Trick: Economy Rear Stand

Date: Thursday, July 5, 2001 From: Bill Gray If you live in a city and have no room (nor funds) to buy and store a full-on rear wheel stand, but still want something to raise the rear tyre enough to perform a standard chain-lube, here's probably the cheapest solution you'll find. Start by putting a bolt into the right-hand spool holder on the rear swing-arm. A 1" 8mm bold should do the trick. I removed this bolt after the lift. Now get the bike on the side-stand. Take an 11" piece of 2x4 and wedge it under the bolt. Make sure you're on a flat, stable surface, etc. Now rock the bike towards the side-stand and at the same time kick the wood to wedge it further under the bolt. After a few rocks, the rear tyre should be lifted off the ground just enough to rotate freely and let you lube your chain with ease. When done, just sweep your foot under the board and kick it out. Your bike falls 1/2" to the ground and you're ready to ride. Total cost is just over $1. Note that this is _not_ a stable replacement for a rear stand, and I wouldn't trust this solution as far as I can throw it (which is pretty far, since an 11" piece of 2x4 doesn't really weigh that much). Don't be dumb and use this for general repairs. Assume the wood could slip out at any time (ie. no fingers under the tyre!)