Topeak Prepstand X

The Topeak Prepstand X is a brilliant alternative bike stand for those wishing to move away from the more traditional clamp-style stand. It's super secure, portable, and has loads of adjustability, making it easy to work on your bike from all angles. The only potential criticism to level at it is that it takes slightly longer to get the bike on the stand than traditional designs.

If you're not sure which type is right for you, check out our guide to the best bike repair stands.

Out of the box, the Prepstand X is pretty much ready to go – just release the lower quick-release lever and fold out the 6061-T6 aluminium legs…

…then unscrew the adjuster knob for the rail to set it to the desired level (there's 90 degrees of adjustability up or down).

The overall height can be tailored to suit by simply releasing the 'II' QR lever; the 'O' lever underneath allows you to adjust rotation through 360 degrees.

Once the unit is set up, you need to prep the rail to accept the bike you plan to work on. A rubber bottom bracket cradle is attached to the rear mount, adjustable to prevent damage to your BB when it's rested, while a bottom bracket strap wraps around your frame to keep it in place.

At the front of the rail is the mount where your fork attaches.

Both front and rear mounts are sliding, and can be adjusted quickly fore and aft to suit your bike's wheelbase. If you plan on keeping your rear wheel in place, you need to make sure the rear mount is positioned so the rear tyre doesn't foul the back of the rail.

Topeak includes a variety of front axle adapters to cater for most bikes, including a dummy front hub for a 5mm quick-release skewer, and thru-axle adapters in 12x100mm, 15x100mm, 15x110mm, and 20x110mm flavours. Fitting the adapters is easy – just push them in either side of the fork mount, though getting them out is a bit trickier and requires the use of a thin flat-head screwdriver.

A dummy rear hub for both 5x130/135mm QRs and 12mm thru-axles complete with chain holder enables you to take off your rear wheel while keeping your chain fixed in place.

Clearly, just prepping the stand for your bike requires about 10-15 minutes. It'll take less time if you tend to work on one bike mostly, as everything will be ready to go, but a clamp-style stand is much easier in this respect.

Mounting

Now, on to the part where you put your bike onto the stand. Before you can do this, you need to remove your front wheel – or both if you're using the rear dummy hub. At its lowest position, the rail is near enough to the ground that you don't have to lift your bike too high to get it into position, and with both wheels removed the overall weight of your bike is reduced anyway, which is easier on your back.

The only tricky part of the mounting procedure is getting the bike secured so it doesn't topple. According to the manual, you rest the rear of the bike on the BB mount, and then fasten the fork to the front mount. Using either the thru-axle or QR skewer, slide it through and tighten it as you would normally (though it only needs to be finger tight, since you're not putting any load through the fork). Topeak has a useful video, showing you how.

I found it slightly easier to attach the BB strap first, just to prevent any rearward sway, but you can experiment to find the method that works best for you. If you don't feel very strong or confident, it might be worth having someone on hand to help out the first time, just in case.

Though I've possibly given the impression that the process is somewhat complex, I actually find it easier than mounting a bike with a conventional clamp-style stand, where you have to hold the entire weight of the bike with one hand, while the other tightens the clamp. With the Prepstand X, you can comfortably use both arms to lift it onto the rail.

I managed to mount a variety of bikes to the stand, including an XL Bombtrack Beyond Plus which has a pretty lengthy wheelbase of 1,181mm, with room to spare at either end of the rail. According to some online reports, the rail isn't long enough to support certain super-sized mountain bikes with freakishly long bottom bracket-to-fork lengths, so that's something to bear in mind. There's also an 18kg weight limit, so very heavy bikes – particularly e-bikes – aren't going to be suitable.

In use, the Prepstand X was super stable, despite my Bombtrack's 15kg weight. Those chunky legs help to distribute the load, and no matter how you adjust the stand, whether it's raised up, or with the rail at an angle, there's zero movement from the unit.

Being able to move the bike around 360 degrees and accurately adjust the stand so you can work on a specific area of the bike without feeling restricted makes such a difference. You can, of course, use it when cleaning your bike, too.

The Prepstand X isn't just confined to home use either. Unlike some clamp-style stands, which are quite large, even when folded, the Prepstand X folds down to a really compact size and shape, measuring just 86 x 25 x 16cm. This makes it easy to chuck into the back of a car and take with you to those events where it's useful to have a stand for last minute adjustments, or to clean your drivetrain after the first day of a multi-day event.

Folding is super simple too – first, loosen the lower QR lever and fold the legs, tightening the lever after. Then loosen the upper 'II' QR lever, push the extension tube into the unit, and tighten the lever. Finally, loosen the main adjustment knob, rotate the rail until it's folded through 90 degrees, and tighten the knob. The Prepstand X is ready to go.

Topeak offers an optional carry bag for £29, as well as a tool tray for £27.

Value

Just under £280 is a lot to pay for a workstand, but if you can afford it it's one of the best investments you can make in my opinion – if you're going to be doing a lot of work on bikes, you'll quickly appreciate it, and Topeak's Prepstand X is a fine example of what you can get for your money.

My only gripe is that Topeak could have included the optional carry bag in the price, as it's pretty essential if you're planning to take the stand with you to events away from home. And though the optional tool tray isn't as essential, it still feels like penny pinching.

It does compare well against similar products we've reviewed on road.cc, though. The Feedback Sports Sprint Workstand has an rrp of £399, but then Mike found it hard to fault (though it was much cheaper at the time of review in 2017). Similarly, Mat gave the Park Tool PRS-22 Team Issue Repair Workstand much praise in 2017 when it was £274.99; it's now £369.99.

All three stands are ostensibly similar, but the Prepstand X definitely gives you the most bang for your buck.

An alternative, if you already own a clamp-style stand and don't want to give it up, is the Silca Hirobel Frame Clamp. Mike reviewed one in 2016 and was impressed: the rail attaches to your existing clamp and allows you to rest your bike on the rail without potentially damaging your frame or seatpost. It's still not a cheap option, though, with an rrp of £265.

Conclusion

If you're set on getting a BB/axle-mount stand, the Topeak Prepstand X is well worth a look. It's a brilliant bit of kit that's much cheaper than its closest competitors. It's certainly a massive upgrade over the clamp-style stands, in my mind.

Though I couldn't find it available online, Topeak also offers the Prepstand X Pro, which is ostensibly the same as the Prepstand X, with the addition of a universal fork mount, which simplifies the mounting process.

Verdict

Not a cheap option, but one that will make working on your bike a joy