# is park pcs 1 repair stand a good one.



## tmccrohon (Jan 17, 2004)

I saw them on sale for 130.00. I am replacing my awful spin doctor "deluxe" which lasted three months and have been using it broken for a year. I need a stand that will handle basic repairs on my xc bikes, nothing over 28 pounds. It is for a home mechanic and for race support for 24 hour races, nothing major. Any experience with this stand.

Tim from Massachusetts


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## sodade (Jan 28, 2004)

*I just did pretty much the same thing...*

I have the SpinDoctor Pro, which is better than the deluxe, but still pretty whimpy. I needed a 2nd stand so I decided to buy the PCS1. Here is a point by point:

*Weight/Sturdiness*
The SpinDoctor is aluminum - the Park is steel. This is a big difference - the SD is lightweight and rust proof and compact. It doesn't raise the bike nearly as high as the Park. It is also not very sturdy (but not "tippy"), but I will say that, after 3+ years, I haven't broken any part of it. The Park is heavy! It is very sturdy, but it is somewhat tippy front to back. It is extremely tall (a good thing).

*Clamp Construction/Design*
The SD clamp actually works pretty well. It is easy to adjust - both clamp size and rotation. It is not to flimsy, but the park clamp blew me away!! It is amazingly heavy-duty and pro quality. The Park clamp has one negative that I didn't realize from the website before I bought it - to adjust the clamp diameter, you have to undo a bolt, pick one of three tube diameters andput the bolt back in - no micro-adjust! Now in general practice, this isn't a big deal - you keep it set on your seatpost size and never mess with it, but Iif you are switching between a road and mountain bike and they have different seatpost diameters, that would be a pain. Also if you wanted to clamp onto a frame tube and you have a tube diameter that is not one of the three settings, it wouldn't work, but you probably don't want to be clamping this thing down on an thin wall oversized tube anyway...

*Conclusion*
Buy the Park! It has downsides - namely: 1. not rust proof 2. tippy front to back 3. no micro adjusting clamp. But, for the price, it still blows doors. I am glad that I have the SpinDoctor - I use it for bike washing 'cause it is aluminum...

P.S. PerformanceBike has the PCS1 for $125.99

Aaron form Nashua, NH


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## damion (Jun 27, 2003)

*My PCS-1 rocks.*

I have been using it off and on for 3 seasons now. It does not see use that often, but it is going strong. Go for it.


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## DaFireMedic (Jan 13, 2004)

*I absolutely LOVE my PCS-1*

The clamp works very well, quick and easy to hang the bike.Very stable on level ground, and very sturdy. .


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## pd417 (Feb 4, 2004)

I use the BRS-70B Consumer repair stand by Ultimate Support Systems. Rock solid, very stable. Seen them at tons of races.

http://ultimatesupport.com/retail/


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## sodade (Jan 28, 2004)

Doesn't the spinner drive you nuts on it? I much prefer the instant nature of a clamp.


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

*Ultimate Consumer, no doubt...*

...because sodade, you're talking out of both sides of your mouth.

First you wrote...



sodade said:


> The Park clamp has one negative that I didn't realize from the website before I bought it - to adjust the clamp diameter, you have to undo a bolt, pick one of three tube diameters andput the bolt back in - no micro-adjust! Now in general practice, this isn't a big deal - you keep it set on your seatpost size and never mess with it, but Iif you are switching between a road and mountain bike and they have different seatpost diameters, that would be a pain. Also if you wanted to clamp onto a frame tube and you have a tube diameter that is not one of the three settings, it wouldn't work, but you probably don't want to be clamping this thing down on an thin wall oversized tube anyway.


...but then you ask...



sodade said:


> Doesn't the spinner drive you nuts on it? I much prefer the instant nature of a clamp.


That spinner is the greatest thing since sliced bread, maybe even automatic bread makers!

Hold your bike up to it -- doesn't matter if you're clamping a 25.0mm post or a 31.8mm post or a fat yet delicate frame tube -- flick the nicely weighted spinner with your finger and _vzzzzzzzzzzpppp...._ it quickly yet gently spins closed. You can give it an extra 1/4 turn or so to finish it off without having to worry about pinching any tube so hard it becomes crimped.

