As any mechanic who has ever worked on one of my bikes can attest to, I’m not the best at maintenance. So while I probably should have palmed this work stand off to one of my more mechanically inclined reviewers to test, I decided to hold onto it and see if it would make me a little more proactive with repairs.
The Pro-Elite repair stand is the penultimate model in a range of five, and has some great features including the quick-release clamp ratchet fastening system. The what? Well, you pick the bike up in one hand, roughly locate it in the work stand and push on the clamp. The ratchet slides in and––boosh––your bike is securely held in place. Honestly, until you’ve used it you won’t know how easy it is. Releasing the bike is simple too: one push of the release button and the spring-loaded clamp pops open.
Attaching the clamp mechanism to the stand’s upright is the 360° clutch. This allows you to spin the clamp to any angle, meaning you can get your bike or fork into pretty much any position you like. Again, it’s incredibly simple to use and its ergonomic shape is easy to adjust and tighten, with no risk of over tightening.
Our test stand also came with the optional tool tray. Now, I probably wouldn’t have considered getting one of these myself, but after using it just once I’m sold. The tray not only holds all your Allen keys and spanners within easy reach, it also has a decent sized basin, with plug, for washing parts. I’m not a coffee drinker, but the cup holder came in handy too.
The only drawback that I can see, and this may be because I’m 6’ 4” and have the stand extended to its full height, is a little bit of flex in the main shaft. It’s not enough to worry about, and I guess if it were any stiffer it would be too heavy to cart around.
I’ve used the Pro-Elite far more than I ever thought I would. The simplest acts of bicycle maintenance and repair are much easier with the bike the right way up (no longer accumulating scratches on my shifters is a bonus too) and I’ve even been throwing it in the boot on road trips. The Pro-Elite’s durability, quality, weight, ease of setup and shiny red finish make it a must have for experienced and budding maintenance fans. I don’t know what I’d do without it now.
