Sooner or later cycling becomes so addictive that you'll want to service the bike yourself. This of course requires a repair stand that can suspend the bike while leaving the drive train free. I've observed the workings of the pro stand my bike shop uses and wanted those features. The three main features that were a must have were quick clamping to the seat post, 360 deg. rotation on a horizontal axis and that it not occupy a lot of real estate.
In the past I always considered and opted for home brew solutions over the cost of commercially made items. When I was young it was because I had more skills than money. Now I have the money but I still enjoy making the stuff myself. So I started sketching some ideas and Googled gobs of home brew designs as well as considering commercial models.
Since I have a solid work bench and wood vice in my shop this design captured my interest.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIKEHAND-Bi...800?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f288ab1e8 as It can be secured to a board clamped in the vice.
It seemed to me that this wall mount design would lend itself to well to fabrication using 3/4" or 1" galvanized pipe and fittings, so I priced the basic parts at the Home Depot website. When I saw the price of a 3/4" flange (didn't see a 1" model) it was an obscene $11.00! I thought it was a typo so I cycled over to the store to see for myself. OMG! The price of thick wall galvanized pipe had gone through the roof! It wasn't that long ago that my total pipe and fittings cost would have been about that much!
So what the hell happened here? Steel, as far as I know, has not had a sharp rise in cost and most of it comes from China anyway. Is it the galvanization process? Has the EPA or some international body deemed it environmentally unfriendly? When I walk through a flea market and see boxes of loose pipe and fittings I'll look at them as though they are gold bars!
In the end I ordered the Ebay item as I refuse to pay those ridiculous prices for common pipe. Besides, anything that puts me on my bike more than on my feet is a plus.
Chris... 3,386 miles. 208lbs- down from 250lbs.
In the past I always considered and opted for home brew solutions over the cost of commercially made items. When I was young it was because I had more skills than money. Now I have the money but I still enjoy making the stuff myself. So I started sketching some ideas and Googled gobs of home brew designs as well as considering commercial models.
Since I have a solid work bench and wood vice in my shop this design captured my interest.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIKEHAND-Bi...800?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f288ab1e8 as It can be secured to a board clamped in the vice.
It seemed to me that this wall mount design would lend itself to well to fabrication using 3/4" or 1" galvanized pipe and fittings, so I priced the basic parts at the Home Depot website. When I saw the price of a 3/4" flange (didn't see a 1" model) it was an obscene $11.00! I thought it was a typo so I cycled over to the store to see for myself. OMG! The price of thick wall galvanized pipe had gone through the roof! It wasn't that long ago that my total pipe and fittings cost would have been about that much!
So what the hell happened here? Steel, as far as I know, has not had a sharp rise in cost and most of it comes from China anyway. Is it the galvanization process? Has the EPA or some international body deemed it environmentally unfriendly? When I walk through a flea market and see boxes of loose pipe and fittings I'll look at them as though they are gold bars!
In the end I ordered the Ebay item as I refuse to pay those ridiculous prices for common pipe. Besides, anything that puts me on my bike more than on my feet is a plus.
Chris... 3,386 miles. 208lbs- down from 250lbs.
