Review of Topeak Dual Touch Bike Storage Stand

Topeak Dual Touch Bike Storage Stand
By: Topeak Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 26
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Topeak Bike Rack

On: 2008-09-29

Received shipment in reasonable time. Item is somewhat complicated to install as you must get the right amount of tension but not so much that you damage your ceiling. A friend has the Sport Solutions tension mount rack which seems more secure. Time will tell how this one holds up. There is no way to secure it to the ceiling.

Excellent Storage

On: 2008-09-21

I purchased this rack three months ago for my apartment to provide indoor indoor bike storage for my road bike. It fits easily near the wall and adjusts to variable ceiling height. Set up is pretty easy, and it is very stable. I have had zero problems with it. I suggest getting the additional handlebar stabilizers to prevent your front tire from marking up the wall. Durable, I expect this rack to last a decade or more.

Solid!

On: 2008-09-17

Awesome quality and looks great even in my living room! Very well-made and worth the money!

Easy to set up, sturdy, and doesn't leave a mark.

On: 2008-07-27

This is the perfect storage solution for people who want/need to store their bikes up and out of the way indoors but cant attach something to the walls (i.e., renters). With additional hangers, it can support up to four bikes using both sides. Its very adjustable to support nearly any kind of bike and it only took a few tries to get it to fit my full suspension MTB just right. For a hardtail or road bike, its even easier.

Because this uses pressure between the floor and ceiling, make SURE you set it up directly below a joist or use an 18" section of 2x4 to span between two joists. Otherwise, the only support youll have is the drywall or plaster. If the drywall doesnt crack when you first put it up, youll likely have the rack falling over at some point since it wont have enough pressure to keep resisting gravity in the long run.

Space saver

On: 2008-05-26

Great product that holds my mountain and road bikes. I have a small condo with litte space but this has definitely made an improvement in my bike storage space. Need to buy the handlebar stabilizer but it works fine without it. It does say to secure against a solid ceiling in 2 places in the literature. Mine is attached to tile floor and concrete ceiling without incident.

still standing!

On: 2008-02-08

So I dont typically write reviews but I felt compelled to do so for this product as it works quite well and as the title states it is STILL STANDING! I advise you do a little work prior and simply identify where your ceiling joists are and make sure you place the stand directly below. If adjusted properly you will be placing significant pressure on the sheetrock - it is wise to be sure there is a joist directly above so you ensure the stand stays standing and you dont blow a hole in the sheetrock!

I installed (not much to it) the product in 30 minutes or less - I have 2 mountiain bikes on it, one of which is hanging up top about 8 high and the other sitting nicely at about waiste height. Other then the product holding the bikes with no issue there is very little bulk to the stand so it looks clean and the bikes actually display nicely in any room!

Sooooooo.. The bottom line is for the price and usability you cant go wrong with this stand - Unless of course you dont follow instructions and the stand AND bikes end up on top of your car in the garage - Sorry Eugene!

It works, and is easy to put together.

On: 2008-02-08

I know have bought 3 of these to tame all of my kids bikes during the off season. These things are solid, easy to assembly, and work perfectly.

There is no drilling or attaching to walls or ceiling with other than pressure, so it is easy to move them for whatever reason. They basically use easy to apply pressure on the floor and ceiling to keep in place. I have them in a garage, so I dont care about any issues with what the pressure that keeps these things standing might do to a ceiling. Not that I have any reason to expect problems, but I just dont know if it is an issue on a nice ceiling.

I only have two bikes per pole, so I dont know how it works if you try to do more, but I have road bikes, kids bikes, and cross-over bikes all happily stored on these stands without issue.

Unstable

On: 2008-02-03

Had this for 15 months and this is not very stable. Maybe due to the seasonal contraction and expansion in my garage, the spring tension in the pole has given way at least 3 times, twice the stand slipped off the ceiling joist stud on its own. But once it is installed, it is great but if you live in a zone where the temps in your garage varies greatly with the season, watch out!!!

