PSA: Lidl Bike Workstand on sale tomorrow (16th March) £25
bomster
Posts: 202
http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-249 ... l&id=21711
Comes up a few times a year, and seems like good value for money (especially considering they usually sell it for £30!).
Favourable review here - http://dirtmountainbike.com/products/fr ... sTEK9Mr.97
Hope this helps some people out!
Comes up a few times a year, and seems like good value for money (especially considering they usually sell it for £30!).
Favourable review here - http://dirtmountainbike.com/products/fr ... sTEK9Mr.97
Hope this helps some people out!
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It's not the most sturdy, i.e. I'd rather install & torque pedals with the bike resting on it's tyres but for cabling and adjusting derailleurs you can't beat it.
Using the word 'fine' in a review is always telling IMO.
IME spending more on such things normally pays dividends, although for £25 v say £90 I think this might be worth a punt. It may actually lead to people getting a really decent one (if they do find it a bit lacking) once they realise how much better having a stand is.
Plan to get one myself tomorrow if I can, as it will be good for outdoor use like washing bikes and taking on trips/to work etc. or just having two bikes in a stand at once perhaps.
Full review v Park Tools P10 shortly
What do you get with posher stands? I've only ever had one of these and find it perfect for my needs but have never tried anything else so am not a reliable reviewer. As has already mentioned, if standing on a spanner to remove a bottom bracket or pedals I'd do it without the stand but didn't really see that as a problem.
The two things should be completely different quality.
I have some 'posh' adjustable spanners and they are a world away from the silver chrome things you get in B&Q, but some people would say the cheap ones undo nuts just as well.
Plan on getting a lidl work stand tomorrow so I'll let you know.
Sure, I don't attempt to remove bb bearings etc with it, but for cabling, running thru gears and general tinkering, they're great.
Even if you get one just for washing the bike down, they're worth it. In fact, I'm think I'm going to do just that
If these cost £50 they'd still be worth it.
Just check the box first though. The first one I bought didn't have the tool tray inside. Lidl exchanged no probs for one with the tray.
Sandvik Bahco. They have 'ergo' rubberised handles.
Have had them years and have never jammed (like the cheap ones do) even though have had a tough life and I have never cleaned/oiled them.
Have various sizes but favourite is mid size handle with large (oversized) thin jaws.
Bahco, Facom, Snap-on, Teng... to name a few. Bacho are probably the go-to choice for adjustables though, and fairly cheap on Amazon.
I hope the work stand does not have that odd burning plastic/oil smell that cheap stuff often does.
Where's your dedication? You could have slept outside in a sleeping bag. If there's a Black Friday style rampage and you miss out don't come crying to us.
So, for the review.
Early days yet but was very quick to put together. Only issue was that one of the feet was a bit damaged, but only cosmetic really. TBH I might take them off and replace with rubber stops as the feet are a bit annoying unless you want to nail/screw it to the floor.
It feels pretty good for £25 and so much better than not having one I guess.
The big downside is that you have to clamp the top tube rather than the seatpost. The clamp and pivot is just not up to holding uneven loads.
With a carbon frame this is going to be a big no no IMO. I mainly only got it for washing the bikes, but even for that I would not clamp the top tube.
The solution is to either have the front wheel on the floor, or stick a chair or something under the front wheel (which I would find a faff if it were my only stand).
Other main difference compared to a decent stand like the PC10 is that two legs are much better than four.
The PC10 is much nicer to work around. The two legs are perfectly out of the way, the supporting pole is further away from the bike, and the stand will go nearer to a wall so giving more space if thats at a premium.
If space is not a premium then its still nice not to have the rear legs as a trip hazard.
Third downside is probably going to be how long it is before something breaks.
All in all its pretty much what I thought it would be. OK for £25, but personally I would still pay more for a decent one.
The soft shells look good for £12 if they are breathable. If not they are completely useless.
Crudder
CX
Toy
If having the front wheel on makes it dip then its not strong enough to hold it.
I did not say it tipped, just that bike could not be held horizontal from seat post/tube.
Its a knurled metal pole with a basic plastic clamp. There is no way that could hold a bike from the seat post.
The actual clamp is under strain when vertical anyway. Something is going to break if you do not use as the instructions show (top tube or front wheel on floor).
I wouldn't be scared of clamping to my top tube though. You just adjust the jaws to clamp gently. Very little force required to hold the bike firmly enough really.
I still think clamping top tube on some carbon frames is asking for trouble though and I would rather clamp the seat post and prop the front wheel if I wanted the bike horizontal.
Out of interest, what would be the issue with clamping a carbon top tube instead of a carbon seat post?
Seatposts are cheaper than frames. I would be cautious clamping by the seatpost and trying to hold the bike horizontal - puts a lot of force through the seatpost / frame junction. In my experience the Lidl stand is up to it though, with a light bike at least. As others have said, you can remove the front wheel or, for most situations, just let the bike find its own centre of gravity before tightening.
My stand held my 35lbs Ridgeback (by the top tube - it must be solid steel so no worries about that!) rock steady. I find it really good for most day to day servicing, my main issue is not having the time rather than not having the tools!
That was my rationale when I bought one last April for £30. The included tool tray was a nice boon.
Probably a silly suggestion/thought, but would it be possible to clamp onto the saddle?
I'd still like to get a trellis type workstand though.
The carbon seat post is round usually but a carbon top tube can be lots of shapes.
Carbon seat posts are designed to be clamped. You clamp your frame to it to keep the seat post up to desired height.
If you use the cam lock in a hurry (especially if it has been adjusted since last use or you clamp a non round top tube at a different angle/place) I would have thought it pretty easy to put a lot of pressure on an area thats not designed to take it.
Go easy (every single time) and you will be fine. Use the wing nut and not the cam lock.
The fact that the cam lock is not also the adjustment mechanism temps you not to adjust it properly.
Its a bit like using a chop saw without a guard. I have never slipped and hit the guard with my hand, but if one day I did, I would be glad the guard was there
Workshops that I have seen clamp the seat post and bikes are horizontal.
If you try to close the cam hard enough I guess it could dent/crush it. You would have to be pretty ham fisted to do that though I reckon.
Pleased with mine. Safely in the shed now. No more dragging the Park Tools one out of the garage (to go all rusty) for bike washing.
Going to test out the soft shell tomorrow. Its for commute but will give it a test under more extreme conditions first.
Anyone else get one? I have never bought Aldi/Lidl clothing for myself before, but this one tempted me.
The high wycombe store has a load of the stands in stock if anyone needs one.
Wore a castelli long sleeved base layer underneath on a hilly 25 mile ride I have recently been using a Gore Phantom to do.
Felt pretty good on the ride. Did not feel quite as nice but I was more than happy with it.
Inside of top and whole of base layer were very wet when I took them off though. Maybe on a less intense ride and/or not such a sweaty rider, it would not have been so bad.
Its not as good a fit (bit long mainly), arms do not come off to make a windproof short sleeve, and probably not anywhere near as water resistant as the Phantom either, but at £11.99 v £149.99 (list price) its not really meant to be those things.
Its a very nice softshell/long sleeve jersey in its own right for the money. I would not be at all bothered about having to go out in it again (as long as I could shower afterwards) but a discounted Phantom is still the way to go IMO.
Actually bought it for short (3 mile) commute though, so will try it on that tomorrow.