What truing stands are worth the money?

[eccentric]

Any advice about what truing stands are worth the money?

At our house it's time to learn to build wheels. It'll be easier with that really pretty $200 Park Tool Pro Truing Stand, but it's going to take a lot of truing to justify spending $200 for a single-purpose tool. There's a $30 Park Tool Truing Stand that requires the $150 Park Tool repair stand, but it looks like it's worth a whole lot less, too. Is it worth buying the $30 thingie, or better to just do without and true wheels on the bike?

If you occasionally build or true wheels, what have you found is really worth owning?

 

[MadMax '58]

............

 

[kingsting]

While I now own the $200.00 pretty Park stand (I'm a bike tool , what can I say? Plus, watch Nashbar for sales and coupons and such - you can get them cheaper!) I built plenty of wheels using a flimsy $30.00 Minoura folding stand. It worked fine, just lacked the "cool factor" of the Park...

 

[CCR]

I've got both the $200 stand and the attachment that goes on the bike stand. I love my big stand but I would skip the $30 attachment, you can just flip the bike in the stand, if it has a rim brake use those as a guide for truing, if not put a zip tie on the stays. I've got a PCS 4 bike stand and the attachment mounts with the wheel slot upside down, kind of clumsy if you ask me.

 

[c.p.odom]

I am thinking about the P&K Lie truing stand: http://www.wheelfanatyk.bigcartel.com/p ... uing-stand
$1950
But for $200 or less the Park Professional is a steal.

 

[Terry66]

I use this one from Performance Bikes....It is on sale right now for $59. There are better ones on the market, but this one will get the job done.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Pr ... 005_400152

 

[CCR]

I think Randy / aka_locojoe has a similar fold up style, look like they would work just fine to me

 

[sensor]

MAKE ONE!

im a big fan of keeping my cash and making stuff so i figured id start a thread on low buck D.I.Y. things that come in very handy...
ill start with this one:
truing stand for $3 :shock:

the steel was a weight bench that was a trash grab(shhhh dont tell anyone i took some trash!!)
the pointers are some glass setting tools(got those from our glass guy for free)
just need to sand it down after i make the adjustable wing nut mounts for the glass sticks(aka bones)
but the wing nuts/bolts to do that will come to about $3(
im also going to add another bone to the bottom so i can do lateral and radial truing
anyone here could make the same for $5-$15 depending on if you have to buy the steel or bones...
okay...i showed one of my made tools....add to em guys!
build 'em dont buy 'em!!

Can hold up to 5" wide wheels and 30" tall. So pretty much any wheel you toss in will fit.