Chris McIvor and Nigel Mobberley talk about the mountainbike stand they have created.

A scratch on a mountain bike led to two Timaru workmates to invent and develop a unique bike stand.

Handyman Nigel Mobberley purchased a $4000 mountain bike last year. When he leaned it against a wall to hose it down after a ride, it fell over and was scratched.

He was so annoyed at the damage he decided to create a stand to hold it steady.

MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/FAIRFAX NZ Smithfield engineer Chris McIvor and handyman Nigel Mobberley hold the blue and red mountain bike stands they have invented with some previous test models in front.

"I went into the garage and made a prototype from aluminium, which worked really well," Mobberley said.

His mate and boss at the Alliance Group's Smithfield Plant, Chris McIvor, visited him at home one night and thought Mobberley's stand was a great idea.

"It was my potato peeler moment and we took it further," McIvor said.

Now the two men have the first 1000 stands in production.

The steel mold for the polycarbonate injected stands was produced in China after the men's design was completed in a suitable format by New Zealand-owned Christchurch company Talbot Technology, which is also manufacturing them.

The stands are expected to be rolling off the production line within the next two weeks.

The stand lightly grasps the bike wheel holding it steady. It can be used attached to a garage wall for easy bike storage or lifted into a vehicle still in the stand if required or onto a workshop bench for maintenance.

With their combination of complementary engineering and practical skills the men developed and tested the idea before taking it to the Christchurch graphic designers for completion.

Tyres ranging from 2.1 centimetres to 2.3cm fit the stand with 26 inch to 29 inch height wheels.

The stands will sell for $50 each at biking events and through a website. They come in a choice of red, blue and black.

With a patent for the MTB Stand design already in hand and pre-orders increasing every day, Mobberley and McIvor are looking forward to their first stock arriving.

After spending a "substantial amount of their own money" on the project, McIvor thought whatever happened it would not be in vain.

"At the very least we will get a flash bike each," he said.