The Amateur Bike Mechanic's Workbench

Park Tool PCS-10

Bicycles aren't really particularly finicky machines. Well-constructed rides can survive benign neglect for quite a while before “demanding” a tune-up, especially if they're rarely used. You’re wise to keep up your lubrication, but you might not notice problems if you don’t ride much. If you ride more than a few times a summer, though, you’re aware that regular maintenance and cleaning are absolute musts. You need a stand for those chores; one like the Park Tools PCS-10 Home Repair Stand.

The PCS-10 is considered a portable stand because it folds for storage and transport. It suspends mountain, hybrid, cyclocross, gravel, tri, or road bikes (cruisers and recumbents, too) from a top-mounted clamp that grasps tubes ranging from 7/8 to 3 inches in diameter. Lift height ranges from 39 to 57 inches, high enough to position most bikes for easy access to any component. A cam-operated, padded clamp locks the bike in place while the three-point leg system keeps everything stable. Loosen a pair of quick-release clamps, fold the legs, and the PCS-10 collapses to a compact 41” tall, small enough to lean in a corner. The quick-releases are the stand’s chief difference with the less-expensive PCS-9.

The clamp is the heart of the PCS-10. Padded jaws, three inches wide, grasp any tubing gently – seat, top, down, head; or the seat post for a carbon frame. It closes with a slick cam arrangement to avoid over-tightening; and the whole mechanism rotates through a full 360° to lock the bike at any angle. The PCS-10 comes disassembled in a large, 25-pound box with the tools needed for assembly. The included instructions are, sadly, a little tough to follow. They are, however, printed in four languages… Assembly takes fifteen to twenty minutes, much of which is spent flipping the paper back and forth between text and illustrations.

When assembled, the PCS-10 is an engineering marvel. It’s sturdy – its three-point stance makes it nearly impossible to tip over – and versatile. You can mount the bike in any position, rotate it while clamped in place, and raise and lower the stand easily. The footprint is large when opened (for stability), but once folded the stand is about the size of a smallish golf bag.

Park accessories for the PCS-10 include a couple of work trays for tools (got one), a paper-towel holder (got it), a wheel truing attachment (need one), and a nylon carry bag. Fun fact: Park has trademarked this color of BLUE (their caps).

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