I first saw the Altangle Connect showcased at the Sea Otter Classic where the “floating” bikes attached to their tent supports caught my attention. My large Park Tool repair stand was taking up too much space at home, so I was excited to give the Altangle Connect a try.
- Price: $265 and up
- Buy from Altangletools.com and in stock at Performance Bike
The Altangle Connect is a 3lb modular repair stand. As you can see, there are no leg stands; it is simply a unique, double-sided clamp arm. The stand is simple to use and engineered to hold just about any bike for long periods of time.
The first step is to find a sturdy and stable location to clamp to. It can be a metal pole, a wooden fence, a metal rail, a bike rack, a truck bed rack, even a granite counter top. Turn the lever counterclockwise to open the jaw clamp, insert it into, say, a metal pole, and then turn the lever clockwise to tighten up the jaw.
Once you confirm the Connect is stable and can support the weight of the bike, lift your bike and insert your seat post or dropper post onto the orange clamp and turn the lever to tighten. There is a quick release pin on both ends that allows you to turn the clamp head 360 degrees in four, 90-degree increments. I recommend making these adjustment before throwing the bike on because it can be difficult to align the pin when you have a heavy mountain bike in the clamp.
For finer, 360-degree adjustment while the bike is on, Altangle makes the “Pro Bar” which extends the clamp out about six inches and has a quick release lever that allows you to lock in that perfect angle on the fly. The Pro Bar is a must-have as it is only $32 and it can be thrown on and off when you desire.
I like to do most of my bike repairs and maintenance in my backyard, and I used to have a bulky repair stand that was a pain to store away. My backyard fence has hefty, wooden posts with a concrete foundation, just right for the Altangle Home Base, which can be mounted using three long screws (not included) depending on your surface. It is made from welded steel and only weighs about a pound. The Home Base has a small steel cylinder tube that fits perfectly with the Hanger Connect. I now have a sturdy repair stand in my backyard without the bulkiness of a two- or three-legged repair stand.
If you don’t like drilling holes or maybe live somewhere without a backyard, Altangle makes a contraption called the Hangar that can be mounted on door frames! It can fold to 4.5”x4.5”x19.5” to be easily stowed away.
Sea Sucker collab
Altangle continues to think outside the box and has now released the Connect Air in collaboration with Sea Sucker.
Sea Sucker makes racks and mounts for a variety of uses featuring their suction cup technology. Their suction cup bike rack works with most vehicles, and I actually owned one a while back when our Mini Cooper didn’t have a hitch for a hitch bike rack. We carried two alluminum Santa Cruz Bronson mountain bikes and never once had issues with it coming lose or losing suction. We used it for a couple of years until our new vehicle had a hitch installed.
Both teams had the great idea to create something to expand on the usability the Altangle Connect. The Connect Air has a sturdy base with three Sea Sucker, heavy-duty vacuum cups, each boasting a 120lb pull strength. It will work on most smooth, flat metal, glass, or fiberglass surfaces. I am told it can hold up to 55lbs of weight.
The Connect Air works well on camper vans due to their large and sturdy metal surfaces. My local bike shop has interest in it after seeing mine to showcase bikes on their store front during business hours.
The Connect Air is super easy to use: just align the suction cups to the smooth surface and press the suction pumps. It takes about five or six pumps per suction cup. The Hanger Connect slides in, and the safety locking pin prevents it from sliding out. The clamp head and Pro Bar then work the same way, allowing for easy adjustability on the fly.
Pros and cons of the Altangle Hanger Connect
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- Modular multi-use design
- Easy to use
Cons
- Limited availability — they sell out too quickly! (Currently on backorder)
Bottom line
Altangle has made something unique and functional that folks will love. And beyond using it as a bike repair stand, it can hold other items too. Think of it as an extra handy arm that can hold gear anytime and anywhere.
This has been my at-home bike repair stand and I now throw it in the truck anytime I travel with bikes. I thought about what I could nag about it, but it does exactly what it says it’s supposed to do. The Altangle team knocked it out of the park with this compact and lightweight take-anywhere repair stand. They sell out quickly, so you may need to place a backorder.
- Price: $265 and up
- Buy from Altangletools.com
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