Also fell on my car.

On: 2008-01-20

This fell on my car...twice. The first time not much damage was done to the car probably because two bikes were mounted and the lower bike helped slow the fall. The 2nd time, after remounting in what I thought was a more secure way, it was a couple months later and there was only the top bike mounted...much more damage was done to the car. Thanks Topeak for making a product that is probably going to cost me over $1000 easy.

Great Rack!

On: 2007-11-15

This rack works very well in my small NY apartment. Setup is straight forward and takes about 15 minutes. A couple of things that worked for me on setup.... I made sure my wood floor was clean to ensure no dust would make the bottom slide (just to play it safe). Also, I probably added a little more tension than what the directions called for. It seems very stable. I only use one of the two racks for my mountain bike. The rack that I use is pushed towards the top of the pole to keep the bike up and out of the way in the hallway. To maximize space, I actually take off the quick release front wheel and twist the handle bars so that my bike is flush against the wall. Great space saver.

Fell on me (luckily, my cats escaped in time)

On: 2007-11-07

THE SHORT: Its hard to secure the bike stand tightly, and the risk of it falling makes me uneasy. However, if you must absolutely have it, buy at a physical store and not from Amazon. Amazon doesnt pack bulky, non-book items well before shipping, and the stand can arrive in a bad shape and/or with missing parts.

THE LONG: The idea behind this bike stand is excellent, but the product itself could have been designed better. First of all, installing the stand is intuitively simple: [1] erect it, [2] adjust the extension tubes so the pole fits the height of the room, and [3] step on the locking stepper to secure the pole in place. However, getting it installed the way you want it is rather annoying; its hard to secure the bike stand tightly between the floor and ceiling. After I erected the stand, extended the tubes, and made sure that the pole was perfectly perpendicular to the floor and ceiling, I stepped on the locking stepper. However, because its so hard to to get the locking stepper into its locking position, I had to apply a lot of force. Doing that ended up moving the pole around, and when I finally got it into the locking position, the pole was tilted, no longer perpendicular to the floor and ceiling. (For safety reason, you do need to make sure its perpendicular (thats common sense, I think). By the time I got it to work, I must have sweared at Topeak a zillion times. Getting the bikes on the hooks was also a pain for me because I have mountain bikes. I guess if you have light road bikes, this shouldnt be a problem for you.

The part that made me give this product one star was that it fell on me and my cats. Luckily, they were fast and escaped safely. I wasnt injured, but all three of us could have been. I followed all the instructions when installing and made sure that both my floor and ceiling were solid. I think the extension tubes slid down over time. After all, the mechanism that keeps the tubes extended seems to rely only on simple clamping tension; theres no foolproof locking mechanism in place. The locking stepper doesnt help either. I know that if I just kick the bike stand lightly, it will fall. That really worries me because as my cats get bigger and bigger, they can knock it over if they bump into it fast enough. If Topeak could fix the extension tubes and somehow make the locking stepper a "locking pumP" (i.e., pump the mechanism with your foot to gradually tighten the pole into place, perhaps by incorporating a hydraulic system?), instead of a push-really-hard-once-to-lock mechanism, I think it would be a much safer product.

Last but not least, Amazon didnt pack the item well when shipping. The package arrived in a bad shape with holes all over the box. And guess what, one of the screws went missing; it must have fallen off from one of the holes. I tried to contact Topeak to buy a replacement part from the company, but I got no response whatsoever. Fortunately (if you call it that), it wasnt a critical part. If you think the bike stand is safe enough for you and will buy it regardless of anyones review, I think you will do yourself a favor if you buy at a physical store, not Amazon.

