Made of heat-treated 6000 series, anodized aluminum, the Pro-BRS is light as a feather, weighing in at just 12 lbs./5.44 kg. Its clamp height extends from 42”/1070 mm to 72”/1830 mm via a quick release lever. And as an added plus, the attractive Pro-BRS can double as a display/storage stand for your bike.
Weaknesses: No quick release feature like on their top of the line clamp, but that is available for a tad more money so this "weakness" is a bit of a stretch.
Doesn't come with a bag for transporting it in??? Also a bit of a stretch.
Bottom Line:
I did a lot of research before buying my first stand and got this one. It has been fantastic. It does everything I ever wanted it to. I have worked on a 45 pound dh bike and it was plenty stable even on dirt. I have had it for about 4 years and the only problem I had with it was that the plastic coating over the clamping jaws broke off one of them. HOWEVER, this happened when my clamp heads was being used as a vice for sawing some pipes and the head was WAY over-tightened. I tightened it as much as I could by hand. When talking to the person at Feedback ( who now owns Ultimate Support) I explained what had happened and they sent me new clamp heads and screws for FREE. That is fantastic customer service. This was built to last a lifetime. I would whole heartedly recommend this to anyone.
Bike Setup: xc steel hard tail (30 lbs) but have used it on road, dh, xc, you name it
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Submitted by
cackalacky
a Weekend Warrior
from Winston Salem, NC, US
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2009
Strengths: Overall solidly built, portable
Weaknesses: Hard to load bike into clamp and tighten with just two hands.
Clutch mechanism will not hold a heavy bike at any angle, (esp. when held by the seatpost) must be nose down, or take the wheels off. Clamp arm bends down when loaded and seems a bit flimsy at the connecting joint with the vertical post.
Bottom Line:
Overall I like this stand for what it is (simple, portable) but I'm glad I did not pay full retail for it. Kind of disappointed with the clutch/arm/clamp mechanism. Hard to load a bike, and just doesn't hold as well as I thought it would.
I must say though that I have since moved to a lighter bike setup, and the clutch will hold this particular bike without complaint in many angles. Still hard to load, however, and the bike will slip in the clamp sometimes. Hard to judge how tight is too tight without damage. But maybe that's my own inexperience. Perhaps I would buy a Pro Elite in the future for the different clamp mechanism, but would want to check it out first.
Submitted by
zz3b
a Cross Country Rider
from san francisco, ca
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2008
Strengths: Extremely well designed and built to last. The swiveling vice clamp head is ingenious and set-up or adjustment take only a few seconds. Best suited to bigger heavier bikes, especially the DH crew. My Turner RFX (XXL) weighs 30lbs +/-, and is a bit ungainly. This stand holds it firmly at any angle w/ no clamp marks, on the floor or in the dirt.
Weaknesses: None that I've found. Maybe a bit heavy for some. Possibly overkill for folks w/ smaller bikes, definitely overkill for roadies.
Bottom Line:
Excellent product. Dead simple to use by either the professional or the weekender, in the garage or at a campsite.
Similar Products Used: Park, kinda unstable w/ my weighty rig.
Bike Setup: Turner RFX 07 (XXL) - Shimano XT drive, Mavic Crossland Rims, Front: Fox Vanilla rlc 140mm, Rear: Fox RP23, Hayes 9 Discs.
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Submitted by
Bryan Bracy
a Cross Country Rider
from Okinawa
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2008
Strengths: This stand is heavy duty with a super stout frame. It folds up with ease and stores away easily in any car trunk. Also, it has an attractive color and design.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
This stand is better than the one my local bike shop uses. I can take it to my parents and do maintenance on there cruisers in a matter of moments. I can't wait to get to work on my wife's bike. I wish there were 6 flamin chilis.
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Helena, MT
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2006
Strengths: Stable, very adjustable, lightweight, compact
Weaknesses: none so far...(it's not as stable as a shop stand, but then again it's not bolted to the floor!)
Bottom Line:
I've had this stand for 13 years now and it's the only consumer/portable stand that I can stand to use (no pun intended) after working in shops for 10 years and providing race support & working on my own bikes at home for 10 more.
Submitted by
Debi
a Cross Country Rider
from San Marcos, CA
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2005
Strengths: Solid construction. Stable. Able to raise the bikes higher than with other stands I've owned (crappy Performance brands.) Folds down to a fairly compact size and is lightweight. Easily transportable with the included carrying case. Outstanding product support from Ultimate and Jon Workman. He was most helpful when I contacted the company with concerns over the clutch operation (see below.)
