Originally Posted by adouglas
OK, so I bought one of these as a birthday present to myself.
I could not be happier.
I am blessed with a large, ground-level workshop, complete with smooth concrete floor and sink. Don't hate me. When we were shopping for a new house, I discovered it and nearly fainted. I went back upstairs and said to my wife "Dear, I absolutely LOVE the kitchen!!!" (which was true too, but, well, you know).
Anyway, I have two bikes and this awesome space. It's the perfect size to park one bike in the middle of the shop and do stuff, but it's a PITA to swap bikes, get the bike out of the way, turn it around, etc. etc.
So I really wanted an easy way to move bikes around the shop.
This stand is, pardon my French, THE ABSOLUTE T*TS. I could not be happier.
Useful notes:
For those with multiple bikes:
1) Two bikes means two bike-specific brackets. The choice is to buy two stands (not a bad idea if you've got the $$$... two of these are still cheaper than one of the Burwell stands) or buy one stand and two brackets. I was worried that swapping brackets would be such a hassle that I'd hate it, but once set up it's only two bolts. Can be done in a minute.
I moved both bikes around the shop multiple times and have concluded that it really is no big deal to swap setups.
2) It's a good idea to mark bolt locations and stuff on the brackets, so you can get things lined up properly every time.
Use:
1)You WILL get comfortable with balancing a bike with one hand, leaning it on your hip, etc. Because if you can't do this, you can't get the pins into the holes. Period. (Don't worry, it's not hard.)
2) Setup is very fiddly, but it's not actually necessary to get everything perfect. Close enough is good enough. Also, once you're set you're done. One thing I really appreciated is that each bracket set comes with the threaded bolt that adjusts the angle. This is a key setting and having to re-do it every time would be a MASSIVE hassle.
Quality and utility:
Very well made IMHO. Good hardware, good finish. I wouldn't take this to the track, though, because the wheels are relatively small and probably wouldn't do that well on asphalt. In a garage with a smooth concrete floor, it's perfect.
Is it a replacement for conventional paddock stands?
I'd say no. Traditional stands are very useful and versatile. They can deal with real-world track conditions (less-than-level surfaces, semi-rough pavement) with ease. This stand really does well on smooth, level surfaces, and is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for maneuvering bikes around in small spaces. So it's a terrific complement, but not a replacement IMHO.
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