Show Me Your Kickstand? Or Is That Too Personal?
 

I know a lot of people frown on kickstands either because of the weight, the chance it mars the paint, or the chance it might crush the chain stays. I resisted the temptation, but eventually put the Greenfield stand back on one of my Schwinn Voyageurs. I know I may regret this, because it really isn't going to support the weight of a fully loaded touring rig, but for now, without weight, it's nice to use one, IMHO.

Does anyone here use a stand, or do you simply lay or prop your bike each time? I'm just looking for a better solution.

Thanks.

**EDIT** I ENDED UP BUYING THIS OFF OF AMAZON. BELOW AT POST 43 ARE PHOTOS OF THE RESULTS.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...k_ql_qh_dp_hza

We ride a tandem for tours so a kickstand is a must. Started out with the Greenlee single sided one but dropped the bike a few too many times so we upgraded to the Pletscher two-leg kickstand, cut it down to proper length and added some rubber feet. The kickstand folds up on the non-drive side so there's no interference with your chain.

It was a huge upgrade! It can take a lot of weight and it raises the rear wheel off the ground so you can do minor mechanical service roadside.

Hope this helps

I've never felt the need for one. I either lean my bike against something or just lay it on the ground. Out in the open countryside I figure it is the safest from falling if it is already on the ground. My friends who use stands all say they have never had their bikes blow/fall over when using stands, but I know that their bikes have all fallen over more often than my stand-less bike when we have ridden together. I don't get how they can say that when I can specifically remember the times their bikes blew over. I don't remind them though.

Back in the 50's I did use a stand, but the bikes usually probably weighed over 75 pounds and I was carrying stuff in the basket (often newspapers since I was a paper boy). The 100 plus pounds of bike and newspapers was less subject to blowing over and the news papers or groceries or whatever would spill out of the basket if I laid the bike over on it's side. BTW, I bet my heaviest news paper bike was probably well over 100 pounds. It was one of those WW2 bikes with a 20" front wheel designed to have a big wooden frame mounted box on the front.

I do still have one on my folding bike that I never bothered to remove. Other people who borrow the bike probably use it, I never have.

If you don't mind the weight the two legged stands are probably handy as a work stand. Not worth it to me, but may be for you.

I just “kick” the stick away after I’m done taking pictures

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a1e045e3_k.jpgUntitled by Stuart Black, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/1808/2...9d0bfe70_b.jpgIMG_3144 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Or I “kick” off the post, rock or guard rail

https://live.staticflickr.com/1791/3...82d9df04_k.jpgDSCN1197 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/7869/4...41d3e40d_k.jpgDSCN1146 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/908/39...9a1e3bbc_k.jpg2015-05-09 16.50.31 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Trees are harder to “kick” off of

https://live.staticflickr.com/7872/3...0b19a049_k.jpgDSCN0027 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

And I probably wouldn’t “kick off” this one for obvious reasons

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5a4de8dc_k.jpgUntitled by Stuart Black, on Flickr

I probably would “kick off” this one and probably should have even used it

https://live.staticflickr.com/4722/4...cf962ec2_k.jpgDSCN0512 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

because the drop to the left is a long way down

https://live.staticflickr.com/4620/2...e4c4b9a7_k.jpgDSCN0522 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

:rolleyes:

But, generally, I don’t use kickstand because the world is full of place to lean a bike. In extreme cases, I can even use the horizontal kickstand that is the earth.

I use the Greenfield one that mounts near the rear dropout on two of my touring bikes, they have steel frames.

If you have not figured this out yet, sometimes your front wheel on that type of kickstand can roll and your bike fall off of the kickstand. I use an elastic or bit of velcro on my front brake to make sure that the front wheel does not roll.

Photo below, I stripped the racks and excess weight off of one of my bikes to pretend it was a mountain bike for a four day 4X4 supported trip on the White Rim. But I kept the kickstand on it.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...008c37f8fa.jpg

Same bike below, with racks and panniers. And of course the same kickstand.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...82a4836db0.jpg

Different bike, same brand and model of kickstand.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3e1cbf0717.jpg

Same bike below, kickstand in action.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4cfe9a0589.jpg

But my Titanium bike, I do not want to use a kickstand on that as I have no idea if it might damage the tubing. So, I instead use something similar to a clickstand that I made out of a tent pole and some rubber tips from trekking poles.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b64a7065f7.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...172956a517.jpg

Keep in mind that some bike manufacturers will void a frame warranty if you used a kickstand. So, if you did something stupid, it could be an expensive mistake.

~

I put a Pletscher double-legged stand on my Surly before my most recent tour (with the proper mounting bracket, of course). It's been the best $50 I spent on anything, maybe ever. For the first few years and several thousand miles of loaded touring, I didn't bother; I just found something to lean the bike against. But I like to tour in the desert southwest (I'm from New England) where you can't actually count on having things to lean against. And sometimes the things you do have are either thorny, or surrounded by thorns.

Having a center stand has only had benefit; to be able to stop anywhere, to make any kind of adjustment to gear or bike, and have 360 degree access while doing it has really raised the quality of life on the road. I was really happy when I could fix a rear flat without even removing my panniers.

The Pletscher is rated for 55 lbs / 25kg. The dry weight of my bike and gear is around 70 lbs /32 kg; add to that food and water for two-day stretches of desert, and the stand did well to support 105 lbs / 48 kg (I left a few camps with 14 liters of water on the bike). I've just been careful not to subject the stand to more forces than the weight of the rig. Pick the bike straight up when opening and closing the stand, don't lean on it, don't roll it, twist it, etc.

