Feedback Sports Ultralight Workstand - Review

Dec 8, 2014
by Paul Aston  
Pinkbike Product Picks

Feedback Ultralight Work Stand

The Ultralight Workstand's aluminium structure meant I wasn't worried about corrosion when using it to wash my bikes



Feedback Sports may not be the first name that crosses your mind when considering a bike stand, but the Colorado based brand is becoming recognized as the gold standard across the globe. A favorite with World Cup level mechanics who are often overloaded at airport check-ins and when excess baggage costs $40 per kilo, every little helps. At 4.8kg, the Feedback Sports Ultralight Workstand is one of the lightest available, long lasting and robust on the market. Height adjustment between 96.5cm and 147.5cm, the clamp head has wide rubber jaws which can accommodate from a 19mm tube up to 48mm, with a full 360° rotation. With a maximum weight limit of 39kg, it can handle even the heaviest freeride sled.

Setting up the stand is easy. Flip the big quick-release lever and extend the tripod. Another quick-release allows the upright to lift to your desired height. Then raise the clamp head and spin the tri-spoke locking wheel to secure it in place, done. Padded jaws close by hand and then are secured by a twist-knob to tighten. Rubberized feet protect your floor surface if using indoors. The full aluminium structure means that you don't need to worry about corrosion if you wash your bike on the stand. It comes fully assembled out of the box - no tools required, and all Feedback stands come with a three-year warranty, and all parts are available separately should anything go wrong after that. Tool trays, handlebar holders and even a bottle opener are also available if you want to pimp yours out. The Ultralight Stand doesn't have a carry bag included like some of its rivals, but it can be bought separately for $29.99. Color: Anodized red. MSRP: $199 USD (£199 GBP).
Feedback Sports

Feedback Ultralight Work Stand

(Clockwise) The sliding jaws on the Feedback stand make light work of clamping the bike, the other adjustments are chunky and easy to use.



Pinkbike's Take
bigquotesSeparating yourself from a big chunk of hard earned cash on a bike stand might not be top of your priority list. I personally put it off for years, and I also made the mistake of getting a cheap one the first time 'round, which failed soon after. For eight years, the clamp didn't work and I just hung the saddle on it. So, I was pretty happy when the Feedback Sports Ultralight Workstand turned up in the post. The huge tripod style base is extremely stable, the design also helps it to work well on uneven ground. When folded down, it is the most compact stand in Feedback's range. If you have limited space in your garage, the tripod style base may take up more room than you have. A two-legged triangular design allows you to align the main upright of the stand closer to a wall. The sliding style of clamp means that if you switch between many different bikes, no re-adjusting is required, just offer up whichever tube needs clamping and slide shut and tighten.

All Feedback stands feature a 360-degree clamp head, which can be easily turned if you need to clamp to a top tube to install a dropper post, or lift the front end of a bike to bleed a brake. Releasing the bike is a little more difficult than with the heavier and more costly Feedback Pro Elite Stand, which features a spring-loaded release button. With the Ultralight, you will need to support the weight of the bike until you have unscrewed the knob far enough to allow the jaws to slide. Also worth noting is that the Ultralight Stand may be on the short side for tall riders to comfortably work with, so be forewarned. Other than that quip, the Feedback Sports Ultralight Workstand is arguably the best looking stand on the market, and if you need something small and light for traveling, this could be your best option - very simple to use, incredibly stable, with a solid clamping system. - Paul Aston


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Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles

96 Comments
  • 121 2
 Bet everyone is just looking at the bike.
  • 7 0
 Yeah bro..me likey..
  • 9 0
 Yeah what is it ? Looks sweet
  • 17 0
 Here is more info on the bike www.pole.fi
  • 5 0
 Patent pending on Concentric BB and Single Pivot. What will PSlope think?
  • 3 0
 I'd like to see a review of this bike. It looks like it would bob like a pogo stick, but looks can be deceiving.
  • 7 0
 The manufacturer posted november 12 on facebook, "Yesterday a large size Rinne was sent to Pinkbike for testing. Let's see how it performs". So I hope we can see a review soon.
  • 1 0
 According to the linkage design website it does Bob like a pogo stick, but hey...Science can be tricky.
  • 1 0
 bike looks really sleek, but i dont get concentric pivot for a bike like this, Its too low of a pivot point since the actually chain force comes from the top of the chainring, doesn't help the axle path either.
  • 43 5
 Come on Pinkbike you can do better than this...sure you have to write something but
'is one of the lightest available, long lasting and robust on the market'
is just the manufacturers words, to what did you compare this to? How long did it last compared to another stand? Robust? How did you test that? If you didn't then you should say it is claimed to be...

