I recently ordered a Velomann bike stand from ebay, someone recommended the fixed one sold in Asda but I ordered the folding one. It arrived yesterday and I set about assembling it.
The inner vertical tube seemed a bit big, this meant it stuck fast in the adjuster and couldn't be shortened. I can live with that.
Then I had a similar problem at the top and the bolts weren't quite long enough to connect the parts together round the top of the tube, I managed to get them done up just and then noticed that the casting had cracked and a lug dropped off. So, I need to choose between repair or replacement.
Normally I'll accept that cheap off ebay means a bit rough round the edges but this wasn't particularly cheap so I wonder if sub £100 bike stands are all similar. It is Italian and pretty much consistant with what I hear about current Italian engineering, poor quality. The castings are mediocre and none of the bits fit correctly, the poor fit means none of the moving bits operate correctly if at all. The jaws don't open very wide and there is no way I can fit the 905se top tube into them, I'm not enamoured with the idea of clamping it to a seat post which in turn is attached to the bike with a quick release clamp.
My questions:
Am I expecting too much?
Do the clamps on most bike stands open wide enough to fit a modern oversize top tube?
Should I have gone to Park Tools?
Here's a couple of piccies of the broken bit.
The inner vertical tube seemed a bit big, this meant it stuck fast in the adjuster and couldn't be shortened. I can live with that.
Then I had a similar problem at the top and the bolts weren't quite long enough to connect the parts together round the top of the tube, I managed to get them done up just and then noticed that the casting had cracked and a lug dropped off. So, I need to choose between repair or replacement.
Normally I'll accept that cheap off ebay means a bit rough round the edges but this wasn't particularly cheap so I wonder if sub £100 bike stands are all similar. It is Italian and pretty much consistant with what I hear about current Italian engineering, poor quality. The castings are mediocre and none of the bits fit correctly, the poor fit means none of the moving bits operate correctly if at all. The jaws don't open very wide and there is no way I can fit the 905se top tube into them, I'm not enamoured with the idea of clamping it to a seat post which in turn is attached to the bike with a quick release clamp.
My questions:
Am I expecting too much?
Do the clamps on most bike stands open wide enough to fit a modern oversize top tube?
Should I have gone to Park Tools?
Here's a couple of piccies of the broken bit.
