Park Tool Team Issue Review

Park Tool has been an industry leader in the bike tools market for quite a long time. If you've ever worked on your bike or taken a look into the repair area at the local bike shop, you've probably used or at least seen some Park Tool products. Whether it's bike tools or bike stands, they make virtually everything you could ever need to work on your bike. In recent years, however, Park Tool's dominance has been challenged by several up and coming brands, especially in the bike work stand market. The Team Issue is Park Tool's top-of-the-line work stand and is their lightest weight and most refined model that we've ever tried. While we do feel that it's their best work stand, it can't match the performance and convenience of our top-rated models in this review.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Setup

The Team Issue is relatively quick and easy to set up. It comes almost fully assembled from the factory, the only assembly required is the installation of the clamp arm, which is easily threaded into place using the clamp arm knob. Unlike the Park Tool PCS-10.2, the assembly of the Team Issue doesn't require tools and is very quick and easy. The clamp arm is so easy to put on and take off that we recommend doing it for storage and travel as it gives the stand a narrower profile. Other than the clamp arm, the setup involves flipping open the quick release for the legs and sliding the collar down to the bottom of the main tube and closing the quick release to secure them in place. The legs move in unison, thanks to the thin aluminum stays that keep all the parts together. The height is then adjusted by flipping open the other quick release on the upper collar and sliding the upper portion of the main tube out of the lower to the desired height and securing it with the quick release. The clamp arm can also be twisted 360 degrees to arrange the clamp in the desired position. If the clamp arm is already attached, testers found they were able to have this work stand set up in approximately 20 seconds.

Overall, the differences in time and ease of setup of the models in this review are relatively minimal. With a couple of practice runs, the majority of the work stands in this test can be set up in 15-25 seconds. The easiest and most user-friendly model is the Feedback Sports Pro Elite. After that, the ToPeak Prepstand Pro, Bike Hand, and the Eclypse all take just a hair longer.

Stability

Park Tool has made the Team Issue a very stable work stand. It has a weight rating up to 100 pounds, the most in the test, and although we never came close to that number, it's clear that this stand can support the heaviest bike in your stable and withstand your hardest wrenching tasks. When the legs are open, the stand has a three-point stance with 36" long legs and 45" between their ends. With a range of height adjustment between 45" and 60", the Team Issue keeps the weight slightly lower than some of the competition which adds to its stability. This stand is made out of "Hexatude" hexagonally-shaped tubing that supposedly makes a stiffer and less flexible tube and has the added benefit of preventing the upper and lower portion of the main tube from rotating. This lack of rotation ensures that the clamp arm will always remain lined up between the legs in the stand's most stable position.

The stability of the Team Issue is definitely among the best in the test. The lower maximum height, heavy weight limit, and twist-free hexagonal tubing ensure that this stand is stable enough for just about any bike or wrenching task. The ToPeak Prepstand Pro, however, still takes the cake for stability with its tripod legs and larger footprint, with the Feedback Sports Pro Elite roughly the same as the Team Issue.

Clamp

Park Tool's top-of-the-line work stand gets a top-of-the-line clamp. This clamp is solid, with virtually all metal parts and nice wide rubber-coated jaws with a unique shape that can grab onto nearly every shape of tubing. The jaws open wide and can clamp onto massive 3" diameter tubes with a threaded cam-locking closure that speeds up the bike loading process. The cam-locking lever closes and opens the jaws about a half an inch while turning the lever as a knob allows you to fine-tune the tension on them with the threaded rod that holds the two sides of the clamp together. Each side of the clamp jaws is 2.75" long, which is a nice length to fit onto smaller parts of the frame while still distributing their force over a large enough area. The clamp of the Team Issue is by far the most impressive part of this work stand. In addition to the excellent clamp design, Park Tool has also integrated a piece of curved blue plastic on one side of the clamp arm that is intended to cradle the nose of your saddle should you choose to quickly hang your bike for simple maintenance tasks like lubing your chain.

The clamp on the Team Issue is among the best on our test, but it couldn't match the performance or convenience of the clamp on the Editors' Choice award-winning Feedback Sports Pro Elite. The Pro Elite has a slide ratcheting closure and a spring-loaded quick-release that no other model can match. Beyond that, none of the other competitors can match the quality or convenience of the clamp on the Team Issue.

Angle Adjustment

Much like the Park Tool PCS-10.2, the Team Issue has a quality angle adjustment with 360 degrees of smooth index-free rotation. The clamp arm is controlled by the large handle on the back of the clamp arm that tightens or loosens a compression cone in the composite fitting at the top of the stand. Adjusting the angle is easy, smooth, and predictable and can be done with or without a bike in the clamp. If you do adjust the angle with a bike in the clamp, you can modulate it by maintaining some tension on the clamp arm knob and by supporting the weight of the bicycle with your hands.

