How to Make a Homemade Bicycle Repair Stand

For many a rider, keeping up the maintenance on their bikes is a passion. But floor stands can be both costly and space-consuming. The answer is a ceiling-mounted bicycle repair stand that takes up little room in the garage and can be used to get the bike up off the ground, making it easy to work on. You can make your own stand with simple parts that can be purchased at any hardware store.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

3/8-inch plywood, 16-inch-square sheet 12 wood screws, 1-1/2 inch Phillips head screwdriver 2 flanges, 1-1/2 inch 3- to 5-foot metal pipe (threaded), 1-1/2-inch diameter 6-inch metal pipe (threaded), 1-1/2-inch diameter Elbow, 1-1/2-inch diameter Pipe wrench 2 blocks 2-by-4 wood 4 screws, 3-1/2-inch Drill 1-1/2-inch drill bit Door hinge Door hinge hardware Duct tape 2 lag bolts, 5-inch
3/8-inch plywood, 16-inch-square sheet
12 wood screws, 1-1/2 inch
Phillips head screwdriver
2 flanges, 1-1/2 inch
3- to 5-foot metal pipe (threaded), 1-1/2-inch diameter
6-inch metal pipe (threaded), 1-1/2-inch diameter
Elbow, 1-1/2-inch diameter
Pipe wrench
2 blocks 2-by-4 wood
4 screws, 3-1/2-inch
Drill
1-1/2-inch drill bit
Door hinge
Door hinge hardware
Duct tape
2 lag bolts, 5-inch

Step 1

Attach the plywood to the ceiling with four to six wood screws.

Step 2

Affix one of the flanges to the plywood with wood screws.

Step 3

Screw the 3- to 5-foot threaded pipe into the flange, so that the pipe comes down from the ceiling to a comfortable work point. The length of this pipe varies based on how high your flange mounting point is and how far off the floor you want the stand to be.

Step 4

Attach the elbow to the pipe hanging down.

Step 5

Attach the 6-inch threaded pipe to the other end of the elbow, at a 90-degree angle to the ceiling pipe.

Step 6

Tighten the pipes with the pipe wrench.

Step 7

Stack the 2-by-4s and affix them to each other with wood screws, making a single 4-by-4 block.

Step 8

Drill a hole down the middle of the 4-by-4 block where the two pieces meet. This will create a groove in which your bike fame will sit once the entire stand is done.

Step 9

Affix the other flange to the center-back of one of the individual 2-by-4s, using wood screws.

Step 10

Attach the door hinge to each end of the two 2-by-4 blocks.

Step 11

Screw the flange on the block into the end of the 6-inch threaded pipe that extends from the elbow.

Step 12

Drill a 1/2-inch hole (or one big enough to hold the 5-inch lag bolt) in the blocks, at the end opposite of where the hinge is.

Step 13

Open the blocks, place your bike in the groove, and close the blocks around the frame. Slide the lag bolt into the hole to keep the the blocks closed while the bike is in the stand.

Tips & Warnings

You can also use a cordless drill and a Phillips bit head to save some of the screwdriver work.

Failure to screw the plywood into the ceiling lumber (joists) could cause the bicycle stand to pull from the ceiling and lead to damage to the bike or personal injury.

Article Written By Patrick Cameron

Patrick Cameron is a freelance writer with 10 years of diverse experience in consumer goods branding, promotions and retail communications. He works out of his home in Denver, Colo. He received his Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from the University of Minnesota.

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