• £284.99 (PCS-9.3)

Bought back in the late 2000s, and used almost every day since, my trusty Park Tool PCS-9 workstand is a true performer.

During the 10 or so years I spent racing downhill across Europe, the entry-level PCS-9 lived in the back of my van, travelling week-in, week-out to different, remote hillsides across the continent to perform its duty of holding my battered bikes, always without fault.

Multiple countries later, after several house moves and nearly 15 years in use, my original PCS-9 still stands strong in my garage, its jaws open and ready to dutifully clamp its next bike.

Searching for the PCS-9 online now reveals a three-generation family tree. It was first replaced by the PCS-9.2, and now the most up-to-date PCS-9.3 that BikeRadar contributor Vicky Balfour awarded four out of five stars in her review.

Each iteration has been refined, with the current 9.3 looking significantly more premium than the rather spartan 9 I still use to this date.

With that refinement, costs have also increased – the 9.3 now has a suggested RRP of £284.99. I remember paying no more than £80 for the original version, although that was a lot of cash for a budget-focused youth bike racer.

Reminiscing aside, the simple functionality of the PCS-9 is its main draw, and the reason why it’s lasted so long.

Alex Evans / Our Media

The clamping jaws fasten using a bolt and nut, a system that’s almost impossible to break, and the clamp’s rotation function is just as simple. Both are maintenance-free, although the more fastidious may apply grease to the bolt’s threads for silent operation.

Its legs and upright portion are robust, made from metal tubes akin to scaffolding poles in weight and feel.

In this sense, they’re almost impossible to break. While the stand used to support 20kg downhill bikes of old, it’s more than robust enough to stare headlong into the eyes of a 28kg electric mountain bike, all without flinching.

Alex Evans / Our Media

Whether it’s holding bikes I’m working on with my ageing set of tools, or I just need to hold a bike in place while I give it a post-ride wash, the PCS-9’s performance is steadfast.

I’m not looking to replace it, and I don’t expect it to break. In fact, so impressive is its longevity, it has an honorary slot in my list of High-Mileage Heroes.

However, if I was in the market for a new workstand, the PCS-9.3 would be high up my list, if this older, less refined version’s performance is anything to go by.