What's in your shop?

[grizzly adam]

I just recently purchased a townhome and will finally have a garage! Our garage will have lots of space as it's a double and I drove a MINI.

I plan on having some sort of shop for my bikes. I have some ideas but was curious to see what else is out there. What do you guys have for your home shop, bench, tools, lights, stands, etc. Is it in your garage, bedroom or basement?

I have some tools and will be expanding my collection. What do you guys do for storage and stuff like that.

[Ish]

I am fortuante enough to have a room in my unfinished basement. For lighting I hooked up a couple of florscents (sp?) to the overhead light. A lot of light is key to being able to see what you are breaking (I mean fixing) :o

The best investment was a Park Tool bike stand. I can't imangine working on my bikes without the stand. Makes everything so much easier.

A bench and shelves are a must. Basically I have spare/old stuff laying all around the room (tires/ cranks/ chain rings/ tubes/ bars/saddles,etc.)

It's such a mess, my wife never ventures in the room!

[martini]

http://www.fox302.com/userdata/martini/files/Photoes/Mygarage.jpg

Instead of describing, I'll just let you see what I did. It's messy. There's lots of bikes(count'em if you can!) and even more parts. The only thing I'm missing is a stand. I'm holding out for an Ulitmate though. Won't settle for the Park's. They're too short! I don't like thier base either. There's nothing like having your own shop to work in. You'll love it!

[Dr. Guitar]

My bikes sleep in my bedroom with me. 1br apt here. It's a good feeling to have the sun shine off your bike on sunday morning.

[BrightYellow]

martini, you need more bikes man, what's holding you back?

I don't have crap for a shop, but maybe this winter I can clear some space in the basement. Right now all of my parts are in the garage and I use my Saris hitch rack as a bike stand. It doesn't work great... but I guess it works.

[Kingbozo]

A buddy of mine bought a Park clamp and welded his own stand. I swear the thing weighs about 400 lbs! The bike will not budge when you are working on it.

[noise_is_life]

My shop is a bike stand in the back yard and a disorganized bag of tools, maybe someday I can make a claim on a basement corner for something a little more permanent.

[jaybird]

The only thing I can recommend after a stand is a good tool box. Over time I've collected odds and ends of tools and components. I finally got a big 8 drawer tool box ( 3 sm / 4 stnd / 1 extra deep). I put it on an wire wrack w/wheels. Now I can move it around the garage as needed, it has a place to hold lubes/degreaser/etc, and baskets for misc items.

[manual63]

Put what you want in there, but I have one word for you.....security. If you are gonna put your love and joy in there, secure it well. Dumb thieves will see you put you dream ride in the garage and they will all talk about where you live. They suck!

[funky-funky-chicken]

I have had some different shops over the years... When I lived with my brother in a 1 bedroom apartment, we had something like 12 bikes and a tandem. Our “dining” area served as the shop with a Park workstand the center of attention.

I prefer to have the main workbench and work area for working on bikes located in the comfort of the house. I am confined to the basement now, close to the laundry area so that I can use the sink to clean up parts and such. If it is warm outside, I would much rather be riding than working on bikes, so most major overhauls and work is performed during the dead of winter when I would not want to be located in the garage. Unless of course, I could talk my wife into heating the garage? ;)

I have almost all the tools that I could need for working on bikes with the exceptions being cutting tools. Most tools are Park including the stand, truing stand, and most alignment tools. Most everything is organized on peg board behind the work stand. It is much easier to work with the tools mounted where you can see them than digging through a toolbox. There is also a small shelf behind the stand for small tools that are inconvenient to hang. There is a work bench with a mounted bench vice too. Small parts are organized into parts bins and onto shelves. I had boxes and boxes of existing parts, but as of recently have been getting rid of lots of things on eBay to make room for new bikes due on arrival.

Good luck...

[Daddy X]

Man, I cannot believe you guys have failed to mention the most important thing in any home shop, the BEER!!!
I would recommend going with the model below.

[b dub]

Martini- That's a sweet setup. I think the neatest feature is the bag of Puppy Chow. It is an absolute necessity to have snacks for those long wrenching sessions when you don't have time to run inside for a bite to eat. But talk about puppy breath....

Unfortunately, my shop space is being shared with an unused washer and dryer, soon to be joined by an unused leather sofa. That being said, anybody want to buy a washer/dryer or leather sofa?

Brian

[grizzly adam]

Martini,
I'm counting 9 bikes and a BOB trailer - am I close?! WOW - that's awesome. I love it!

When I lived in Eagan, my roommates and I were lucky enough to have an unfinished basement and that was our shop. We had a bench with the pegboard to hang the tools on and the flourescent lights. We also had a bunch of old neon signs from shops and such. Speaking of which - I can't wait to get my old Bridgestone light up! I've been saving that thing for years....

I've got the bench squared away. I also have a truing (sp?) stand. I need to get a stand of somesort. What's the Ultimate that you referred to? Any info.