I bought the stand below about 4 years ago, it has the same function (360 head, wide jaws, arguably better clamping, height adjustment, sure footed etc), it weighs 4.8kg (the same ultralight!), is robust & long lasting from my own experience & requirements, as it is still working and it cost a lot less... so why should people buy the one you reviewed other than it being red?

...and perhaps if you didn;t clamp the bike at the top of the Reverb (where Rocksox specifically tell you not to) it would sit a bit higher for you to work on... come on Aston do some work for your money

www.merlincycles.com/bike-tools-workstand-49075.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Bicycle+Workstands&gclid=CL7G9s3WuMICFUoCwwodBF4AOg
  • 32 0
 Give this man a job Pinkbike.
  • 9 0
 i second this!
  • 5 3
 That thing completely sucks compared to the feedback. It's a good stand for the price by the looks but lacks many of the features and durable lightweight construction of the feedback. Not fair to compare.
  • 1 1
 it may suck (whatever you mean by that) but as long as it does the job it maybe fair to compare.
  • 6 8
 What I mean is it's ridiculous that people come on here and say things like "come on pinkbike you can do better" when you really can't. The Feedback sports stands are well done and completely worth buying. I agree that this stand you have may be the same but forgoes many features to come in at that price. ... you wrote, and I quote -
"so why should people buy the one you reviewed other than it being red?" .........really dude? It's a lightweight tripod stand that folds in five seconds and can sturdily support a full weight DH sled. The construction is durable and the head works well. It's like saying why should I buy this bike over that bike they both have wheels but this ones cheaper?
  • 6 4
 That stand in the link is a piece of shit. Won't even hold a kids bike up for longer than 5 mins.
  • 2 1
 That was a fench stand point !
  • 2 2
 The feedback stand's jaws are specifically designed to safely clamp droppers, so you don't even actually know what you're talking about.

I've seen demo fleets use these things, you can imagine the amount of abuse those see. Last guy I saw with that was the Santa Cruz demo guy, & he spent his own money on it, I'd call that a ringing endorsement.
  • 9 1
 ...yes really dude... my stand holds my downhill bike admirably, and it will hold my kids bike too!
So it matches on those features, its the same weight, and I can fold it in 5 seconds too, so it seems to be matching as far as I need, and I can;t see a missing feature... it may be a piece of sh#t because its not red or because its cheap...but for makes Adam Ant proud every time it Stands & Delivers!

I'm sure the Feedback stand is a quality item and I'm not dissing that, and I love the fact for you 'dudes' its a home made item. I'm merely pointing out that PB is using throw away statements like long lasting and robust... how long have they been reviewing it for? If they've had it for 10 years they can say its long lasting, if not tell me something else. Don;t say its lightweight when it weighs the same as my 'piece of sh#t'

...
  • 2 5
 Well you kinda "dissed" it when you suggested pinkbike wrote the article to simply fill a page and that the stand is not worth the asking price. Without ever having used one you don't really know that. If you read other reviews on the Feedback sports stands you will find that they always score well, and they are very nicely made. I have one. Have used it trouble free fro almost two years. Mine is the pro model with the quick release however the main attraction - stability- is the same. The wide tripod base is what does it and I have performed all sorts of repairs including stuck crank bolts - where you really test that feature. Im not saying the stand you linked is bad, especially for that money. However you can always bet somebody is going to say these things whenever a product is not at entry level price and imo this stand has something to offer. ** A word about the jaws for those concerned about droppers... because its not a "vice-grip" cam type set up like a Park you can actually clamp the dropper safely because only the correct amount of pressure is applied. You wont be able to crush it. They are rubber coated too so if you are careful it's really ok, of course if you have a qr just slide the dropper up a bit and clamp there, no big deal**
  • 3 0
 Groghunter, much as I'd love to Stand corrected the Reverb manual tells you not to clamp on the upper post in nice pretty pictures that's some of what I know...

