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Od Designs OdPod

8
£34.95

VERDICT:

8
10
Perfect accessory for many little jobs or simply keeping your bike upright at home
Weight: 
1g
Contact: 
www.od-designs.co.uk

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'Keep it simple' is always a good policy, especially when it comes to design and this Od Designs OdPod bike stand is exactly that.

It all started when the company owner Steve, a skilled metal worker specializing in industrial air conditioning systems, was asked to build something simple for his mate to take to mountain bike races. It was designed to be crammed in the car with all the other 'essentials' taken on a weekend racing so it had to pack away small, plus it needed to hold the back wheel up to allow for the gears to be adjusted and it needed to hold the bike up in the paddock (and not be leant up against the car).

What he came up with (after a few prototypes) is a kind of tripod that cradles your bike by its bottom bracket. It sounds simple and it is but most importantly it works effectively. I found that it works best on an external bottom bracket allowing the plastic support cups on the stand to rest on the bearing housing either side of the bottom bracket shell - although the width between the plastic support cups can be adjusted by bolting them either side of the metal frame giving about 6mm of adjustent and enabling it to be used on just the bottom bracket shell.

I found that the chain stays got in the way on my bike when trying to balance the bike on solely the BB shell. Once the bike is balanced on the stand it is remarkably stable; in fact you can sit on your bike and rock it back and forth like a rocking horse (Steve's party trick) but it isn't advisable.

The bike is held fast enough to get a jet wash to it without tipping it over, avoiding the splash back you get from leaning up against a wall. With the bike in the stand you can elevate the back wheel and turn the pedals allowing you to adjust your gears easily and do many other light servicing operations without the need for a full size work stand.

The OdPod folds flat and can just about squeeze into a rucksack although the widely splayed legs had to stick out of the top (Steve is working on a design that folds much smaller) and at about a kilogram it isn't too much weight to lug around on your back if you are using it as a mobile repair stand.

Available in a few choices of tough, powder coated colours or for a few quid more get a custom colour. At just £34.95 including postage go crazy, this is a bargain.

Verdict

Perfect accessory for many little jobs or simply keeping your bike upright at home.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Od Designs OdPod

Size tested: Bla

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Designed to be taken to races to hold the bike up, tweak the gears and be compact to store away. It does just that.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Built from steel tubing and powder coated. Tough.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

This is made in Britain by sturdy craftsmen who work with metal.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

If you have a bike with an external bottom bracket then this is perfect.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

You can sit on the bike when it is on the stand! Tough powder coat paint resists a lot of abuse.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
10/10

If this fits your bike (why would you buy it otherwise) it is so easy to use and hide away when not in use that you wonder why you haven't always had one.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

solidly

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Simplicity and easy of use

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

could do with being able to pack away smaller and be more universal for which bottom bracket/bikes can be used

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? I would.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? I have already.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 179  Weight: 79

I usually ride: Bike that I am testing at the time  My best bike is: Condor Pista fixed. Kinesis Convert 2 geared work horse, Look KG241 skinny whippet

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed, bare back

 

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2 comments

Avatar
markrjl | 11 years ago
0 likes

Looked at it at the CityCross event. May not fit all bottom brackets, such as BB30.

Avatar
ped | 11 years ago
0 likes

Yay for simple solutions!
Yay for British manufacturing!

I met the Od Design guys at Bike Blenheim last year and loved their enthusiasm, and the OdPod stand too. While it's nice to have the bike in a proper maintenance stand for bigger jobs, for pre-ride tinkering it's spot on.

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