Raise ebike on repair stand?

[CraigR]

I know bike shops hang bikes off the extended seat post all the time but it makes me nervous doing that - it just looks wrong to do that on a part that moves and has seals (bike stands were designed for fixed seat tubes). I hang my bikes off the top tube (wrapped in a rag) which probably isn't much
better as it is also not designed to be stressed like that. I keep looking for micro cracks in carbon shell.

Dropper seats can handle way more weight/torque/etc.... than you will ever put on them doing work. Think about how much twisting, left/right/forward/backward pressures are applied to the the extended seat post when fully extended when a 200+lb person is sitting on it and ridding with no issues to the post and seals. There is no issue hanging the bike from the extended seat post.

 

[irie]

Dropper seats can handle way more weight/torque/etc.... than you will ever put on them doing work. Think about how much twisting, left/right/forward/backward pressures are applied to the the extended seat post when fully extended when a 200+lb person is sitting on it and ridding with no issues to the post and seals. There is no issue hanging the bike from the extended seat post.

You have above ignored the fact that when hanging a bike by the seat post weight is applied in the opposite direction to when the bike is being ridden.

 

[KnollyBro]

Dropper seats can handle way more weight/torque/etc.... than you will ever put on them doing work. Think about how much twisting, left/right/forward/backward pressures are applied to the the extended seat post when fully extended when a 200+lb person is sitting on it and ridding with no issues to the post and seals. There is no issue hanging the bike from the extended seat post.

But a 200 lb person rarely has their feet off the pedals and bars. You may be right but I will pass.

 

[Mikerb]

I agree the forces acting on a dropper by clamping it in a bike stand are completely different to those it is asked to withstand when riding regardless of the rider weight. Even clamping the bike using the top tube, if your bike design allows that is asking that tube to take forces in a direction the tube was not designed to take (imho!!).
I use the false crossbar together with a pretty cheap workstand...both Halfords. @steve_sordy ...if your did not fit I reckon it must be an older version....mine has opening levers at both ends with push buttons to release them. For mine the only reason it would not fit is if the head tube and stem are very wide and there are no spacers between the top of the head tube and the stem.

Like most cheap workstands the "locks" to enable height adjustment etc cannot cope with EMTB weights so I just use a nut and bolt in a couple of holes drilled through both tubes......invariably I just use it at the same height all the time though.

The clamp bar is adjusted to ensure when the bike is in the clamp there is clearance for the cranks to rotate without hitting the upright. I use a fairly large gardening tray ( the type used to hold tomato grow bags) on the floor positioned to catch trail rubbish cleared from the drivetrain....and degreaser/oil for when I clean the chain.
The jaws of the clamp are open such that the false cross bar can be lifted and rested on the bottom jaw. It is perfectly stable and balanced like that, and the clamp can then be closed to add further stability.

So lifting using the false crossbar is the equivant of a 2 arm bicep curl dead lift of 26kg from hip height to chest height....................which any rider should be capable of doing.

This set up is very stable and quick to do for the main maintenance tasks of cleaning and lubing. I remove the wheels and clean the wheels and tyres with bike cleaner and a hose ( bits of rag stuffed into hubs on both sides and hose direction vertical only). The rest of the bike is done with brushes and a damp cloth. I have room to work on either side of the stand but if space is limited it is just as easy to just take the bike off and hang it the other way a round.
The limitations of this method are if you need to work on the dropper/headset/remove the fork. For those jobs i have a Park tool platform bike stand which I modified to enable the motor guard area to sit on the sliding rail and either the fork or the rear through axle can be secured in a fixed mount.

 

[KnollyBro]

I agree the forces acting on a dropper by clamping it in a bike stand are completely different to those it is asked to withstand when riding regardless of the rider weight. Even clamping the bike using the top tube, if your bike design allows that is asking that tube to take forces in a direction the tube was not designed to take (imho!!).
I use the false crossbar together with a pretty cheap workstand...both Halfords. @steve_sordy ...if your did not fit I reckon it must be an older version....mine has opening levers at both ends with push buttons to release them. For mine the only reason it would not fit is if the head tube and stem are very wide and there are no spacers between the top of the head tube and the stem.

Like most cheap workstands the "locks" to enable height adjustment etc cannot cope with EMTB weights so I just use a nut and bolt in a couple of holes drilled through both tubes......invariably I just use it at the same height all the time though.

The clamp bar is adjusted to ensure when the bike is in the clamp there is clearance for the cranks to rotate without hitting the upright. I use a fairly large gardening tray ( the type used to hold tomato grow bags) on the floor positioned to catch trail rubbish cleared from the drivetrain....and degreaser/oil for when I clean the chain.
The jaws of the clamp are open such that the false cross bar can be lifted and rested on the bottom jaw. It is perfectly stable and balanced like that, and the clamp can then be closed to add further stability.

So lifting using the false crossbar is the equivant of a 2 arm bicep curl dead lift of 26kg from hip height to chest height....................which any rider should be capable of doing.

This set up is very stable and quick to do for the main maintenance tasks of cleaning and lubing. I remove the wheels and clean the wheels and tyres with bike cleaner and a hose ( bits of rag stuffed into hubs on both sides and hose direction vertical only). The rest of the bike is done with brushes and a damp cloth. I have room to work on either side of the stand but if space is limited it is just as easy to just take the bike off and hang it the other way a round.
The limitations of this method are if you need to work on the dropper/headset/remove the fork. For those jobs i have a Park tool platform bike stand which I modified to enable the motor guard area to sit on the sliding rail and either the fork or the rear through axle can be secured in a fixed mount.

Best answer ever! In short, false top tubes are better unless one needs to remove a fork.

 

[Binhill1]

I used dropper post until one day I stupidly tilted the bike round on the stand to do something . I noticed a crack on the seat post collar next time I went out . I use a halfords fake crossbar now. My clamp on the stand is not the biggest and easiest to close that is the only hard bit.

 

[darwink1]

I stopped using my stand and just hang the bike with a ratchet strap from the ceiling to work on it now. Helps I have a hoist beam in the garage, but any hook screwed into a joist would do. If I'm taking the wheels off the bike is upside down on the floor.

D

 

[Picard12]

Feedback sports will release a new electric stand in 2025. It is supposed to portable. I am hoping for a review

 

[TimC7]

I stopped using my stand and just hang the bike with a ratchet strap from the ceiling to work on it now. Helps I have a hoist beam in the garage, but any hook screwed into a joist would do. If I'm taking the wheels off the bike is upside down on the floor.

D

Two hooks screwed in roof joists with two nylon straps to lift front and rear in the garage, and cheap Lidl bike stand for cleaning outside. Bought a cheap pair of drop handle bars off eBay, wrapped them in soft padding and clamp them in the stand then hang bike on them.

 

[irie]

That was the only pic I had. As I recall it wouldn't fit around the head tube.

Largest end is ~51mm to go around steerer tube under the bars, smallest end is ~34mm to go around seat tube.