Review: OdPod Portable Bike Stand

Servicing a bike at an event, or when you go on holiday, can be a real headache; a proper work stand is too big to fit in the boot of most cars (at least when it's full of other kit), which leaves you with the option of turning the bike upside down, or getting someone to hold it, if you need to run through the gears to check indexing etc.

The OdPod bike stand provides a unique, simple and clever solution to the problem. It is a tripod design, made of aluminium tubing, which folds completely flat when not in use; allowing you to store it in a bike bag, car boot, or tucked away in the workshop.

The stand holds the bike with a soft plastic cup, that fits around the bottom bracket shell. The bike then rests on the front wheel, with the rear wheel suspended, so you can freely rotate the cranks.

The bracket has fitted all the bikes I've tried it with; including the BB90 on the Whippet, the external BB on the Planet X, and the cartridge bearing BB on my winter bike. On all of the bikes the stand holds the bike pretty securely; if you were to give it a real knock it might come off, especially on uneven ground, but most of the time once the bike is held in the tripod there is no sign of it going anywhere.

The OdPod has come in useful for all kinds of activities; from washing the bike down between events, to tuning up the gears before a race, it's also really useful for removing wheels, and saves scratching the saddle and hoods from flipping the bike upside down.

Well made, and highly convenient, the OdPod is ideal for event maintenance, or for those without room for a full blown work stand in their garage or home. Keeping your bike clean, well maintained and running smoothly is vital for good results at events and also to help avoid gear breakages; this neat tri-pod stand makes it much easier.

The stand comes in a variety of colours, and you can even customise it to your own colour scheme (mine's a classic 'Red, White and Blue'. It can be bought direct from od-designs.co.uk.