Watch: The $50 Bike Repair Stand - Quality or Crap?

Watch: The $50 Bike Repair Stand – Quality or Crap?

Watch Colton put this cheap bike repair stand to the test.

By Colton Lock
June 8, 2017 Last Updated: August 13, 2024

9 comments

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I have wanted a repair stand for a quite a while but I’ve held off because I thought they were way too expensive. I would much rather spend $150-400 on other bike “toys.” I have found a few creative ways to mount my bike so I can get at the parts easier, including a shower curtain rod and a doorway pull up bar. They’ve worked but they’re just not cutting it anymore, so I did some researching on Amazon and found this stand made by Conquer. I was a bit reluctant because I was afraid it would not be sturdy but decided that at $54 it was worth a try.

The Conquer repair stand was a breeze to put together. It took me less than 4 minutes and the only tool required was an allen key (included) to attach the tool tray. This stand has all the usual amenities including four legs for increased stability, adjustable height from 45″ to 72″, and a rotating clamp. It is great to take on the go as it collapses very easily, weighs only 16lbs, and is small enough to fit in the trunk. The tool tray is a great feature, though I was a little disappointed by its small size. It is big enough for a few small tools but not a beer or your preferred beverage.

The four legs made the rack really stable. It held my XC hardtail just fine and even held up a 35-pound fat bike, no problem. Conquer claims that this rack can hold up to 65lbs but I found that the plastic on the clamps started to flex slightly with the fat bike.

Overall I am extremely pleased with this stand. For $54 I think you are getting a great product and I sure like that number a lot more than the $150+ Park Tool stand. There are two Conquer models available, a $39.95 option (which does not include shipping of $12.27) and a $59 option, which does include shipping. For just a few dollars more I think it is worth purchasing the more robust model unless you are very concerned about weight and size when collapsed.

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9 Comments

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triton189 2015
Nov 16, 2017

I have owned one for about 3 years now and have zero complaints.

0 reply

beerfriday Vermont // 2015
Jun 8, 2017

I have the wall mount version on the back of my garage and as noted above front wheel tends to dip. Otherwise good for basic stuff that I can do...

Joseph Graf California // 2014
Jun 8, 2017

Looks interesting for the money. I will say that I have some experience with Chinese made light stands (but not bike stands) and they work fine but tend to break after a couple years of use. I suspect that may be the case here as well.

Thé Suu 2017
Dec 28, 2017

Owning a similar one for +4 years now and for the price it held up for all kinds of maintenance i have done. But i think i need a new one by now, the plastic parts are worn out for a while and barley keeps my MTB in a position without the front wheel touching the floor. Also as many mentioned, some jobs done on the bike are semi-optimal since the bike does move a round a bit, not as rigid was i sometimes what it to be(indexing gears, pedal swapping,...). I dont mind spending another 50$ for a new one but asking my self (just like with almost all bikes-tools and kits) if i shouldn't go for the more expensive one and not swapping it every couple of years and often its just "more fun & effective" to work with proper tools.

mapski99 California // 2014
Jun 8, 2017

SUMMARY: NOT crap, decent, does the job, durable enough. I have owned this for 5 years. Bought it when I lived in a tiny apartment. PROS: small, easy to transport and store. CONS: clunky to open/close, clunky to put bike on, a little bit tippy, too much plastic, rotates during use and front wheel tends to dip, frame clamp is large and might have trouble fitting your frame - I had to modify the orange rubber stops so it would fit on my Yeti 575.

Sean Gordon Maine // 2017
Jun 9, 2017

Spring for the Park PCS-10. As a former mechanic, I can tell you that a good workstand is really, really worth it. It makes every job easier, and if you have to maintain your own bikes, and your partner's bikes, and your team's bikes, you begin to really appreciate it. Even a simple task like cleaning a drive train is almost impossible to do quickly and completely without a stand.

mongwolf Mongolia // 2011
Jun 8, 2017

Thanks Colton. I've been hesitating for quite some time to spend $150 on a stand too. I have lived overseas long enough to know that companies constantly gouge US buyers. I hate getting gouged by US prices. You just know that the company is making a mint on every sale, even many "sale" prices. I almost purchased a Park Tools stand on sale about six months ago, but didn't. This looks much more reasonable and inline with what a stand should cost. Any suggestions on how you might modify the stand at home to improve it.

Sum Guy Florida // 2016
Jun 8, 2017

The plastic joints would be better if they were metal. Its wouldn't cost the manufacture much more than plastic to make them out of the same metal as the rest of it. The plastic joints will be the first point of failure.

bobsechrist South Carolina // 2019
Nov 14, 2019

You can make a sturdy stand for around $40. Using 3/4 inch iron pipe( a 4 foot piece for the upright , a 14 inch piece for the horizontal, a 90 degree elbow and a base mount). Both pipe pieces are threaded at both ends and screw into elbow. Buy a 3/4 inch pipe clamp and install it on the horizontal pipe. I cut,grooved and attached wood blocks to the pipe clamp and lined them with old tube material to prevent scratching the seat tube. Screw the end of the upright pipe to the base plate and bolt the base plate near 1 end of a 2ft x 2ft double thick piece of 3/4 inch plywood to keep it stable. Works well but isn't light or compact.

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