The Team Issue angle adjustment is smooth, stable, and relatively user-friendly, but testers found that they preferred the adjustment on the Feedback Sports Pro Elite. This stand has a similar non-indexed rotation but a large three-pronged metal knob that is incredibly easy to turn and makes adjustments even quicker and easier. Both the ToPeak Prepstand Pro and the Bike Hand have circular rings of plastic teeth that have an indexed adjustment that is secure but far less user-friendly than the non-indexed rotation of the Team Issue and others.

Height Adjustment

The Team Issue has a quality and secure height adjustment, but it loses a little ground to the competition due to its more limited adjustment range. The clamp can be adjusted anywhere within its range of 45"-60" by opening the upper quick release on the main tube and sliding the upper tube out of the lower tube to the desired height. It's possible to adjust the height higher than 60", although the stand becomes much less stable, and it's best to stay within the recommended adjustment range. The quick-release lever appears to be of high quality and provides a secure clamp to keep the height where you want it, plus the tension of the quick release is quickly and easily adjustable. On the Team Issue work stand, Park Tool has also employed hex-shaped aluminum tubing throughout its construction, which keeps the upper and lower tubes in line and not drifting to the side like some of the older models.

While the height adjustment of the Team Issue is secure and provides enough range for most applications, our testers were more impressed with the tripod style stands that offer a greater range of adjustment. The Feedback Sports Pro Elite has a 42"-71" range that is sure to meet everyone's needs. Our top-rated model in this metric is the ToPeak Prepstand Pro, which has a 48"-72" adjustment range and a more refined air-cushioned feel in its travel.

Portability

Testers were relatively impressed with the portability of the Team Issue. Park Tool has managed to keep the weight of the Team Issue down to a very respectable 13 pounds, and the stand collapses down to a size that is competitive with many of the other models in the test. One of the biggest issues with the Team Issue is the clamp arm, which is fixed in the extended position when attached to the stand as opposed to the folding clamp arms found on many other models. The clamp arm gives the stand a slightly taller and wider profile of 48" x 15" when it is attached. If storage space is limited, it's quite easy to remove the clamp arm from the stand by unscrewing the large knob on the back of the top tube. This reduces the collapsed width of the stand to a very manageable 47" x 8". The only drawback is that you have to keep track of the clamp arm and put it back on when you set it up.

While the weight and collapsed size of the Team Issue do help to make it quite portable, it is still bested by several other models in this review that are lighter, smaller and don't require the removal of the clamp arm. The smallest model we tested is the Bike Hand YC-100BH, and the lightest is the Eclypse Repair Stand. The Feedback Sports Pro Elite collapses about two inches shorter, weighs less, and has folding clamp arms that enhance their portability and convenience.

Everyday Maintenance

The Team Issue is a solid choice for everyday maintenance tasks. It's quick and easy to set up and take down, and it has a durable construction that can withstand being left outside for extended periods or regular rinses with the hose. The clamp is user-friendly, and it's quick to get your bike in and out of this stand for simple tasks like checking your shifting or adjusting a derailleur. It also has a protective blue plastic cover on the top of the clamp arm that is designed for you to hang your bike by the nose of your saddle for those super quick tasks like lubing your chain. Of course, we liked the ratcheting/quick release clamp of the Feedback Sports Pro Elite the best for its convenience for everyday maintenance, but the Team Issue is still a great choice.

Value

The Team Issue is the most expensive work stand in our test. While it is a quality work stand and the best Park Tool model we've ever tried, it's hard to call it a great value since our top-rated models cost less and offer a higher level of performance and convenience. The Team Issue comes with a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, so you should theoretically get many years of faithful service from it.

Conclusion

While the Team Issue definitely takes the cake as the best Park Tool work stand we've ever tested, it falls about the middle of the pack of the models in this review.

Other Versions and Accessories

Park Tool makes a range of portable home mechanic and professional grade work stands, accessories, and every tool you could ever need for working on your bike.
In addition to the PRS-25 Team Issue reviewed here, they also make the PCS-10.2(also tested), and the PCS 9, both of which have a similar design but weigh more and are far less user-friendly than the Team Issue.
They make one model of fork mount repair stand, the PRS 22.2 Team Issue.
They also make a variety of accessories, including a handlebar holder, tool tray, paper towel holder, and wheel truing stand that can mount directly to your Park Tool work stand. Accessories specific to the PRS-25 reviewed here are a zippered Storage and Travel Bag ($25) with a shoulder strap, and a Work Tray ($34) to keep your tools handy.