deraillier. I have a 65 lb Wallke and no problems
 
You poor giants. If I need to work on the bike while it is upside up, I bend over standing, crouch, or sit on a plastic bucket. Found on the curb on any garbage day. Upside down on seat+handgrips, the bucket is also useful for chain or derailleur takeup replacement or brake repair/adjustment.
 
You poor giants. If I need to work on the bike while it is upside up, I bend over standing, crouch, or sit on a plastic bucket. Found on the curb on any garbage day. Upside down on seat+handgrips, the bucket is also useful for chain or derailleur takeup replacement or brake repair/adjustment.
Spoken like a true hub motor e-biker. :D

I'm not "anti-flipping", but cleaning/lubing the drivetrain is by far the most frequent maintenance task for any type of bike, electric or not. For pedal bikes and (most?) hub-drives, you don't even need to flip the bike for this task.

Most mid-drives I know of, including my Shimano, don't engage the chain when pedaling in reverse, so a compact stand like this or the Topeak Tune-Up Stand X, is perfect to get the rear wheel off the ground for this task.

Avoiding the flip on a near weekly basis, sometimes twice a week if I have fun on the dusty trails, is well worth it, not to mention the mess that using something like the Park Tool chain cleaner can make when used upside down.
 
My LBS suggested a pair of rope lifts for my home shop. $30 Cdn each, can't find a link but will call him and get details to share.

Each unit is rated for 300lbs. Took a while to figure a place to set them up and since this photo I added some lengths of chain to have the locking mechanism at an easy reach height. Total spent was under $100 CDN.
 

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Easy fix. you can also use a shoestring or a zip tie.

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I inquired about this idea at my LBS (Erik's Bike - Board - Ski) and they were not too keen on moving the gears (inside the motor) in a backward motion for doing chain cleanings etc. However, I tried it once with a reusable zip tie and it worked fine. Not too sure about the gears though over the long term. I'll opt out. 🤔
 
Easy fix. you can also use a shoestring or a zip tie.
That's a handy hack that I never considered.

I'll stick with a stand for regular maintenance, but great to know in a pinch while needing to fix something while "in the field". :)
 
I do not have a bike stand and have been using the zip tie method noted by Coolbob to run my chain backwards for cleaning and lube. I have a Specialized Turbo Como 4.0 with the Specialized 1.2 motor which is a Brose motor. Does anyone know definitively if running the chain backwards in this manner is safe and will not damage the motor (or not)? Is there anything published anywhere on this topic?
 
I do not have a bike stand and have been using the zip tie method noted by Coolbob to run my chain backwards for cleaning and lube. I have a Specialized Turbo Como 4.0 with the Specialized 1.2 motor which is a Brose motor. Does anyone know definitively if running the chain backwards in this manner is safe and will not damage the motor (or not)? Is there anything published anywhere on this topic?
I have looked for something published on this topic to no avail. However, I reached out to two authorized dealers that are certified and they voted against it. That said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Not a big fan. If you find something, please post it.
 
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I I have used this one for years to clean the chain and adjust the gears

I like the design of this stand and that it folds for storage, however, I am a bit skeptical to put any E-bike on it considering the chainstay mounts are made of plastic. I suppose you could jimmy-rig something that would ensure those supports will not fail. JMHO!
 
I I have used this one for years to clean the chain and adjust the gears


How heavy is your bike?

This looks like a much cheaper alternative to topeak tuneup stand x
 
I I have used this one for years to clean the chain and adjust the gears


Looks like a decent stand... if the clips will support a 50 lb EMTB I'm interested. ;)
 
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I inquired about this idea at my LBS (Erik's Bike - Board - Ski) and they were not too keen on moving the gears (inside the motor) in a backward motion for doing chain cleanings etc. However, I tried it once with a reusable zip tie and it worked fine. Not too sure about the gears though over the long term. I'll opt out. 🤔


The guys at Embn say it is no problem to turn the gears backwards (at least on a Yamaha motor). I have done this myself at least a dozen times to degrease and lube the chain.

I am starting to realize that there are very few mechanics in the USA that are truley knowledgeable about eBikes. I am forming my own opinions...


If Embn signs off, it is good enough for me.
 
I looked at this bike lift. It is not rated to hold a heavy ebike.
That one won't do for a 60-70 lb bike but there are others that look almost identical and function just the same that are made for up to 100 lb bikes. I have one and use it for storage and occasional maintenance. I don't remember where I got it. There's this one from Amazon.

TT
 
Easy fix. you can also use a shoestring or a zip tie.
It didn't work on my Vado yesterday. (For reasons unknown to me, the chain didn't move backwards when I tied the crank to the chainring and tried to rotate the crank). Instead, I lifted the bike on a work-stand and was rotating the rear wheel backwards to clean the chain with the chain cleaning tool.
 
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