Daddy X - of course the beer!! Do you think we could rig a tap to come through to the "game" room downstairs, oops, I mean the baby's room downstairs?! :D

[manual63]

Originally posted by grizzly adam
Martini,
I'm counting 9 bikes and a BOB trailer - am I close?! WOW - that's awesome. I love it!

Not just a BOB trailer, but a BOB trailer with a blue tire? Or is that just how the light is hitting it?

[Trevize1138]

The back of my Impreza makes a nice little shop, actually. There's this tool tray in the trunk where I keep a chain whip, crank puller, extra chain links, spokes, wrenches, socket wrench set ...

The hitch rack makes a fairly decent quick-and-dirty stand.

I'd still like to get a stand for my basement, though, and a decent tool area, but the car makes a good on-the-spot shop. :)

[Tetreves]

I can tell you that Ultimate makes a great stand! I'm a sound engineer, and my company is a dealer for Ultimate stands. I'm working on getting a good price on a bike stand, though we're not bike stand dealers. We use the mic stands and speaker stands (and they rock!). Check out http://www.ultimatesupport.com/

[martini]

Yes, that is a blue tire on my BoB. I had to when I saw it! There's 14 bikes in there with another on the way. Plus more in the future. There's always room for expansion!

[ice ice baby]

Originally posted by martini
http://www.fox302.com/userdata/martini/files/Photoes/Mygarage.jpg

Instead of describing, I'll just let you see what I did. It's messy. There's lots of bikes(count'em if you can!) and even more parts. The only thing I'm missing is a stand. I'm holding out for an Ulitmate though. Won't settle for the Park's. They're too short! I don't like thier base either. There's nothing like having your own shop to work in. You'll love it! Geez, do you have a life?I'll I have is a little chain grease a few old shirts!:crazy2:

[Krejci]

I like shanes idea of the tools in his bike shop! But all you really need is Wd-40 ducktape and if u cant fix it with that, then you arnt trying hard enough!

[martini]

Originally posted by ice ice baby
Geez, do you have a life?I'll I have is a little chain grease a few old shirts!

Uh, whaddaya mean? last I check my heart was still pumpin' and my lungs were pushin' oxygen.

[denis-on-enduro]

yea ice kenny and tollefson
all you guys have is wd-40 and old t shirts because you bring you damn bikes over to my house where i do the labor for free FREE

who fixes brakes me who knows how to take chains off who knows ho to PUT ON A TIRE.

WHO KNOWS WHAT A DERAILER IS.

Mr i think he should get the xt derailer when he wants a single speed.

Dont even say i didnt know how to take pedals off

Who knows that seat post suspension sucks.

GOT A PROBLEM ANYONE PM ME.

Peace!

oh by the way who has spent all the money on our bridges $80 worth

you know grandpa dont just hand me money

[Rockhoppa]

Dont even say i didnt know how to take pedals off

Who knows that seat post suspension sucks.

GOT A PROBLEM ANYONE PM ME.

Peace!

oh by the way who has spent all the money on our bridges $80 worth

you know grandpa dont just hand me money [/B][/QUOTE]

you didnt have a clue how to take pedals off and you know it!!!!
And i spent $50 dollars on the bridges you never paid $80 and ice and scott you owe me $30!!!!!!!!!! you know nothing about bikes none of us do you probabally know the most out of all of us but that is nothing!!!!!

[grizzly adam]

Originally posted by Rockhoppa
you know nothing about bikes none of us do you probabally know the most out of all of us but that is nothing!!!!!

.....I know how to ride a bike, does that count?

[grizzly adam]

What are your preferences on bench material? Almost all of the shops that I've worked in have had a wood table top. I've seen a couple that are a metal surface, but I just think that it would be noisy and slippery.
What do you have or what would you like to have? Park Tool has some pretty cool maple (I think) table tops.

I'd like to have a tap next to the bike clamp and a small fridge built in underneath.

[Rocky Mountain]

Martini is old as DIRT so when you get his age you start to accumulate alot of stuff (some people may consider junk). I have alot of tires hanging in my garage too and some are from '93 along with a few sets of damaged wheels.

In the bike world IMHO, having a designated area to work on bikes is almost like a status symbol for the wealthy who drive expensive cars becasue they can.

No bike stand though, Martini, so do you hang them from the rafters with rope?

[Daddy X]

I would say that the best choice for you would be a nice imported Italian marble with British racing green flecks in it.

[ice ice baby]

Kerber, hold your water. Let's get one thing straight, I don't need all the useless crap you have because I don't play In indian with my bike daily and do more harm than good. (Disk brakes on the wrong side!)So you know a few more things, but at least I don't have a fetish for Specialized. Scoots, you could get booked on Jerry Springer with that fetish. J/K

Two bananas for the wanna be Erik's employee

[Krejci]

who fixes brakes me who knows how to take chains off who knows ho to PUT ON A TIRE.
Yeah scoots, U put the damn disk brake on the wrong side, you know what now........
Who knows that seat post suspension sucks.
Yeah scoots how do you know that they suck. You have never rode one before, look at the post called seatpost suspension, All the guys posted on it including John, Jan, James, and the trail guides.....Yeah Martha Stewert!!! Banana that!:banana: