Park Tool PCS-9 folding bicycle repair stand

I finally got around to creating a video that demonstrates how to assemble the Park Tool PCS-9 bike repair stand I bought some time ago.
To admit the truth, I was putting off this “video task” because I thought assembling the PCS-9 will be a bit complicated. I was surprised when I took a more serious look at the assembling instructions – it didn’t look at all complicated.

The most important thing to say here is that working with a professional bike repair stand (the PCS-9 is the home version) changes the rules in matters of repairing your own bicycle. Some general advantages you will get are:

• Putting the bike in a height that is most suitable for you.
• A bike repair stand will hold the bike firmly in place.
• Lets you access to key components on your bike, while keeping both of your hands free. This way you can handle any repair.
• You can turn your bike easily in every direction, be it vertical or horizontal. This lets you put the bike in various positions that allow easier repair work.

The Park Tool PCS-9 bike repair stand is made out of only 6 parts:

1. Stem lower part – the legs are attached to this part.
2. Stem upper part – the clamp is being attached to this part.
3. Two supporting legs.
4. The leg-stem joint – connects between the two legs and the stem.
5. The clamp – The part that actually attaches to the bicycle. It is installed on the upper stem part.

With the repair stand you get screws, washers and keys needed for the assembly.

If you must transport the Park Tool PCS-9 with an airplane (as I had to), you will have to check it in with your suitcase.  The tsa.gov in the U.S will not let you take it with you on the plane as they claim it can be used as a weapon (?!!). The Park Tool PCS-9′s box is 38.58 inches (98cm) long, 11.02 (28cm) inches wide and 4.72 (12cm) inches high.

It took me around 10 minutes to assemble the PCS-9 and I was not even in a hurry.

Last weekend I had a 3 hour single track ride in a nice area combining some dirt and some rocks in a thin forest area. While riding I started having problems with shifting, where the chain would “jump off” the lower gears (7 to 9). This makes riding uphill impossible as the gears just randomly and involuntarily shift up and down. I tried correcting this by adjusting the derailleur position from the handle bar but this didn’t help, I guess because I have little experience with this. I went on trying ride the best I can, while unaware of the strain such random gear shifts have on the chain. After few more minutes I heard a slight knock and loss of power. Looking down I was just able to see the chain slipping off the chainring and fall to the ground. Now I know that the random gear shifts combined with cycling power going uphill will cause a chain to tear. Even if it is an original Shimano XT… I temporarily fixed the chain with a SRAM 9 speed PowerLink and managed to ride all the way to the finish line.

When I got home I assembled the PCS-9 for the first time and started tuning my derailleur. Having the bike on eye level simply worked great for me and for the first time I understood why bike shops cannot live without it. It took me a while to figure out how to tune the derailleur but because I could get very close to it I could see and hear when the chain was slipping off the cogs, meaning the derailleur is not correctly set. In the end I got it just right . I think it is the beginning of a love story. I wonder what my girlfriend will have to say about it…