A fully happy customer after resolution with Jamie in customer service

On: 2007-09-24

The Topeak product is more than I had imagined. Living in confined space in Manhattan, this product lifts the bike up out of the way. No hard labor is neccessary to put it up (actually, its really easy). The item came in the time it said. It is of the highest quality. I have my bike secured in front of a glass table. This is how confident I am in the product. My only challenge was a missing bolt.
I called Amazon and spoke with Jamie. She was polite and friendly and efficient in giving me two options of satisfaction. I highly recommend the product and in giving Jamie a promotion.Topeak Dual Touch Bike Storage Stand

Needs a bolt

On: 2007-08-16

This is a great product, but its missing a bolt and I cant get Amazon to send it to me. Customer service rep said someone would call me to arrange shipping of bolt but it never happened. Then Amazon emailed me to tell me they would send me $20. Would like the $20, but really need the bolt. Cmon, Amazon. Just send me the M6 x 1.00mm x 10L Bolt, and this will be a 5 star item.

Well Built, Aesthetic and easy to assemble

On: 2007-07-27

I bought the Topeak Dual Touch bike storage stand based on a recommendation from a friend who has two of them for their family. I was very impressed by the quality of construction, the design which is extremely functional, the ease of assembly and the strength of it once installed. I would highly recommend this product (which I normally dont do).

Topeak Dual Touch Bike Storage Stand

On: 2007-06-28

Excellent product, nicely constructed, and easy to install. I have two in my garage and the space savings is awesome! As a bonus, the product qualified for free shipping to Hawaii!

A couple of suggestions in the installation:
1. Make sure to place header directly under ceiling beam, stud, rafter (whatever they are called) to ensure a solid foundation to support the weight of your bicycles; drywall alone wont cut it.
2. You can microadjust the tightness of the quickrelease lever that adjusts the height of the stand, this will prevent slipping and decrease the chances of the stand falling.

Excellent

On: 2007-06-15

This stand is an excellent value especially considering the free shipping from Amazon. I was surprised and impressed by the high quality of the fittings and hardware on this stand.

To avoid any damage to the ceiling should I happen to install in an unsupported area, I took a piece of scrap hardwood of about 18" x 12" and used it as a pad for the top support to press against.

The people who had a problem with the stand falling over probably did not have the quick-release clamp tightened sufficiently. The instructions call for 6-8NM, I used a torque wrench to tighten this clamp, and it is much tighter than the quick-release on a bicycle hub. If the quick release is tightened correctly this stand should not fall over, ever.

Overall, Im very pleased with this stand.

Excellent

On: 2007-06-14

This stand is an excellent value especially considering the free shipping from Amazon. I was surprised and impressed by the high quality of the fittings and hardware on this stand.

To avoid any damage to the ceiling should I happen to install in an unsupported area, I took a piece of scrap hardwood of about 18" x 12" and used it as a pad for the top support to press against.

The people who had a problem with the stand falling over probably did not have the quick-release clamp tightened sufficiently. The instructions call for 6-8NM, I used a torque wrench to tighten this clamp, and it is much tighter than the quick-release on a bicycle hub. If the quick release is tightened correctly this stand should not fall over, ever.

Overall, Im very pleased with this stand.

So good we bought a second one!

On: 2007-06-09

This product has worked great in our apartment--so great, in fact, that we bought a second one to fit all of our 4 bikes in our studio apartment. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who needs to get some space by getting their bikes off the floor and out of the way.

Beware of twisting

On: 2007-03-28

The construction of the rack is quite nice considering it cost only $100. Unfortunately roughly a month after assembling it, the rack did fall over with both of my bikes still on it. I think the reason it did fall was because during the many times Id mount and dismount the bikes I was twisting the stand varying amounts (the arms for holding the bikes have a mechanical advantage over the quick release securing the top-inner-metal-tube) and this twisting in conjunction with pressure from the kick lever on the bottom of the stand caused slipping of the top tube into the bottom tube and thus the unwanted falling... Im looking to drilling and pegging it sometime soon to prevent the twisting. If you arent riding everyday and youre more careful with it you probably wont have any problems.

