Building a bicycle wheel can be a tricky task and is often a job left up to a professional but there are a number of knowledgeable home mechanics up to the job. For those looking to service their wheels at home or on the move, the Super B TB-PF25 provides a compact solution at a reasonable price.
A professional truing stand is expensive and takes up a considerable amount of space with the idea of having a permanent place or being clamped to a work desk. The Super B, however, is all about convenience and cost savings.
Unlike a cumbersome professional stand, the alloy and plastic Super B stand folds flat, which means you can store it easily as well as conveniently pack it for a trip.
When extended for truing wheels, the Super B stand folds out on to two flat legs with foam rubber pads to help hold it in place. The wheel axle slides into two orange plastic holders at the top of the stand which rotate to fit front and rear hub sizes. Extending from the longest upright are the gauges used to measure and true the wheel: a set of caliper-like pins to assess lateral true while a plate is used to pick up any vertical bumps in the rim.
The Super B stand accepts wheels of varying sizes from 16 inches to 29 inches. The axle holders are designed for quick release axles with thru axle standards requiring hub adaptors. This is a bit limiting with most new mountain bikes and even some road bikes now coming with thru axle wheels.
The knobs, dials, and tightening mechanisms felt solid and are easy and intuitive to operate. The only problem were the pins used to check the lateral true. They are pushed through rubber o-rings which can be sticky, making small tweaks cumbersome compared to a design with controlled adjustment. The ends of the pins have plastic caps to prevent scratching the rim.
The stand is not perfectly stable. I am a bit clumsy and knocked the wheel in the stand a few times during operation which caused it to rock. It is possible, with some carelessness, to accidently push the stand over while working on a wheel.
It’s not only the compact nature of the Super B that makes it appealing to the home mechanic. With a retail price of R799, the Super B TB-PF25 is considerably cheaper than other truing stand options.
Conclusion
The Super B might not be the perfect wheel truing stand but comparing it to professional stands would be unfair. It is designed to be light, compact, easy to move around, and reasonably priced – with this in mind – the Super B performs well and is a great tool for any mechanic, at home or while on the road.
- Light-weight (in truing stand terms)
- Folds flat for compact storage and traveling
- Does the job
- Priced for the home mechanic
Cons:
- Limited axle compatibility
- Operation can be a bit tricky
- Potential to topple over if knocked
uhmmmmmm price?