BBB Profimount BTL Work Stand

Robert Matusek

A review of the BBB Profimount BTL Work stand.

The demands made on the BBB Profimount BTL work stand during it’s testing couldn’t have been more challenging. Despite that it stood up to them well. I was looking for a stand that was mobile, light weight and sturdy enough to serve in both the workshop and race-pit services. Read on to see how it fared.

The Profimount BTL-36 Work stand

In the workshop it served well, with it’s 360º degree rotation and height adjustability you can easily work on a bike. Being foldable meant it was easy to store when it not in use and it’s rubber feet aided stability. It’s excellent stability was appreciated and made it a well liked piece of kit. But given it’s description as a ‘professional work-stand’ we meant to push it a little harder.

Using it outdoors during a Chilean stage race seemed a good test. It’s reasonably light weight of 5.4 Kg and handy carry bag made transporting it easy. Which was much appreciated by our mechanics as some of the pits could only be reached on foot, when the technical support SUVs couldn’t make the journey! When the SUVs were available it’s foldability came in handy as space in the trucks was limited. Once they were loaded with riders, bikes and other crew, there was little room for other items.

Rubber coated jaws will protect your paintwork

The BBB Profimount BTL stand also had to endure heavy rain showers, as well as overnight and morning dews. Despite all this rugged outside exposure the stand stood up well and there’s been no sign of rust.

During it’s Chilean adventure, one of the other teams had their stand break, so we let them use our BBB Profimount BTL Work stand. This meant it was on duty pretty much 24/7. And what duty! Not only was it used for repair work, but also as a cleaning stand. Holding heavy enduro rigs, loaded with Chilean clay was no small feat. To put it mildly, the BBB Profimount BTL handled more than it’s fair share of abuse.

The BTL-36 folds down for easy storage

Back in Europe and it had a rather easier life, holding lightweight XC and cyclo-cross bikes. Again it’s stability and mobility was appreciated. Being able to adjust the height and the rotation makes working on different bikes much easier.

BBB are well-known for their large range of competitively priced bike tools, including stands. And when I say large range I’m having a hard time imagining how they look after such a huge range of tools and accessories. And when dealing with brands that are cheaper than their competitors I’m always a little concerned. What are the hidden compromises that have been made for the sake of economy?

The carry bag makes transportation simple

Well I can’t speak for all their products, but in the case of the Profimount BTL it performed much better than I expected. As I hinted above I was a little concerned about it’s robustness, due to it’s price, but honestly, we would need a much longer test to find any flaw.

During it’s test period the Profimount BTL took a beating, It was on duty all day long, outdoors in all weathers. And it was being used for applications that it hadn’t been designed for in the first place. Despite all this it carried on. Now it remains to be seen whether all those downpours, snow and slush it experienced over the course of a Belgian Cyclo-cross season will have any effect on it.

When asking our team mechanics about what they wanted from a stand, they all mentioned portability, ease-of-use and weight. And according to them the Profimount BTL had all those qualities. Despite not being on a par in terms of looks and quality with more expensive products, the Profimount BTL still performed well above it’s category.

A tool tray keeps all your bits in one place

All these are absolute must-haves on a professional stand and these, plus it’s ability to operate under very harsh conditions make it a stand-out product. This is the area where BBB Profimount BTL work stand kept its word, to be a versatile work stand for professionals.

While the Profimount BTL is aimed at professional mechanics – working with it every day – some may think it a bit over-the-top for the occasional home user. I don’t think so. Firstly it’s price makes it affordable for the home mechanic. And secondly why not invest in a quality stand that will last you a long time?

Portability, handling and weight were high on the priority list for our tech-crew. It says a lot that none of them bad-mouthed the stand. Although quality and materials aren’t on par with the highest hitters in the marketplace, I guess BBB isn’t intending to beat them in this department. If you put its price into context, however all that starts to make sense.

So to sum up, the Profimount BTLs standout features are it’s 360º rotation, height adjustability, stable rubber feet and incredibly robust build. Extras include a nice little ChainGrip, that keeps your chain tight while working and a tray for holding tools and other parts.

BBB Cycling