Weaknesses: The sliding clutch mechanism can take some getting used to. The jaws are designed to begin locking once the knob on the moveable part of the jaw mechanism is rotated clockwise 1/8 of a turn. Mine engages almost instantaneously, so if the knob is accidentally jarred while moving the jaws into position, the mechanism stops sliding, forcing me to rotate the knob 1/2 turn counter-clockwise to unlock it and re-position the jaws. At first this was causing me grief, having to fuss with the clutch with one hand while holding my dualie up in the air with my other hand. I have now gotten the 'hang' of working it, and wouldn't trade it for the world!
Bottom Line:
I bought this stand after hearing a friend rave about his (2 yr. old) Ultimate. I'm not sorry I bought it. More expensive than other stands but one look at the top-notch construction and obvious design time that went into this product and you can see that you truly do 'get what you pay for'.
Similar Products Used: Piece of crap Spin Doctor thing.
Bike Setup: Blur; full XT w/ discs.
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Submitted by
mrblah
a Weekend Warrior
from woodland hills, ca. usa
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2005
Strengths: this thing is strong, lightweight, easy to transport, easy to setup.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
buy this stand, its userfriendly, strong, reliable, and cheap. The only thing this can't do is make margaritas, or act like a wingman for you. I got mine at www.REI.com in the factory closeout, or something.
With a family the size of mine, I needed to learn to do most of my own work. My wife bought this stand for my birthday two years ago. We camp and race around the state and this stand is great! It folds down pretty compact so it doesn't take much room in the camper or trunk. It adapts to any bike I've ever put on it and because it is aluminum, it doubles as an excellent wash stand. The particularly important feature to me is the tripod leg arrangement. It will work even when the terrain is a little uneven. Have you ever found a perfectly level campsite or parking lot when you travel? The quality of this thing is second to none.
Bike Setup: 7 Kids so there are two many to list. 16 in all 9 Mountain Bikes, 5 Road bikes and 2 BMX
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Submitted by
Cary
a Cross Country Rider
from Walnut Creek, CA
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2004
Strengths: Light, strong, easy to use.
Weaknesses: I didn't buy it two years ago.
Bottom Line:
I wish I had bought this two years ago. Two years of screwing around with a piece of junk stand from performance and I finally had it. This was well reviewed and they were going for good prices on ebay (can't say enough about aspirevelotech, I bought it on a Wed afternoon, it shipped the same day and was at my place two states away on Friday).
When they say it takes 30 seconds to set up, it does. I opened the box, pulled it out and 30 seconds later was ready to use it. The clamp works great, and I don't have to move the seat up like I would with Park's big clamps. Also, the stand weighs about half as much as the Park's, is totally stable, and folds down much further and easier for storage.
Finally, the lovely annodized aluminum means I don't have to worry about rust and can use the stand to wash my bike (Unlike the Park's)
Park makes good stuff, but for the workstands, this is better.
Similar Products Used: Some cheap Spin-doctor stand
Bike Setup: Which one, Turner, Titus, Klein
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Submitted by
jason suderman
a Racer
from somerville Ma USA
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2004
Strengths: versitility and weight to strenght. capable of supporting 50lb huffies upsidown and over head for angry bb work at charityrides. fastest clamp mech ever. perfect for cyclocross repairs under the 7min lap limit. and most important the easily leveling tripod design ajusts to all types of terrain.
Weaknesses: hmmmm, ohh yeah it broke after 7 years of sevice...... but it had replacement parts available so, yeah no weakness determined at this time.
Bottom Line:
no weaknesses available at this time. try me in ten years when it mite fail.......again..
Most people buy a repair stand or a new tool and use it for a month before they submit a review of it. This is a little different, you see, I bought my Ultimate repair stand in 1994. I started my career as a pro team mechanic then, traveling around the world with the US National Team, Australian and New Zealand National Team, and the Saturn Cycling Team. Most of the US Men’s team bikes from the 1996 Olympics hung from that stand, getting their final checks.
