October 5th, 2006
Ongawi

Product Review:
Topeak PrepStand

It was the last straw. After getting busted by the spouse for overhauling my Blur's bottom bracket on the dinner table, I knew I had to get me a dedicated bike repair stand.

What the heck. I've already invested in some bike tools to work with..so why not go all the way. Owning a bike stand will take my bike tinkering sessions to a more civilised level. No more squatting by the bike when tuning the RD. No more knobbly tyre marks when leaning the bike on the wall..

After ordering my Topeak PrepStand from Bicycle World Melawati 2 weeks ago, it finally arrived! I've owned a few Topeak products over the years such their miniature shock pumps, their minitools and their biking tent and I'm always impressed with their innovative design and product quality. I had no qualms about getting this repair stand from this company this time around.

The PrepStand comes in 2 versions: the Standard (mine) and the Pro which is equipped with a digital display weighing scale incorporated into the horizontal arm. I was surprised at the sheer compact size when i opened the box. When folded and tucked neatly, the entire unit measures about 17 cm wide by 1.2m high- just the ideal size for easy under-the-bed stowage...competing for real estate with my collapsible threadmill, thigh-master and foldable power-stepper...It's housed in a very practical and well padded carry case perfect for the days when you want to take your bike and tools to the race.

Nice carry case!

The PrepStand is constructed of light but tough 6061 T6 aluminium tubes throughout. All the hinges and pivots are of good quality. It offers boundless easy adjustable options. Folding out the supporting tripod legs and raising the height of the supporting clamp arm is as easy as adjusting your saddle height with the oversized QR clamps at the top and bottom of the PrepStand. The stand even comes with a clever air cushion valve which allows the extension tube to slide down smoothly when adjusting the height.

sturdy aluminium legs

Strong oversized QR clamp for easy height adjustment

The clamping arm when extended at right angles to the extension tube is secured at the bottom with a sliding and lockable folding knob. Two other knobs on different ends of the arm adjusts the rotating angle of the arm and the clamping jaws of the vise/clamp. The top of the arm hides a small parts storage box to keep loose nuts, nipples and bolts. For the weight weenie bike tinkerer, the storage box can be unscrewed and be replaced with the Topeak digital bike scale, which snaps right into the arm for instant weight measurement while working on the bike.

Cool tool box

rotating the clamp arm from horizontal to any angle
by way of adjusting the knob

To prevent damaging the bike frame or paintjob, the clamping jaws are constructed of industrial plastic. The base of the clamp which slides in and out where the bike frame sits on is further lined by two thin rails of soft plastic. I feel it'll be wiser to wrap the frame with a soft cloth before any clamping work. The clamping jaw I feel is strong enough to hold tenaciously to anything, from the most anaemic roadie bike to the burliest downhill rig. Even though the large adjustment knobs are easy to turn, I find it a bit of a slow agonising struggle clamping it shut when the left arm is straining to carry and align a heavy bike into the clamp jaws. A QR system at this end may be a better option.

Remember to close the tool box when rotating the arm vertically!

Another accessory which you can add to this stand is the Topeak Tool-Tray. Made of strong plastic, this tray has multiple cubby holes and slots for the tools and compartments for other stuff. This means no more greasy tools on the dining table. This stand and tool tray looks so cool I am even tempted to have my dinner on it..

Just don't eat your nasi kandar off this..

Value for money: Very sturdy and adaptable repair stand

Performance: it's now a breeze to work on the bike thanks to this.

Cool factor: makes you wanna open a bike shop

Manufacturer's website :::HERE

-Ongawi