The Topeak Tune-Up Station is a convenient way to park, charge and perform basic servicing on your electric or acoustic bike. Featuring an adaptable stand, well-thought-out features and an upgrade kit to make working on your bike more convenient, it's a very good option to keep things running at full power.
Not sure what sort of stand you need? Check out our guide to the best bike repair stands.
If you own a mid-drive e-bike, you know the fundamental difference between it and an acoustic bike – backpedalling doesn't turn the chain. This means if you want to clean or lubricate the chain, you need to lift the rear wheel off the ground. Which means some sort of stand.
If you're lucky enough to own a workshop stand, this isn't an issue. If you don't, chain maintenance is a faff. And, as any fule kno, keeping your chain clean and lubed is the secret to a happy and low-cost e-bike life. But e-bikes are heavy, often have oddly shaped stays, and have other stuff associated – namely, chargers...
Global cycling accessory and tool giant Topeak put its mind to this challenge and came up with the Tune-Up Station. It's a pretty simple proposition: a stand, with a box at the bottom to hold stuff.
The idea of a stand that holds the rear triangle of your bike on hooks under the chainstays and seatstays is nothing new – these have been around for decades, and can be had for very little money indeed. What Topeak has added is the ability to store maintenance stuff and your e-bike's charger in a magnetically latched and internally divided box, with cable ports to exit the mains power and charging cables in the direction needed.
The vertical pole and frame of the Tune-up Station are pretty hefty powder-coated steel, weighing 3.5kg, and Topeak advises a maximum bike weight of 35kg. That should do the heftiest e-bike, even full-suspension monsters. The pole is held onto the frame with a large knurled knob, meaning if you want to pack down the stand and pop it in your vehicle for travel, no tools are needed. Racers and holidaymakers, take note – if you need to work on your bike away from home, this is a very nice solution short of a full-fat mobile workstand.
The plastic box is likewise pretty hefty – you can stand on it and not be overly scared of it cracking. Inside is a yellow divider that can be placed vertically or horizontally to divide your stuff. If you use smaller batteries for wireless charging, or maybe lights, this is a good place to be charging everything at once – especially if you purchase a charger with multiple USB outputs.
Each of the two stay hooks can be placed in one of five positions, giving you 25 possible configurations to fine-tune the fit with your bike. The top one that goes under your seatstay is longer, and comes with an angled rubber block to wedge the seatstay so your bike is vertical if needed. Most e-bikes have the wheel cadence sensor inside the chainstay, meaning you'll need to take care not to damage it or the cable. Best to place the hook to the rear of the sensor, where it can't snag.
Once you have the hooks set up just right, you lift your bike on, taking care to align the hooks. Once in place the Tune-up Station holds even a heavy bike upright with no movement. My e-mountain bike is 26kg and has ridiculously snaked chainstays and seatstays, aka suspension arms. Adding to the challenge is the placement of the speed sensor and cable. It took a bit of trial and error, but I was able to find a fit that held the bike vertical without a hint of movement.
> Six essential tools for cyclists who do their own bike maintenance
Once you have the rear wheel off the ground, chain maintenance and gear adjustment is a doddle – albeit a doddle requiring a pad to kneel on. No, this is not a bike wash stand, but in theory, if you remove the box, you could use it to wash a bike (the box simply lifts up and unclips). Topeak certainly doesn't advertise it as such, but it does in fact sell the stand itself without the box, as the Topeak Tune-Up Stand – oddly, with a weight limit of 25kg.
Accessories
The Tune-Up Station comes with a number of add-on accessories, available individually or as a £50 pack. There's a stabilizer foot, which improves the Station's stability if your bike is tipped rearward. Then there's an extension pole, which holds a tool tray – with lots of holes for screwdrivers and hex tools.
The tools are held up at a nice height for working on your bike, and if needed you can add two, one above the other. Once you have attached the tool tray mounts, the trays drop in using two locating pins, so they are easy to remove if needed.
