Anatole Burkin from Iron Works takes an in-depth look at the Steadymate Wheel chock, and likes what he sees.

"I hate to buy accessories that I can fabricate in my own shop. Problem is, my first attempt is just a prototype. A work in progress that’s a beer or two short of a six-pack. That pretty much describes the Frankenstein wheel chock I’ve been towing on my trailer for the last several years. Sure, I bought a couple of cheapo chocks to start out, but returned them because they were either too flimsy or did not work with every bike/wheel size combination I needed. My chock did all that, but loading a bike solo was a freaky dance.

Along comes Steadymate, a Canadian-sourced chock priced somewhere between the cheapos and Cadillacs in this category. The Steadymate comes nicely packaged and outfitted with hardware that lets you configure it for shop use or trailering. At the time of this writing, my trailer was still frozen in a snow bank, so I configured the Steadymate for shop floor use, which simply means attaching four thick rubber feet to the base. Assembly instructions were clear; the process took only 20 minutes."

The chock is adjustable for wheel sizes from 12” to 26”. The instructions give you a ballpark suggestion for a 17” wheel; after that, it’s a process of trial-and-error to fit other wheel sizes. It would be great if the manufacturer could have included a wheelsize chart to eliminate the guesswork.

Once I had the chock assembled, I was doubtful whether I could roll a bike up onto the cradle without the entire device skidding across the shop floor. But I gave it a whirl and the heavy steel stand with rubber feet held firm to the shop floor as I tested out a couple of bikes—one light and one heavy. In every case, the chock barely moved. A smooth surface, such as well worn concrete or tile, could be problematic. In that case, brace the chock by putting a piece of wood between it and a wall or other immoveable object. Or, bolt the chock directly to the floor.

The bike parks nice and steady on the chock without any additional hold-downs as the wheel cradle, when adjusted properly, balances the front wheel in a neutral position. I would trust it to be secure enough for shop storage without additional holddowns. But for trailering, proper tie-downs are a must.

So far, I’m impressed with the Steadymate. I will retire my homemade trailer chock as soon as spring comes around and will finally have a true one-man loading solution that I can count on.

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