Seriously, I prefer the spinner over the sliding clamp on the Ultimate Pro model, but I've got "low time" on that one so don't read too much into that statement, and I definitely prefer it over the heavy-handed Park creation.

And the fact is, I've got multiple bikes with various seat post diameters and every now and then I have to support a naked frame, a feat I don't think I'd attempt with Park's vice-like clamp.

Lastly, the Ultimate's tripod base makes it way too easy to stablize in the backyard on the lawn on wash day, or to fold up and throw in the back of the car so I can do some pre-ride derailleur adjustments on my friends bikes in the uneven dirt parking lot at the trail head.

The Ultimate is aluminum and is relatively lightweight and can be put away wet after the bike wash without worry of rusting. Is the Park _really_ steel???

Look, there is no question Park makes some of the best stuff out there, but there is a reason you see so many Ultimate stands in the pits and parking lots. They're lightweight, stable and strong. I'd definitely put their "consumer" model at the top of the list for best value.

Perhaps my best photo of my Ultimate stand in action:


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## Ebo (Dec 30, 2003)

Yes. A very solid repair stand. Have used one for 8 years. But given the choice now, I like the Ultimate Consumer for its portability. Can't go wrong with either, but if you want to take it on a trip, the Park is somewhat clumsy.


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## pd417 (Feb 4, 2004)

I agree with f*nætik, the USS is by far the best work stand for my needs. I have no problem with holding the bike and using the spinner clamp. The clamp lets you adjust the exact amount of pressure you'll be exerting on your frame or seatpost. I have a thin walled steel road bike frame I wouldn't feel terribly comfortable putting in the Park clamp.


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## sodade (Jan 28, 2004)

I agree that the ability to micro-adjust is cool, but I like a clamp mechanism. I almost hate to say it, but in my experience (admittedly limited to the PCS1, and the SpinDoctor Pro), the SpinDoctor has the most convienient solution - the clamping mechanism has a dial that adjusts the clamp diameter. Problem is, the clamp and the whole stand are a bit flimsy - especially compared to the Park (which is indeed made of steel - and is not very portable at all). Now, the story you sing about the spinner that closes down inches with one flick o' the wrist sure sounds appealing. It is not the impression that I get when I look at pictures of it, but that highlights the fact that I buy all my stuff online as I avoid the bike store (besides, I doubt that my local purveyer of garage hanging Treks would have something as "esoteric" as a bike stand, much less multiple ones to examine - probably a smart move on their part, as I wouldn't pay their markup anyway).


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## Marc25 (Feb 15, 2004)

*My vote... Ultimate*



tmccrohon said:


> I saw them on sale for 130.00. I am replacing my awful spin doctor "deluxe" which lasted three months and have been using it broken for a year. I need a stand that will handle basic repairs on my xc bikes, nothing over 28 pounds. It is for a home mechanic and for race support for 24 hour races, nothing major. Any experience with this stand.
> 
> Tim from Massachusetts


I'm also a big fan of ultimate especialy for outdoor events. I have use the Park in several occasion and the bigest problem is it's stability. If you are not on a perfect surface the stand have a tendency to fall back will taking off the bike. If you use a tool tray that's meen you have to retrieve all those little part in the grass. Also, once fold the ultaimate fit easily in any car trunk, for the park you have to fold down the rear seat and sometime to pass it thru you have to take off a lot of stuff from the trunk.

The single thing a love from the park is that i'm not worry to but a very heavy bike on it cause it's kind of overbuilt.

But for the racer of the road who want a rack to use at the race the ultimate is the best.


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## mtbman007 (Feb 1, 2004)

*There isn't a better stand than a Park!*

I've had the same Park repair stand for about 15 years- the same clamp, same base, and never a problem. It's true that it's not as portable as some of the others, but the quality is unmatched. I've actually assembled thousands of bikes with mine, and I haven't heard of another that comes close. You absolutely cannot go wrong with a Park stand, or any of their other tools. BTW, I don't work for them, and am not sponsored by them. Ha.


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