Park Tool PRS-20 Review

Performance Comparison

Ease of Clamping

Like others of this design, the Park Tool PRS-20 requires removal of the front or rear wheel. If your bike is equipped with quick release axles and you don't mind taking a wheel off every time you put your bike in a work stand, then read on. A four-pronged bottom bracket cradle is coated in rubber, while a strap is included for additional security. This stand features two faux quick-release skewers, for front and rear axle mounting, welded to a slider tube that slides onto a beam. With this traditional thru-axle, much like the one that may already be on your bike, mounting was a little tippy and generally required two hands. It is best to almost pre-set the quick release so that all that is required is camming the lever shut. The 9mm diameter axle on the Feedback Sports Sprint did a better job of keeping the bike upright before locking it in place. The fork quick release is the standard 100mm size, although a separate adapter is required for 15mm and 20mm thru-axles. For comparison, the Feedback Sprint natively accepts 12/15mm and only requires an adapter for 20mm.

Rear axle mounting is similar. Remove the rear wheel and lower the bottom bracket onto the rubber cradle. The rear quick release axle accepts both 130mm and disc-brake width 135mm dropouts; unscrew the quick release to accept the larger size. Thru axles require the adapter mentioned above Both axle/bottom bracket mounting stands we tested required an adapter to mount the variety of bikes we had at our disposal. Adapters increase the cost of a stand and are one more thing to keep track of. This stand had us worried that whenever a new “standard” size comes out, we will need yet another adapter.

Angle Adjustment

The angle of the beam cannot be altered from its slight upward orientation and the beam is held in the bracket by a cotter pin and bolt. Despite not having any angle adjustment, this stand can be rotated 360 degrees with no more than a light spin; this is particularly useful when washing your bike. It also allows you to access the other side of the bike without getting up or walking around. A quick release collar is locked on the vertical post to whatever height you desire the stand stay at. By simply unlocking the knob at the base of the tripod legs, the pole slides down and is now free to spin. By tightening the knob, the bike locks back into position.

Height Adjustment

Height adjustments were smooth, but we detected a slight stickiness. The range of height adjustment was rather limited: from 28 to 38 inches, the smallest tested.

Stability

The tripod base of this stand did not drop as low as the Feedback Sprint and therefore felt quite a bit more tippy, with the legs measuring a short 20". A small footprint is achieved with this design, but we feel stability and safety were compromised. This was the only stand we knocked over accidentally when loaded with a bike.

Everyday Maintenance

Inherently by design, tire removal is necessary to mount a bike in this stand. A smaller percentage of our test bikes were able to be mounted to this stand as purchased, due to them being equipped with either 15mm or 20mm thru-axles. By comparison, only those bikes with 20mm thru-axles required an adapter to mount on the Feedback Sprint.

Portability/Weight

This stand weighed 18 pounds and is constructed with a mix of steel and aluminum parts. It folds down to a stored height of 38.5", about eight inches taller than the similar Feedback Sprint. While the beam itself does not lock into a stored position, the bottom bracket strap can be used to secure the beam for transport. The tripod legs do not lock into place and we found this to be both a blessing and a curse. Other, wider stands are impossible to carry through a doorway deployed and with a bike loaded, while this stand's legs will fold in slightly when picked up. However, one must take great caution when setting the stand back down in order to ensure the legs are properly extended again.

Setup/Breakdown

This stand arrived fully unassembled and without tools; Park didn't even kick down an Allen wrench. It took about 35 minutes to assemble. Spare parts are readily available, and unlike anything bike related, you can probably find most parts for this stand at your corner hardware store.

Best Applications

We could see road biking clubs being great consumers of this stand. No adapters will be necessary and the heavy duty construction of the stand would withstand years of abuse by many different users. Replacement parts are easy to come by and wearing out one of these stands would likely take years of constant use. Although it is not carry on friendly, those driving to races that spend lots of time wrenching in their hotel room will appreciate the small footprint this stand offers.

Value

At $239, the PRS-20 was not the cheapest option, and the cost will increase if your bike requires the purchase of additional adapters. There is intrinsic value in the fact that this stand will probably never wear out. And don't forget Park Tool's lifetime warranty.

Conclusion

The Park PRS-20 is a burly stand that will provide years of service and is highly rebuildable should it get tweaked somewhere along the way. Depending on the variety of bikes you own, you may find it quite limiting out of the box. It has the advantage of not clamping onto delicate or expensive parts. However, if forced to battle gravity, the relative lack of stability is secondary to its narrow base of support and this may threaten to negate this benefit.

Other Versions

• Cost - $290

• Claimed weight - 13.5 lbs

• Weighs 35% less than the PRS 20 while maintaining the same features and stability

• Cost - $300

• Weight - 26 lbs

• Foldable, four-point leg system

• Heavy duty stand with 100 lbs max load capacity