However your review is far more compelling
"I've seen demo fleets use these things, you can imagine the amount of abuse those see. Last guy I saw with that was the Santa Cruz demo guy, & he spent his own money on it, I'd call that a ringing endorsement."

you told me your experience of how it demonstrates robustness, and if the SC dude is in then who am I to argue, sounds a lot better than "long lasting and robust" to me

Stand-ing down


"
  • 2 1
 It's always best to be easy on the stanchion, like I said when possible don't do it. Im sure they have to say that to avoid people calling in with crushed seat posts from bike stand clamps. @AlexH691
  • 1 0
 exactly @DARKSTAR63, They can either say don't do it, or spend a paragraph explaining how to do it safely, & when they originally wrote the manual, most stands were a pretty bad idea for this. Most modern stands have been redesigned to do so safely.

I have an old park shop stand, & just use a towel in the jaws, & am careful to clamp it very lightly. hasn't been an issue. carbon seatposts could suffer the same problems.

I wonder if I can replace the clamp on my stand with a more dropper friendly one...
  • 2 1
 Alex - I bought the stand you linked to a while back and it is junk.

The plastic in the head snapped after 2 weeks and one of the rubber bits on the jaws fell off. Overall it just feels a lot more basic. I replaced it with the feedback ultimate and its a whole new level. Easier to store, erect, quicker to load, unload and to maneuver the bike in the stand. There is just no comparison.

One change i would like to have seen is less focus on wight and to have made the alu a bit thicker. When the DH bike is at 6/7ft up on the stand it flex's a bit.
  • 1 0
 @Karve unless you've been riding since the early 2000s, & remember how crap portable stands used to be, you don't understand how amazing the fact that ANY portable stand can hold "the DH bike is at 6/7ft up on the stand it flex's a bit." is.
  • 2 0
 Nobody thinking that dropper-post-in-bike-stand-damage my also come from the bike's weight hanging weird on the posts bushings? I just wouldn't bother doing it, hardly takes long to slide your post up a little.
  • 2 2
 I bought a stand for £35 off ebay (same as the ones often available in Lidl) and it is at least on par if not better functionality and durability wise than this thing. Not to mention its so cheap i couldnt give a shit if it breaks...! There is simply no need to pay this much for a stand.

Unfortunately the market is full of idiots who would rather pay £200 than do some research!

As for clamping your dropper post...if you cant understand why thats a bad idea you shouldnt be buying a bike stand.
  • 1 0
 It's a nice work stand. I read dozens of reviews before deciding on mine and it's been bulletproof and sturdy. I bring it to races it travels well. As previously stated there is nothing wrong with buying cheap work stand but I made the decision to buy a nice one since I spend so much time with it.
  • 1 0
 comme tu y vas Alex!! ^^
  • 22 1
 I'll get a stand someday.. but for now there's about 34 different things I need before a stand.
  • 4 1
 This. I don't even have space to put a stand.
  • 8 1
 lol, someday, everyday it's like new bars or stand, new crankset or stand, gopro or stand. Working on the ground is alright, maybe a little annoying, but It'd be nice for a company to make a solid, no-nonsense stand for less than 50 bucks. now that I think about it, why do they cost so much anyways?
  • 4 0
 @millpill Not sure about the US but in Europe it exists: Review
  • 1 2
 @winko ... that one might "exist" in Europe but with that many features for 30£ (appr. 45 Euros or 50$) is definitely manufactured in Asia
looks cheap
  • 1 0
 First in list, a bike...
  • 2 0
 That Lidl one has been in my garage for 4 years now with countless DH and Freeride rigs been on it with no issues what so ever.