Excellent Solution for Bike Storage

On: 2007-03-26

Its true that as long as you take the extra five minutes or so to check out your ceiling and find a sturdy spot, the stands going nowhere. Living in a duplex with only a carport, I have the stand in an extra bedroom where our we have a computer desk and a sleeper sofa -- but I have no fears whatsoever that the stand will fall over. I use it for two mountain bikes, one of which is not light by any means. Great product!

Easy to Install & Use

On: 2007-03-08

Id done a little research before I bought. There are quite a few stands out there and I decided to buy something from another company, but before I actually made the purchase I came across the Topeak. Ive been riding, racing and doing triathlons for awhile and Topeak generally designs very good products, so I went with the Topeak instead. It was a few dollars more, but Id rather have something that works than something thats going to fall and break my TV or something.

I took the thing out of the box, and grabbed my Allen Wrench/Hex Key and it was installed in about 12 minutes. You need to be sure to fasten the top part of the stand to a sturdy/solid section of your ceiling, but other than that, installation is easy as pie. After that, all you need to do is adjust the bike hooks, and set your bike.

The stand is extremely light, so I was worried that it wouldnt be strong to hold my road bike. Completely wrong. If the thing is installed correctly, it could easily hold 4 bikes.

Its fantastic. I use it for one high end road bike. Its slim, easy to install, doesnt require you to screw anything to the walls, floor or ceiling, it looks great and it saves a ton of space in my NYC apartment.

I would highly recommend it for your bike storage needs.

Perfect indoor bike stand !!

On: 2007-01-02

Ive kept 2 mountain bikes on this stand in my garage for over 2 months and the stand is SECURE. Before installing, I used a stud sensor to identify garage beams that would hold the pressure stand without giving out which may have caused bad experiences for the other reviewers. The stand has a great smooth simple look unlike the aluminum-type paneling of other bike stand competitors. The bike holders are well-padded and havent scratched either bike. I checked the stand every week for signs of loosening and the stand has not budged and is as secure as when I first installed it. I have no worries parking 2 luxury cars in the same garage. Hope you find this helpful.

Stand fell on my car too...

On: 2006-10-18

I installed this in my garage. It was mounted under a stud and secure at the time of installation. After 12 days it fell on my car and left dents and scratches. It caused $2,100 in damage to my car. I believe the vibration of the garage door opening and closing allowed the stand to become loose. I would not recommend this stand to anyone.

Amazonian Error

On: 2006-08-08

Received product from Amazon without the critical suction cups that allow the pole to adhere to floor and ceiling. Without these cups, the rack will surely fall over. Ive seen the product in stores, so I know it works. Just make sure you get a complete product before installing.

The rack fell on my car

On: 2006-08-01

This rack is highly unstable. It was holding two bikes in my garage, and fell down while I was away on vacation. Both bikes and the rack landed on the hood of my car, causing several dents and scratches.

the bestest bike pole around

On: 2006-07-22

How can you not love pole that telescopes to span from floor to ceiling and then, in a very space-efficient manner, holds two bikes at once? It makes for a fantastic conversation piece and does what its designed to do. We also have Topeak bike bags that snap on - the products and well-designed and stylish, too.

Bike stand is easy to set up, and really does save space.

On: 2005-11-15

Unlike the leaning type of bike stands, this unit really does save a TON of space. I now have my road bike and my mountain bike in the bedroom of my small apartment, tucked behind the door. It is great. The nicest feature is the adjustability of the hooks, so you can hang just about any bike geometry. The padded hooks are kind to bike frames, too. And it took me about 10 minutes to set up, and was easy to move when I moved some furniture.

Fantastic for indoor use

On: 2005-02-04

This unit works like a charm. Its sturdy for up to four bikes, and takes up a very small foot print. Makes it so you can store your bikes off the floor in an easy manner.