D.I.Y. - Bicycle repair stand

D.I.Y. - Bicycle repair stand

Maintaining a bicycle in good working condition can be an expensive process but with the access to information that we have now it can be something that can easily be learned and done at home.
Recently i have bought a used bicycle because i want to exercise more, maybe lose several kilos ;)) , and the learning process began prior to this step when i was searching for a used bicycle.



Because it was used it came with several defects, most of them were (still are) visual - scratches, but it had two mechanical defects as well: the rear derailleur hanger was bent and because of this the bicycle was not shifting properly and play at the rear hub. The mechanical defects i solved them in service because i don't have the proper tools yet, but i can make several of them. And this is the subject of this blog entry: a stand where i can work at my bicycle.
After seeing other people videos about diy repair stands and professional ones in use i've started to design my version in my work book. i did draw several versions but while i was cleaning some metal pipe i had one idea how to make it: as an attachment for my workbench.

With several pieces of leftovers from other projects i've started the build for the repair stand. The base is made from two pieces of angle iron (15cm in length) and one piece of rectangular tubing (15cm in length). On the angle iron i drilled the holes for mounting the repair stand to my workbench and after that i welded the pieces together forming the base of the stand. The main body of the stand i've made it from a piece of pipe (in the video i used a trick how to cut the pipe round using some tape).
the challenging part of this build was the head of the stand because i wanted something with quick release mechanism but to ensure enough clamping pressure. most of the quick release mechanisms are cam actuated but i wanted to do something different and i had the idea to use (gas/spring) telescope.
So for the construction of the head i've used two pieces of angle iron (6.5 cm in length) one hinge (with this occasion i've tried to practice my tig welding skills). With the build almost complete i tried the stand to see if it will keep my bicycle in place and i can say that it was almost an successful build. The faulty part of my design was the hinge (i used a hinge that couldn't  take the loads without bending) so i had to change the hinge and make another test.
With everything working as it should it was time to take the stand apart and prepare it for painting. This step involved sanding the metal parts and wipe them with a paint thinner. I have let the paint to dry almost 24 hours (overnight and until i came back from work the next day). Last step was to assemble the stand , if you want to see how i've made it you can see it in the video below:

Thanks for reading / watching.