Can't see that the stand reviewed above is going to appeal to 90% of the market.
  • 6 0
 You should probably move it up a few spots in your list. A proper stand is a great tool for every bike owner and an undervalued one.
  • 3 2
 I cant fault the LIDL workstand. Naturally I was a bit sceptical at first but I have to admit it really is a good stand. Does everything I need it to do. May look cheap but the clamp is solid and stand is well ballanced
  • 1 0
 @vhdh666 Well, most of our bikes, parts and equipment in manufactured in Asia so why would bike stand be any different? Smile
That stand is perefctly described in the conclusion of given review:
Overall then yes this workstand definitely doesn’t compete with the best workstands out there, but it costs a fraction of what they do and it’s still a million times better than working on a bike without a proper workstand.
While I agree it makes complete sense to invest into proper stand, especially if you work a lot on your bikes.
A group of friends bought whole stock from local lidl store when they came out (those f**kers, couldnt get mine then) and few years latter none has broken despite regular use
  • 1 0
 @winko I've got no problem with bikes and parts coming from Asia
just the fact that the work stand "exists in Europe" made me frown my eyebrows. I mean, when it's so cheap, it must be from Asia and therefore must "exist" ww
  • 1 0
 @vhdh666 Well, my first comment was for a guy from USA and as far as I know they dont have lidl there, and this is the only under 50 bucks workstand that I know of so they probably dont "exist" there haha Big Grin
  • 1 0
 I can't help but bring this up... It doesn't hurt the post to put a rag in the clamp, and clamp the dropper stanction as long as its a quick chain lube or minor pedal install. If its a serious service then don't be an idiot. But with slack seat tube angles and 180+lb riders I wouldn't worry about the bushings in the post. If you are going to be clamping your dropper, clamp it lightly. Don't have to be a he man.
  • 1 0
 I finally gave in and bought a stand. After using it, I realized that I was basically just suffering before without it lol.
  • 19 8
 Must be challenging to work on a bike with the drivetrain facing the stand...
  • 4 7
 noticed that too. what a goon
  • 21 2
 only goons work on their brakes? little bunny foo foo over here.
  • 2 6
flag eldofreeride (Dec 9, 2014 at 8:47) (Below Threshold)
 who needs brakes? goons. Get a park tools PCS-10 stand, f*ck this garbage stand.
  • 1 0
 Pros on the road are opting for the Feedback ones over the Parks these days, never thought I'd see that. They're the real deal.
  • 2 0
 I've had my park tools for years, it's bulletproof. The three legged stands always require a little more room to set up.
  • 2 0
 I was skeptical of this stand given the plastic parts, but we used one in Utah for over two weeks while on a road trip and it was way more user friendly than the Park stand I have and surprisingly well built. This is the stand to have if your are buying today.
  • 10 0
 And the award for longest chain stays goes to...
  • 4 0
 I have this stand. Love it. As Pipeline89 notes, clamping the seat post by the stanchion rather than the base may not be the best way to do it... but to each his own. One of my favourite features is its capability to telescope and fold down to a really reasonable size to stash in a trunk or roof box.
  • 6 0
 Is it a good idea to clamp the dropper post Stanchion?
  • 5 1
 As long as the dropper is extended all of the way and the jaws are clean, it's not a big deal. With internal routing, it can be a PITA to pull post out to grab it by.
  • 9 1
 As far as I know it's not... it will mass up the seat post. I learned it the hard way... I kept picking up my bike by the saddle and in 2-3 months my dropper post started acting funny and didn't work properly. Luckily the guys at the local bike shop were able to deal with Rock Shox and exchange it to a new one. I see most mechanics will pull the post out a little and clamp it below the collar, I think that's a better way....
  • 3 1
 Doesn't hurt any of the newer droppers at all. Not clamping to the stanchion of a dropper, stopped being recommended about 3 years ago.
  • 1 0
 I've owned this exact stand for several years now. Can't remember exactly when I got it. I second the high quality construction, I've never had an issue. Size and weight is great, I never hesitate to throw it in the pile for a weekend riding trip, along with some essential tools. Super handy to have at the campsite or hotel. Once you have a stand, you'll never go back. It's soooo nice, even for basic maintenance like clean/lube after a ride. At 6'1" I can verify that, depending on where you clamp the bike, it can be a tiny bit short, but I always clamp on the seat tube, which more or less takes care of that issue.
  • 1 0
 I to have this stand it was on sale for 160. Every on should have a bike stand they are so awesome and there are a lot of Park stands for sale right here on PB! I also use the frame for clamping why is that such a bad idea?
  • 1 0
 I've had my feedback stand for 2 years I have the cheep cheep model with the spin clamp not an arm and it's great paid like $100 and it works great height isn't adjustable but for the price I couldn't complain.
I've had my demo hang in it for 2 weeks once when I went on holidays and forgot about it still hadn't slid down at all.
Would totally recommend feedback stands.
  • 7 2
 FAIL
Rock Shox said you shouldnt clamp the reverbs stanchion.. Big Grin
  • 2 1
 Spend the money ... Get a Park. I'm pretty sure you can get into one for $180 cdn. The model above the $180 is better with a folding head and nicer clamp. But for $180 it's, I think the best inexpensive stand you can buy. I've had mine since 2009 now and I haul that thing everwhere. Works well on my dropper post, hold an areo roadie post ( why you would ever need that ... ?? )
Anyways, do yourself a favor and just spend the money on a bike stand, any bike stand. Stop bending over all the time to work on your bike. It takes longer, longer means less riding time. Go ... Go Now !
  • 1 0
 I waited 20 years to get a stand and now I don't know why I waited..... Is there a tool to keep the front wheel straight?
  • 1 0
 a bungie cord
  • 2 0
 @fatboy163 Not sure if you're being serious about the bar. But technically there is a tool. www.parktool.com/product/handlebar-holder-hbh-2
I'm sure you can figure out another way though to keep your bar straight in the stand. Maybe something on your set up is pulling.
  • 1 0
 Baloney, the Feedback Pro stand is better than the top-line Park model for my money. I love it.
  • 1 0
 Well that tool is exactly what I was thinking about!!! Thanks for the info!!
  • 1 0
 Hey there, pushingbroom I have the front tire holder now and it really works great! I know I could have just used something else but I am old and love tools!!. Where I used to work "pushingbroom" was a derogatory word for screwing off....same for you? LOL Thanks again for the tool recommendation
  • 1 0
 I've had this stand for 3 years. It's a great stand in that it's stable, holds the bike/fork in a variety of positions and it's easy to use. There is one LARGE gripe with it though - the jaws of the stand don't open very wide, and that means it requires some extra effort to push the jaws onto the seatpost. It's a bit of a pain - the jaws should just open wider! On my road bike, it's no problem.

