Adjusting the gears, lubricating a chain, replacing worn-out brake pads or removing the fork and rear-shock for a pre-season service; there are plenty of good reasons to own a repair stand. Unfortunately not all stands have the stability needed to support a heavy E-MTB. We tested eight of the most popular work-stands on the market and will tell you which one is the ultimate E-MTB stand.

What to consider when buying an E-MTB stand

When it comes to repair stands E-MTBs come with one big disadvantage: they’re heavy. Generally at least 10 kg heavier than any conventional bike. For obvious structural reasons repair stands are subjected to strong leverage forces and the additional weight of an E-MTB with its heavy battery and motor can become an issue with conventional repair-stands. The tubing has to be robust enough to cope with the extra load and the structural design capable of resisting stronger leverage forces. Finally all of the height- and angle-adjustment-clamps on the main head need to be strong enough to hold the bike in place and prevent it from twisting around or sliding down. This explains why our test features models with a certified load capacity of at least 25 kg. Our test bike weighs 23.5 kg.

An intuitive and fast working head-clamp system is an essential requirement when handling a heavy E-MTB. After all we’re not all bodybuilders who can hold up a 23,5 kg bike for five minutes while getting the clamp ready. You really want to attach your bike to the stand as quickly as possible. We also tried to find out whether more money necessarily means more stability and better handling; that’s why we set a broad test-field with prices ranging between € 130 and € 440.

Three legged vs two legged

Generally there aren’t any significant advantages to one or the other system; both have their pros and cons. As a rule of thumb two-legged work stands offer a little more stability under load, more room for pedal movement and usually a smaller footprint. On the other hand they are far less stable without load and aren’t an optimal solution on uneven or sloping surfaces; In this case three legged stands are much better. Thanks to a central column these adapt better to the floor and allow the bike to swivel by 360 degrees. The only weak point of three legged models is the connection between the legs and the central column; this isn’t always stable enough and can cause the stand to bend under heavy loads. In some cases it can restrict the room between the pedals and the central column. We would generally recommend a two legged stand for home-workshop applications and a three-legged model for “on the go” applications and uneven floors.

Brand Model Price Weight Additional
Contec Rocky Steady € 129.95 4.56 kg
Feedback Sports Pro Elite € 299.95 5.50 kg
Feedback Sports Sport Mechanic € 169.90 5.72 kg
Park Tool PCS-10 € 249.99 7.70 kg
Park Tool PRS-25 € 439.99 5.96 kg
Pedros Folding Repair Stand € 385.00 9.30 kg includes a bag
Topeak Prep Stand Pro* € 329.95 6.56 kg includes a bag
Unior 1693A BikeGator+ € 328.00 6.56 kg includes a tray

*The Prep Stand Elite for € 279.95 (the exact same model only without the integrated scale) wasn’t available at the time of our test.