I've always admired it’s compact design. It’s capable of being packed in a nice bag, sitting on the bottom of a bike bag, or the trunk of a car. To anyone traveling to a bike race, or trying to create a home shop in a limited space, the Ultimate stand has a stable, space-saving design that will be appreciated. In one tidy package, you can fit the repair stand, a truing stand, and have room to stuff a few extra rags in the bag. I probably have a one-of-a-kind Ultimate Stand though. When I used to fly everywhere, and space was at a premium, I modified my Ultimate stand. I disassembled it, and shortened most of the tubes. The overall length of mine is around 36".
The tripod allows for a work platform that works on any surface. One leg can be on a carpet, or two legs in the grass, and the stand WILL NOT topple. The Slide-Lock Clamp will hold a standard Shimano seat post with no problems. However, the design allows it to hold the aero-shaped seat tube of a Cervelo time trial frame just as well. The rubber-coated clamps won’t mar any surface. I’ve been amazed at the ability of the Ultimate stand to hold a bike upside down, with no worries.
Everything a workstand can do, mine has probably done, multiplied by thousands. It’s doubled as a vise, complete with many hacksaw and hammer marks. It’s had enough stickers added and removed, a steamer trunk would be envious. And it’s even been backed over by a car to live another day, in another parking lot. I’ve replaced two parts in ten years. Every time the customer service has been so excellent, it’s almost a pleasure to have to call.
And here’s a tip that you won’t find too many other places. You can take a broomstick, clamp it, and use the Ultimate repair stand as a handy little place to dry your clothes.
Submitted by
Jon Rasmussen
a Cross Country Rider
from Western Washington
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2004
Strengths: Incredibly well thought out, folds down to go on any weekend trip. The clamp will fit in just about any place on the bike, even with unusual dual suspension designs. The tripod leg design is stable on any terrain. I can't say enough good things.
Weaknesses: Sometimes people who are not qualified to operate it are allowed to buy one. They then blame the poor performance on the stand and give it bad reviews. With as many sets of 5 flamin' chilis here you have to wonder what those guys were doing wrong.
Bottom Line:
If you maintain your own equipment or plan to start, this stand is a must, especially if you travel.
Similar Products Used: A couple differnt models from Park.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Blur with anodized frame, 5th Element stable platform air shock, Manitou Minute 2:00 stable platform fork, XTR derailleurs and cassette, Truvative TI bottom bracket and Team Stylo crank, carbon bars and seatpost, Terry TI saddle, Stan's No Tubes custom Wheelset with American Classic Hubs, Chris King headset, Hayes disc brakes with Hope's Gothic rotors and Crank Brothers Candy TI pedals. - My significant other.
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Submitted by
Mike Shick
a Cross Country Rider
from Atascadero, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2004
Strengths: Compact, well built, sturdy, easy to operate. Manufacturer is great to work with, and stands behind their product. The stand is sold at an affordable price.
Weaknesses: When I first got the stand, the manufacturer had put too much grease on the clutch mechanism, which made it impossible to keep my bike at a certain angle. Because of the excessive grease, my bike would just rotate downward. I called USS and they were aware of the problem and immeadiately sent out a brand new stand. They didn't take a credit card no. and told me to send the broken one back once I got the new one.
Bottom Line:
It's a great stand at a great value with a great manufacturer that stands behind their product. Anyone willing to stand behind what they sell is given my business to. :)
Similar Products Used: Park work bench bike holders.
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Submitted by
Christopher B.
a Cross Country Rider
from Waltham,MA
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2004
Strengths: Does what it's supposed to do. It holds a bike wherever you need it to. The quick-adjust clamp is very nice.
Weaknesses: None, just that the rubber jaws can sometimes rub stickers off the frame. Cut the toe off a sock and use the tube of the sock over the clamp, that keeps the jaws from mussing up the graphics on a frame.
Bottom Line:
For those who gave this stand poor marks, I have to dissagree wholeheartedly. To refute the main complaints:
1 - Can't tighten the arm tight enough to get the bike to stay level. WRONG! I have worked on 40+ pound DH bikes with this stand and I was always able to get the stand to hold the bike in a horizontal position. If you cannot get the stand tight enough, then you really need to work on your arm strength.
2 - Flimsy parts. WRONG! I've been using this stand for 3 years. I take it to 24 hour races to wrench my bikes and other team members and friends use it. At 24 hours of adrenalin last year it was in constant use. I use it 2-3 times a week during riding season, and I use it to hold my hardtail when I'm not riding it. So, I have had NO issues with durability
3 - Stability is questionable. WRONG! Set the bike up so that it is over one of the legs, adn you won't have a problem. Jeez, some of the people on this site are clueless.
