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The 500 Bike Workstand is part of Decathlon’s range of tools and accessories for bike mechanics.

This home bike repair stand is advertised as being perfect for holding your bike while cleaning and doing basic work such as removing wheels.

Designed to take tubes up to 5cm in diameter and overall bike weight of a maximum 20kg, I found this stand limited with full-suspension bikes.

Employing a simple folding system with quick-release levers, the stand requires the head unit to be inserted before use. Folded length is 120cm.

The 500 Bike Workstand is made from lightweight steel tubing with narrow legs.

The manufacturer’s instructions recommend lining up the arm with one of the legs to increase stability.

The working height of the stand can be extended from 110cm to a respectable 152cm, though stability is greater with the bike lower.

Although the jaws only open to 50mm, the head unit rotates 360 degrees, giving a wide range of angles for working on the bike, or clamping in alternative positions.

The simplicity of construction is a real winner with this stand. It’s very easy to erect and well thought out, with the tool shelf slotting onto pegs.

The downside is the stability. Even when lined up as advised with the arm over one of the legs, the stand feels unstable when working on a 14kg full-suspension mountain bike.

The base of each leg is a hard plastic cap. With a lightweight stand, these feet offer little traction on the floor, especially when putting force through the bike to remove bottom brackets or other stubborn parts.

That said, the top half of this workstand is great. The clamp arm uses the same quick-release system as the other joints on the stand.

Added ridges in the clamp arm tubing where it joins the main stand result in some friction. Once I’d decided what angle I wanted the jaws at and locked it off, I never felt it slip.

The jaw unit appears to be slightly loose when fully open, but this means you’re able to manoeuvre the bike into place, and once tightened it gives a solid hold.

The rubber jaws are a good texture and shape, and hold securely without marking your bike frame.

Decathlon’s 500 Bike Workstand is a solid entry-level bike repair stand that’s straightforward to use and not too heavy.

It has a decent clamp with well-designed rubber jaws and an integral tool shelf, but the lack of stability limits this stand to use with lightweight bikes.

While there are design features I love, the overall stability let it down.

Vicky rediscovered a love of cycling as an adult and relishes the joyful freedom it brings. She went on to train as a bike mechanic while working at her local bike shop, before branching out into event mechanics and teaching. Vicky now combines working as an event nomad across the UK (and at races like Megavalanche in France), with sharing her love of bike mechanics through teaching and YouTube. Vicky is equally as happy when pedalling solo, as she is with her family and/or friends. She is regularly seen swapping between her all-mountain full-suss, her CX/gravel bike and her beloved – resprayed, rebuilt – hybrid with her daughter attached on an adaptive trike.

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