How should I make a bike repair stand?

GoldenMotor.com

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
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Moosylvania
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I don't have inside space.
I could fashion an
an A frame - a beam - a vertical post
_____________
/ \ ............... |

and then hang the Harbor Freight Bicycle Lift from the beam.
Have you ran the engine while the m-bike is suspended?
(The pic below is irrelevant, but I just found it and wanted to promote it. I plan to make some improvements, adding motorizing components.)
 
I just read the reviews of the Harbor Freight Bicycle Lift. Some people believe the rope is inferior to what's needed and one guy suggested swivel pulleys would be an improvement and another recommended increasing the bend angle of the hooks , but the reviews were sufficiently positive to convince me to get one as soon as I can get to one of their stores.
So, that's what I'm gonna do, make a beam supporting structure, get the Bicycle Lift, replace the rope, and install. I consider further improvements later.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
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Littleton, Colorado
I just read the reviews of the Harbor Freight Bicycle Lift. Some people believe the rope is inferior to what's needed and one guy suggested swivel pulleys would be an improvement and another recommended increasing the bend angle of the hooks , but the reviews were sufficiently positive to convince me to get one as soon as I can get to one of their stores.
So, that's what I'm gonna do, make a beam supporting structure, get the Bicycle Lift, replace the rope, and install. I consider further improvements later.
Before you buy it check the load carrying capacity. I have two that hold pedal bikes, my wife's, and they were rated to hold only 75#. That's pushing the limits with a motorized bicycle.

Tom
 

thimmaker

New Member
Jan 25, 2008
64
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0
Bartlett, Illinois
You can make a quick and cheap stand out of 3/4" threaded galvanized pipe and fittings from your local hardware store. It'll hold any motorized bike a foot off the floor to work on it. Or higher if you want. Two 24" pipes threaded into 3/4" double 90 deg. corner piece for the foot stand. This leaves a threaded hole pointing up. Thread in a 36" pipe pointing up and cap it with a 90 deg. elbow. Thread a 12" pipe into the elbow pointing forward ( over the 24" legs). At the end use a 3/4" to 1" T fitting with the two 1" ends at horizontal. Now hack saw the top front 1/3 of the 1" tube away enough to lay in some thin, flat ,rubber and then the top bar of your frame. If the top bar is angled, just rotate the T fitting to match. You can use a standard spring clamp to hold the frame down but it usually will stay from the weight. The weight of the bike keeps the stand from tipping over backwards. You can put a couple of 3/4 threaded caps on the ends of the 24" legs to protect the threads. Any of the dimensions can be changed to your liking to raise or lower the work height. Iv'e also seen the 90 deg. elbow replaced with a T fitting so you can thread in a pipe pointing out backwards with a floor flange threaded on and you can screw it to the garage wall.
Geo.
 
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Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
One of those links gave me an idea. An elevated work stand/truing station. Be able to do a complete bike tune up by locking it in, in one position. Thinking some thing like an ambulance gurney to easily change heights for different work needed.

Over complicated and ridiculously expensive? Sure but hey.
 

Trey

$50 Cruiser
Jan 17, 2013
1,432
5
0
Where cattle outnumber people 3 to 1.
Dan, roll it up in there, attatch to a couple of points on the frame, press a foot lever, bike eleveted and stable. Someone must make one for a thousand bucks or so, but we could build our own. I will be looking for an appropriate mechanisim. I'll update in a year when I find everything:)
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
1,310
1
38
Vancouver, B.C.
I have three tie-down straps (for loads on trailers), looped over the rafters in the garage. The two on one end loop under the handlebars, and now I use an S-hook on the third that gets hooked on near the seat post. I grab the loose ends of the front straps and pull, then the same for the rear until it's where I want it. A bungee cord looped through a concrete block provides stabilisation from below, when needed.
Sort of like this:
102_2387.JPG
 

Trey

$50 Cruiser
Jan 17, 2013
1,432
5
0
Where cattle outnumber people 3 to 1.
Here's what I intend to build.
Use a large (4'' tall/ taller?) truck jack, the old ratchet style, weld some (removable?) supports to the base. Create and attatch a bracket to the collar that moves up and down on the jack.

(How about that Dan?)
 

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