Review
As the needle of my age-gauge creeps dangerously close to the danger zone, more often than not, getting out of bed resembles moving sheets of plywood around the yard. Stiff, pale, layers and layers of knots and aches to sort out. The admirable plywood is much more than a visual tool to represent how I often feel in the mornings, however. It is multilayered, lightweight, workable, and when constructed properly, very sturdy. Sturdy enough that they can build modular, compact and durable ramps out of it for kids and adults to play on. MTB Hopper, the original portable ramp company did just that.
Two main “plyers” of this review. The Smile and the Support
The plywood team all together. The Smile, support and the Balance
Cam tested the Coach and the Lite ramps previously and has found a ton of reasons to keep one around the house. Since then, the company expanded their line to ramps that are big enough for motos and landings that can take all that force, too. Along with the ramps, MTB Hopper reached out to see if I’d be interested in some of their less glamorous products.
- SMILE Bike Stand
- SUPPORT Bike Stand
- BALANCE Manual Machine
- SNAIL Phone Holder
It is not a designer piece for your livingroom but not too offensive either.
The base is about 2 feet wide for stability. 30kg is the max limit
A year of living in the elements, not bad for Birch plywood
Smile Bike Stand
This is a CNC cut, 11ply, bike stand that can hold tires as narrow as 1.8″ and as wide as 4″. 24″ is the smallest wheel diameter that’ll fit, but the jury is still out on 32″. The three-piece design is simple, and the slots for the tire widths are clearly marked for easy setup.
There are a couple of combinations possible with the width setup. I’ve set mine to MTB+ for wider tires and have not had issues with 2.4 to 2.5″ tires fitting between. The Goodyear Wrangler 2.5″ tires measure a bit wider than the other tires in the house, and they fit snug. Removal requires a foot placed on the stabilizing legs to roll the bike out. Otherwise, the Smile Stand gets stuck on the tire. Not a huge inconvenience, but just a reminder that all tires measure slightly differently.
The Smile Stand gets to live outside in the backyard. It has been living there since May of 2025, to be exact. That is almost a year of some of the wettest and, oddly, the most sun exposure a piece of wood can get on the North Shore. It still looks and performs like new. I was certain it wouldn’t last this long. It is used for bike washing and drivetrain cleaning day after day and I am truly impressed with its build quality. It has a 30kg side load limit. eMTBs fit just fine, but the Smile stand won’t hold you upright if you climb on your bike.
74 CAD // 50 EUR // 57 USD
two rubber feet make contact with the bottom of your bike
It’s an odd-looking piece on its own. But it packs flat easily when not in use
Support in the manner of a “supporting” actor in a movie, working in tandem with a Smile
Support Bike Stand
This piece of plywood was more surprising than the obviously functional Smile stand. The Support stand is complementary to the Smile stand. It elevates the rear wheel of the bike from the Bottom Bracket / Motor area for quick maintenance tasks.
Do you want to lube your chain?
Need to check your shifting really quickly?
Tighten up some spokes?
Remove the rear wheel to change a tire?
The Support Stand holds your bike’s derriere up gently with just enough stability to let you perform these tasks. Two flat pieces of rubber feet gently prop your bike up. After a year outside, the rubber has cracked and hardened up a little, but they still function just fine. On solid ground, the Support is convincingly sturdy. On grass, make sure the ground is flat, or the bike will fall over. There are a few ways you can use the Support on its own, too. I recently changed a front flat on Karin’s commuter bike by standing the bike up with its kickstand and putting the front axle on the Support Stand while I swapped tires for her. I gave myself a pat on the back for that.
29 CAD // 17 EUR // 19 USD
Emma did a very good job on her first attempts
I did less well. A buddy to catch you, or a wall to push off, is quite useful initially.
The rear wheel slots in, a rubber rope loops around it and cinches it down.
A year of exposure to the elements cracked the rubber feet. It is not clear if these are available for purchase from MTB Hopper as parts.
Balance Manual Machine
I did not use this contraption nearly as much as I thought I would. I tried to figure out why It got neglected this much, and the reason is manyfold. First of all, the Manual machine is a space-hungry device. If you choose to take it apart and put it back together each time you want to use it, this can be negotiated around. I personally tend to avoid tools that require too many steps to set up for quick use, especially if I see the tool as homework. That’s what manual machines are. They are homework assignments that I am avoiding doing when I am off my bike. If the book is not open, ready to go, I would rather avoid it by doing something else. If I had a good garage setup or an exercise room with a bike on this machine ready to go at anytime, I would have used it more.
I also found you need a decent amount of clearance around the back for those “Oh shit’ moments when you pull the bike too far up and need to jump off. It just didn’t work out for me. I am going to see if I can create a scenario with the DJ bike permanently attached to it next to the stationary bike. That way, I can manual past Karin as she does her trainer rides in our guest room. I imagine this will go poorly for me. The best option might be for me to actually spend time in the lot practising manuals outside on the bikes I ride the most. If you live in a part of the Continent frozen solid for part of the year, this might be a better tool for you.
266 CAD // 199 EUR // 197 USD
This is the most normal usecase scenario for the Snail. It can attach to just about anything.
SNAIL Phone Holder
This is a smart little problem solver that is designed a little too burly, but I love the concept. It’s a cleverly designed phone holder for when you want to strap your phone to a tree or a post to film your progression. It works as advertised, too.
I found the 9/16″ (14.5mm) thick plywood construction to be a overkill. It is hard to carry in a tidy manner unless you have a backpack. It does fit in some hippacks but it is big and takes up plenty of room. Half the thickness and a better flatpack design would have been a million times more practical.* This one is either going to make some people super happy or they will laugh at its existence. I am hoping to utilize it a little more this season with more self-filmed reviews. We’ll see how that goes.
*approximately
22 CAD // 20 EUR // 22 USD