Feedback Sports Pro E Lift Bike Repair Stand Review

Feedback Sports has produced some quality tools and bike stands over the years, but none that can do what this stand does. Anyone who has attempted to get their e-bike into a repair stand has likely thought, “There must be a better way.” Well, now there is, and while it isn't cheap, this stand has revolutionized the way we work on bikes in our lab, eliminating the reluctance we had toward getting heavier bikes into the stand.

Ease of Setup

This is the only stand we've set up that requires a power source. With a motor, stabilizing arms, and a rotating head, the assembly is understandably more complex. Setting up the stand involved assembling the five main pieces and threading 14 bolts. There wasn't anything particularly difficult about putting it together, as the tools and instructions were included. The type of person who will be assembling this stand will be working on a bike after all. The assembled stand is 39.25" high and has a footprint of 29 x 29.5". You don't need to assemble it in the spot where you want to use it, as transport wheels allow you to roll it around like a furniture dolly.

The height and footprint listed above are the smallest dimensions the stand can occupy. If you need a stand that can't tuck out of the way when not in use, this probably won't be ideal. The clamp head is identical to that found on our favorite non-electric stand from Feedback Sports and features a quick-release button and an easy-to-use spooling lock lever. Being able to quickly close the clamp jaws and tighten them around your seatpost isn't as important on this stand, since you can do that with the bike resting on the ground, and you're not in a time crunch while awkwardly holding the bike with one hand. The base of the stand is flat against the floor, allowing you to simply roll your bike into place, clamp the seatpost, and then, with your foot, raise it to the desired level.

Unloaded, the stand looks almost comically short; Its burly composition sits in contrast to its compact stature. Most stands don't look like this unladen because they're not designed for roll-up service. The ease of clamping your bike without lifting it off the ground is a game-changer for maintenance. When you're holding a heavy e-bike with one hand and trying to negotiate the jaws around a seatpost with the other, there's always a bit of panic involved. Will you be able to hold the bike long enough to secure it in the clamp? That struggle and moment of panic are completely averted with the E-Lift Pro; every effort can be smooth and intentional.

Stability

The base of the E-Lift Pro differs from most bike stands, which use an elevated tripod for stability. With its heavy motor on the floor, two legs extend outward from the back of the base, and two longer support legs extend diagonally beneath the bike work zone. The shape of the rear legs allows you to set the stand up against a wall, and also rock it back on the transport wheels to roll it around with ease. We've loved the versatility of the Pro HD repair stand, but despite being able to hold bikes up to 100 pounds, it's only stable if the bike's weight is directly centered over one of the legs. With the E-Lift Pro, the bike doesn't rotate around the Y-axis (vertical), so it never feels unstable or prone to tipping.

With a footprint of 28 x 28.5 inches, this stand doesn't have the same large triangular footprint that many stands have. The height of the clamp arm is 36" when the stand is in its lowest position and can go as high as 72". As you might expect, the stand is more stable at lower settings, but its significant weight (54 lbs) is mostly centered on the base, providing a solid anchor for your suspended bike. We were able to wrench off tough bottom brackets and use frame-bending tools without tipping the stand or feeling like our heavy bikes were precarious.

Another thing that sets this stand apart from others is that it has a single forward position ideal for your bike. The clamp does not rotate, as the optimal position for wrenching on your ride is at the dead center of the Y-shaped support legs. The stand's shape also allows you to use it against a wall.

Clamp

Our favorite clamp in the industry comes from Feedback Sports, and we first used it on the Pro Mechanic HD. This stand uses the same clamp, and it's a delight. Large 3-inch rubber-coated jaws feature an easy-to-use ratchet with a quick-release button that opens the clamp up to 2.6 inches. On the HD stand, we loved that we could fully utilize the clamps' functionality with one hand. That is less important when you're not struggling to support a bike with one hand, but the clamp is a winner nonetheless.

The clamp closes quickly and easily; you simply push the end through any dead space and use the ratchet to complete the clamping. With the large jaw opening, it's easy to grab large tubes, but equally easy to grab the smaller-diameter dropper post. To disengage the clamp, you simply twist the ratchet a turn and hit the quick-release button. The rubber pads inside the jaws are replaceable, and overall, the clamp mechanism has a very high-quality feel.

Angle Adjustment

To adjust the angle of the bike you're working on, you twist a tri-spoke handle that sits behind the clamp. The clamp feels intuitive and can be easily reached with either hand, depending on your bicycle's position. Rotation is available for all 360 degrees, but pushing a 90-plus-pound e-bike into the upside-down position is still difficult.

Most of the work we performed on the stand didn't require getting the bike all the way upside down, but there were times when we were close and used the stand's exceptional range and stability to run new wiring or route brake hoses through the small labyrinths that modern manufacturers have created in the downtube motor junctions. You only need to ever loosen or tighten this knob by about 1/2 turn, as the friction inside the clamp ensures smooth, predictable movement of your bike.

Height Adjustment

The Pro E Lift drops lower than most stands to allow for clamping of the seatpost while the bike is still on the ground. The bottom of its height adjustment is just 36," and we found that height to accommodate almost all of the bikes we wanted to service. There were a couple of exceptions on some compact 20" wheel bikes, but we were able to raise their seatposts enough to make the stand work. One of the things we really appreciated about this stand is how stable it remained at taller heights. The central mast is made of oversized alloy tubes with sufficient overlap that the stand doesn't feel wobbly or insecure when extended.

At the lowest position, the top of the clamp measured 36 inches from the floor, and at the highest setting, 72 inches. This is a sufficient range of movement to work on just about any bike, penny fathings aside.

Portability

A 54-pound bike work stand that needs an electrical outlet doesn't seem exceptionally portable, and we wouldn't plan to travel with it unless you're really serious about bike maintenance. That said, the transport wheels mounted to the back of the stand and the exceptionally low height of the compressed stand make it really easy to wheel around a workshop or move in and out of a storage spot.

I was reluctant to wheel the stand into storage because it's a brilliant centerpiece of my workshop and looks great. Since it uses a base that is flat against the floor, it doesn't pose the same tripping hazard as raised tripod legs on other stands, and we found it exceptionally easy to work around.

Everyday Maintenance

Since we first rolled the E Lift into our workshop, it's been the go-to stand for working on all of our bikes. Is it overkill for lightweight road and gravel bikes? Maybe, but the stands exceptionally easy to use, almost inviting you to throw your bike up there and check those bolts one more time. You don't need a pneumatic stand just to lube your chain, but you probably don't need a 4x4 truck to go to the grocery store, either.

The support arms have small adjustable feet that ensure the base is stable. We needed to adjust those feet on several occasions to accommodate the different surfaces we placed the stand on. You don't have to do this with try-pod style stands, but the additional stability feels worth the occasional adjustment when changing flooring. The ideal setup we found was on rubberized mats that let the feet dig in just a bit, creating more stability and a more comfortable work environment.

Should You Buy the Feedback Sports Pro E Lift Repair Stand?

I'll admit to being mildly incredulous when I first saw this stand. Who needs a power stand in their home garage anyway? I was also nursing a forearm injury from mountain biking that was irritated by lifting and holding heavy bikes while I fussed with the clamp on my Pro Mechanic HD stand. After less than a week of using the stand, I had convinced myself it was worth the money, but I've spotted that same incredulous look I know I had when showing the stand to friends. This stand is probably appropriate for a very small percentage of home mechanics, but if you've read this far, you just might be one. We can tell you there isn't much downside to this stand; there aren't any missing features or things we wish were different. Well, we wish it were less expensive, but we feel that way about most things in the bike industry these days.

What Other Bike Work Stands Should You Consider?