Of course people can do whatever they want, but I just can't see the reason not to have one when loaded touring any more.

~


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8e823a0961.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...14271834a5.jpg

Wow, thank you everyone for your input. Thanks Cyccommute for your photos. My daughter and son-in-law are in Denver. He just got his first gravel bike. We may be planning a ride somewhere in the area soon, if this pandemic thingy will go away.

I worry about a chain/seat stay stand as I think the front panniers might be so heavy to pull it on down and crash to the ground if the bars rotate to the left.

Walrus, some day, I'll be rich enough to own a Co-Motion. I've drooled over them for a long time!

Brett, I like your double stand. This is sort of my leanings for getting one. I've bookmarked this one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FR33ZM...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Im another that just can't be bothered, and use walls, trees, fences or the ground mostly, and am happy to have X grams less on the bike so that my heavier than normal tent can make up for some of that....

From this to this:

http://i.imgur.com/ccEZQFrh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/AclSVFhh.jpg

A rear version:
http://i.imgur.com/RUOUvJlh.jpg

And a double one, though useless in the wet sand:
http://i.imgur.com/ylVO2vZh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ODZd8D2h.jpg

After many tours and lots of miles I installed a rear kickstand on my Surly Long Haul Trucker this winter. I did some modification shown on the Surly Google group.
I also add Tubus front kickstands to both of our bikes!

For a bike with front (and rear) panniers, only the center-mount double kickstand worked for me. I toured previously with rear panniers and a handlebar bag and a center single worked fine but the additional weight in front caused the bike to tip whether the front wheel was cocked left or right. Even with that double I found it advisable to have a bungee from wheel to frame for parking stability.

Other bikes use rear-mounts or center-mount singles.

Here's the double in one of that bike's configurations.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8e09ca038b.jpg

I also fabricated a stand/outrigger strut for my journey on the GAP last summer, a variation of the Click-stand idea. Given the weight of all my stuff, I wanted to engage the bike high up and brace it well out, 18" or so. Mine grasped the center of the TT and was tied there. It also slid thru the DNS pedal then to the ground. I also used a wrap of "Velcro" type material around the DT and front wheel. Very stable as I unloaded and loaded the bike. I did not need it each night but was glad for it when I did. I particularly needed it at the start and end as I configured all that weight in the parking lot next to the car. Weighted very little, lashed on the back with the tent pole bag.

Most of the time I leaned it against things, sometimes with that wheel strap.

i actually removed my kick stand thinking I would save weight and then when i held it in my hands I realized it weighed next to nothing. I put it back on the bike

Twin legs let me work and maintain on the go without a bike rack. Drop the front bags and it stands upright with front wheel off. You can adjust brakes, true wheels, clean and lube chain, fine tune derailleur...
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9bf96ed259.jpg

Above I stated this:

My bike was extremely heavy with about two and a half weeks of food loaded on it. And I still had no trouble as long as I used a "parking brake" on my front wheel.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c3800bd3f9.jpg

On the trip with the above photo I used double sided velcro, but I more commonly use an elastic. The double sided velcro started to wear out before the end of the trip and was less sticky.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1f15d2b4e7.jpg

My kickstand doubles as a pedal. :D
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9231f95bc5.jpg

I just picked up the Ursus. Says it can support up to 80 kg. It is a monster kickstand and it is heavy. I have not toured with it yet, but I like how I can use it to dismount the front wheel (for car transport), change/check gearing and brakes.
Hopefully, I'll be able to try it this year.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d483110cfb.jpg
I considered using the folding stick, but was concerned with sandy/gravelled surfaces.

Haven’t used one since I was a teenager riding bikes from Sears.

Good test. I think if holding your stand in your hand you think it weighs next to nothing your mind set is probably such that it won't matter, to you at least. Others with a different mind set will hold it and immediately discard the notion of putting it back on. The simple act of holding it in your hand may help decide which type of rider you are.

For those of us who care about reducing the load it is one of about a thousand decisions each of which add up. In that context where decisions over fractional ounces add up it is one of the larger ones. It is a significant amount of weight to be in one small decision of many. I figure that my going from 50# base gear weight to 14# of base gear weight was about half about big ticket items and about half about worrying about the tiny decisions sweating every fractional ounce and the average stand isn't even a tiny decision wrt weight.

So it all comes down to how much value you place on the utility of having a stand vs how much you care about the load you carry. I think most riders find themselves pretty clearly on one side or the other and their decision is generally easy.

Well put Mr ststae I'm clearly in the, nope unnecessary weight camp, but then I still have too much crap!

I used the velcro for a while, and it worked fine, until I discovered these, which I buy by the bag-full. Every bike I sell gets one.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...65319de819.jpg

I think this nails it. For me, the extra pound or so just won't matter considering the value of being able to flop down a stand and hold my bike up. All is takes is one slight breeze to blow a bike leaning on something, and down it goes. Laying my bike down either gets all of my bags dirty or scuffed. And being able to access stuff in my rear bags without having to manage the upright position of the bike at the same time is what turns the tide for me. I still believe I'll order the double stand. I totally understand the weight savings of not having one, but I really like that convenience and will pay the price. I can afford to lose a few pounds anywho.... :innocent:

Intersting. Looks extremely sturdy according to this video:

I think its funny that someone thought it necessary to make a YT video showing how a kckstand works... and didnt even bother with a close up of the product or how it was mounted.

Old codgers wanting to become influencers I suppose ;)