FWE Compact Folding Workstand

The FWE Compact Folding Workstand from Evans Cycles is a good investment if you want to make your bike fettling easier but you don't want to break the bank. It's a good stand for the money.

• Pros: Inexpensive, clamp is better than average at this price, folds down well
• Cons: Build tolerances are a bit loose, unstable at full height and for heavier bikes

If you look around at cheaper folding workstands then you'll see a lot that follow this basic design, with two fold-out legs, a height-adjustable work area and a quick release clamp. They're not all exactly the same, and the FWE stand has a few notable features.

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Firstly, the top section with the clamp folds down, making it a very compact package when folded. It's easy to stash in the corner of the shed or bung in the car for pre-sportive faffing. Secondly, there's a foam rubber sleeve on the clamp section, so you can hang your bike over the stand by the saddle if you just want a super-quick gear fiddle. As it were.

The clamp itself has a simple bolt-through cam mechanism and rubber inserts to keep your paintwork intact. It'll accept tubes between 35mm and 75mm and does a pretty good job of holding onto aero seatposts too. It's better than the majority of clamps we've seen at the bottom end of the market.

The stand is rated to 35kg, so Evans says it's fine for e-bikes; in reality it's a bit wobbly for anything really heavy, especially at full height. The footprint is big enough to make it pretty stable with road bikes, but if you're spending any time with a 25kg e-bike in a stand you'd be better off with something that has a full tripod base.

The taller you make the stand, the more unstable it is, because the build tolerances aren't that tight; the maximum height here is 180cm but it's better below 150cm, which means a bit more bending over than a more expensive stand.

> Buyer's Guide: The tools you need to do your own basic bike maintenance

Overall, you can't really grumble for less than 50 quid. If you're just fettling your own bikes from time to time then this FWE stand is likely to last you a good while. If you're the person who fixes everyone's bikes then you'll probably find the stability and build quality a bit below what you really need. It's a good starter workstand, and worth the money.

Verdict

Good budget workstand for occasional fettlers