Value
At £90 for the Tune-Up Station and another £50 for the Upgrade Set (stabiliser, pole and one tray), this is quite a bit of dosh to fork out to be able to fettle and charge your bike in a tidy manner. That said, a while back John gave the £60 base Tune-Up Stand X 4 stars – so for £30 more you're getting the box for all the bits and your charger. Not bad really, given how tidily it's done.
You can buy any one of a thousand alternative stands to hold your bike by the chainstays and seatstays, for anywhere from £5 up, but I have yet to come across one that holds a bike as solidly as the Topeak. I can't find anything with the charger and parts storage on offer here.
Conclusion
All in all, the Tune-Up Station – along with the Upgrade Set – gives you pretty much everything you need to efficiently fettle your bike or e-bike in a tidy manner. If you don't have a full workstand, or need to be able to do smaller jobs in, say, your garage, on a balcony, outside or on the go, it's a pretty good option.
Verdict
Great way to hold your bike or e-bike, to do basic maintenance as well as charge tidily
Make and model: Topeak Tune-Up Station
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
It's for people wanting to fettle their e-bikes, or bikes, in small spaces, or on the go, with everything held tidily.
Topeak says: "The Bike Storage and Charger stand is the perfect solution for storing your bike and charging equipment in one place. The bottom storage box can hold your frequently used charging devices and tools, while the compartments can be adjusted according to your personal needs. It also supports additional tool trays and extension rods for added functionality and customization."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Topeak lists these features:
UPGRADE SET For TUNE-UP STATION series
TUNE-UP TOOL TRAY
A handy holder for tools, lubes and small parts
TUNE-UP EXTENSION POLE
Allows to mount an additional TOOL TRAY and quick integration with the TUNE-UP STATION series.
TUNE-UP STABILIZER
Quickly integrated with the TUNE-UP STAND and TUNE-UP STATION series, making it more stable when you are doing maintenance.
Combining all of these components will make your workstation more comprehensive and complete.
Material Aluminum / Hardened steel / Engineering grade polymer
Max load 35 kg
Size 50 x 38.5 x 67 cm
Weight 3.4 kg
STORAGE
Store your essential charging devices and tools in one place with customizable compartments that can be adjusted according to your personal needs.
REPAIR
Transform your bike stand into a convenient home repair station for effortless maintenance of your bicycle. ( Optional tool tray TW037-SP01)
CHARGING
The wire groove on the side of the storage box allows you to extend charging cables conveniently.
Upgrade set:
Weight 300 g (TUNE-UP TOOLTRAY)
285 g (TUNE-UP EXTENSION POLE)
170 g (TUNE-UP STABILIZER)
Size 30.4 x 11.9 x 3.3 cm (TUNE-UP TOOLTRAY)
ΦØ2.86 x 34 cm (TUNE-UP EXTENSION POLE)
16.4 x 15.5 x 7 cm (TUNE-UP STABILIZER)
Material Aluminum (TUNE-UP EXTENSION POLE / TUNE-UP STABILIZER)
Aluminum / stainless steel / Engineering grade polymer (TUNE-UP TOOLTRAY)
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Overall I like it. It's easy to work with, once set up right.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Looks and feels very well made.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
10/10
Reassuringly hefty. But easily moved and transported.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
£90 for the Station and another £50 for the Upgrade does seem a bit steep, but it's very tidily done.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It's a great way to store, charge and fettle your bike.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The magnetic latches, they snap home so satisfyingly.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Compared with basic stands it costs a fortune – but it works really well, and has a unique storage capacity.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, with caveats.
Use this box to explain your overall score
The price is rather high (yikes!) but that's about it – it's very good.
Age: 47 Height: 183cm Weight: 77kg
I usually ride: Sonder Camino Gravelaxe My best bike is: Nah bro that's it
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, general fitness riding, mtb, G-R-A-V-E-L
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