Ultimate's Pro Classic stand is instant eye-candy, if it’s possible to use the phrase in conjunction with something so utilitarian. Aluminium tubing of reassuringly sturdy proportions, shiny stainless-steel fixings and rubberized grips convey a quality that’s borne out in use.
The rubber-footed tripod legs open in a twist-and-pull action; the result is a broad, stable footprint that stays remarkably solid in a lumpy race-side field as well as your garage floor.
The clamp adjustment is a single-push action followed by final twist, and you can change the angle to wherever precisely suits.
The smoothness of the rotate action is just one of the functions that sets this stand apart – most others have a ratchet system, so you twist until it clicks to the next degree round, but the Pro Classic has an infinite range of adjustment.
It’s not one of those things you’ll think about until you need to work on something really fiddly on the bottom bracket, then a hassle-free stand means there’s one less thing to swear about.
A neat extra is the fact that none of the component parts will rust, so if you want to wash the bike down there’s no need to remove it from the stand, or worry about your workshop investment corroding away to nothing.
The whole stand folds flat, but – and this is the one gripe – there’s no bag, so unless you want to cough up a further £30 you’ll need to stow it naked when you want to go on a trip.
This is an expensive workstand, but you’re only going to buy one, so if you can afford the extra cash, the Pro Classic is well worth your consideration.