If I was buying again, I would buy something with larger jaws. Since I already own it, I can deal with the inconvenience of getting the bike on/off the stand. As soon as I hit the lottery though...
  • 1 0
 I bought this stand years ago and love it. I bought it because for the price, it's better than the Park Tool in functionality and can hold bikes up to 75 pounds, not that you would need to of course. (I mean who has a 75 lb bike these days). Point is it can hold a DH bike no worries. The only issue I have with it is when it's raised up and I go to pedal the bike, the pedals smack into the base pole and scratch it up. (I position the bike all over the place and can't get it to not snack into the pole) Any advice?
  • 2 0
 It took me years to justify spending money on a bike stand instead of bike parts. Once I did, I wondered why I had done it years earlier...
  • 1 1
 Always clamp to the post. Always. With a dropper, drop the post and pull it up our the frame and clamp the lower portion. Seat tubes and top tubes can have cables and brake hoses, bottle mounts or cages and more importantly, might be thin light tubes that can be crushed or damaged. I saw a carbon ISP on a road bike that was cracked by a hack mechanic that had way over clamped the frame in a clamp. I have this stand in an earlier version. Great for road trips as it packs small enough for a car, but I much prefer the Park stand clamp.
  • 2 2
 Don't need to clamp the lower portion of a dropper any more. That ended about 3 years ago. Dropper stanchions are fine to clamp to if one is careful not to scratch it.
  • 1 1
 Just make a stand out of poles that screw in to angled sections and get it welded together. Costs about £50 to £80 for the materials depending on what you use and maybe a few beers for a mate to weld/braise the angles together...then you can spray it any colour ya want !!
My garage one is made of steel and heavy as fook but it stays in my garage so no problems there...If I need to travel with it it collapses down and fits in the van anyways.
  • 1 0
 I have the standard version of this stand and it was well worth the $. Same complaint about the clamp head can be a little tedious to hold the bike while you close it. But other than that no issues at all, very adjustable.
  • 2 1
 And here I am using my homemade work stand that I welded and made out from an old piece of gym equipment laying around my house
  • 4 1
 It's so light you can mount it on your bagpack for an entire enduro race.
  • 3 0
 wait a bit... the carbon fiber enduro specific stand is coming soon.
  • 5 2
 $199 / £199... face palm.
  • 1 2
 my thoughts exactly
  • 1 0
 Just buy a quality clamp and build your own stand. If you have the tools it would be much cheaper than $200. A good clamp costs between $40 & $100.
  • 2 0
 is it cool to clamp the post like that? would be easier, but i was concerned with damaging the surface
  • 1 0
 Short version: didn't used to be, now it's fine, but this stand specifically has padded jaws in order to not scratch the stanchion.

I have an older park shop stand, I clamp it loosely with a towel in the jaws.
  • 2 1
 I'm more interested in the bike
  • 1 1
 Or you can buy Velomann Bike Trim v2500 a simple and durable bike stand.
  • 1 1
 what bike is that?
  • 2 1
 www.pole.fi
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