bicycle maintenance in shed

[malverncyclist]

Hi
i want to get myself something to make my bike maintenance easier. Either a stand (if good expensive) or something like this
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/gear-up-up-and-away-hoist-system/rp-prod50407?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom&gs=1&gclid=CKnIgNTi28ACFSoEwwod7o0AHA&gclsrc=aw.ds
My ceiling is sloping so this may not work? Any ideas anyone?

thanks

Martin

[mercalia]

the blurb says is a way to store bikes? I think it will flop around and make any serious work on the bike hard. Lidl/Aldi have at times sold stands for not much more that many people here have good words about. Depends how urgent your needs are. Another answer is to get a small stoll s o that you can sit down and not grovel on teh ground? thats whay I did, got it from Maplin a few months ago for £10 I think, was also a mini platform ladder.

[NUKe]

The hoist will work for many jobs and is certainly better than on the floor. Before I bought a stand I used a length of Rope and a couple of bungie cords to suspend the bike fromn the garage ceiling
.

[Psamathe]

I use some old webbing straps and some old rope and hang my bike from garage roof joists (from saddle and from bars). I can get at my roof joists so I just tied the straps/rope round them. Seems to work fine. I copied the idea from my LBS who hang the bike in a similar manner to work on them.

One significant benefit - you don't have to spend money on it.

Ian

[interestedcp]

I use a simple hook and chain system to hang my bike on so I get a good working height when doing maintenance. This is the model I use: http://www.rosebikes.com/article/hook-chains/aid:22988
The chains aren't that long, so I have extended them with some nylon cord, which also allows for some basic height adjustment.

It is amazingly useful; it is auto-centring which is great for servicing gears and brakes, so a sloping ceiling shouldn't be a problem. It allows for working on both sides of the bike without the stand getting in the way.

It is quite stable, so I have successfully used it to install and remove cranks and bottom brackets.

I also own a expensive Park Tools PCS-10 work stand, but since I work in a very confined area, it isn't so handy, and it does take some time to unfold and pack away each time.

My chain and hook system is so much faster and convenient to use, that I only use my Park Tool Work stand for assembling a new bike or similar situations where the hooks can't get a stable grip.

All in all surprisingly useful and cheap solution to work on a bike hanging from the ceiling, and may be good solution if floor space is limited. I think the CRC version is rather expensive compared to what Aldi or Lidl are selling it for.

[Brucey]

a suggestion; if you make your own hook system, it is a good idea to use chain for at least part of it. The reason is that with chain you can make a height adjusting hook arrangement that allows very rapid adjustments possible.

In fairness I don't think there is that much difference between the stability of a bike in a workstand and one on hooks; they both flap around if you start to use a lot of torque on any of the fastenings.

cheers

[Sweep]

May be worth checking out eninburgh bike co-op.

If you move quickly you can get their excellent workstand in their sale.

Google them for website - am out and about at mo so trickier for me.

[alicat]

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-tune-up-workstand?bct=browse%2faccessories%2fworkstands-bike-storage

Here it is. Best present I ever had.

[markfh]

malverncyclist a few of things for you to consider is you are still thinking of using a hoist as per your original post.

1. there are very similar hoists available on ebay for less than a tenner if you look around. The hooks are just bent strip metal and so you will need to be careful not to make the bike jump off them. Lidl did some similar hoists a while ago and our local branch had some at the around a fiver a few weeks ago - I think they were left over from a previous bike event as they were not in the weekly flyer. Although the the hooks of the Lidl (Powerfix) ones are much better the upper pulleys are side by side so do not locate the bike so well when fully hoisted (see below)

2. if you can arrange it so that the two sets of upper pulleys are the correct distance apart for your bike then when you hoist the bike fully the lower pulleys, the ones with the hooks on go in the gap between the end of the rope and the pulley at one end and between the two pulleys at the other end which considerably reduces the amount of movement possible - some side to side sway but very little forwards and backwards..

3. one possible solution to your problem of a sloping roof is to fix the upper pulleys to a separate piece of wood and then use "straps" either side to fix this to the roof support joists, longer at the upper end so the separate piece of wood is horizontal. if the separate piece of wood is the same width as the roof support joists then it is relatively simple to put a "strap" either side.

[Redvee]

My Dad's £20 8' x12' shed had rafters that were 6' high and initially I used a length of rope to suspend the bike to work on but found it too low so wrapped the rafter in bubble wrap and hung the bike off the saddle. The bubble wrap prevented any damage to the saddle nose.

[ukdodger]

a suggestion; if you make your own hook system, it is a good idea to use chain for at least part of it. The reason is that with chain you can make a height adjusting hook arrangement that allows very rapid adjustments possible.

In fairness I don't think there is that much difference between the stability of a bike in a workstand and one on hooks; they both flap around if you start to use a lot of torque on any of the fastenings.

cheers

The advantage of a stand and I mean the type that grips the TT (or any of the tubes) is that you can swivel the bike through 360deg and it will hold it firmly at any attitude. Even upside down. It makes life easy having say the dérailleur at eye level or the BB or any other part of the bike. They are also easily height adjustable and have to say I've not noticed any problem exerting torque. Another helpful thing is you can take it into the garden mount the bike and wash it without having water and muck all over the garage. And they occupy very little space when not in use.