Nikon Fan

I currently own 4 bikes but only one of them (a cruiser) came with a kickstand. They occupy my already packed garage and rest against boxes.

That got me thinking about purchasing kickstands in order to make them easier to store.

One of my bikes is a Fuji Tahoe mountain bike. I use it for the rare trail rides whenever possible. Another is a Trek FX 7.2 I use for excercise, and the other one is a Fuji Tread 1.3 (gravel bike) I use for longer distance riding. I haven't used the cruiser (Trek Calypso Cruiser) in the last 4 years or so.

I'm debating whether to place a side kickstand on the Trek 7.2, maybe another one on the mountain bike. I definitely would not place one on my Fuji Tread as it has an aluminium frame.

I have been reading different opinions on kickstands; some people swear by them, other people want nothing to do with kickstands. Some folks even consider them an insult to bikes!

What are your thoughts on kickstands? Love them, hate them, indifferent? Are they a great accessory, or an abomination?

RunForTheHills

I think there are better options for storage in your garage than a kickstand, including floor stands, wall brackets, and ceiling hooks/pulley systems. One of these just came in the mail for me from Amazon:





MTA:


I also have one of these from Harbor Freight:

dabac

I'll leave them on as long as they work. But I don't think I've ever replaced a broken one, only removed them.

I can see the merit in the double ones for (heavily) loaded bikes.

Senrab62 

Agreed on the HF rack. For the money (and upgraded casters) it's hard to beat. I'm actually thinking of buying another one. Look for their 20% off coupon and a sale and get it cheap!

Gresp15C

I like kickstands, and have the same problem with trying to park the entire family fleet bikes in the garage. Not every bike will even accommodate a kickstand. Frame design and material, and your personal tastes, are deciding factors.

For the bikes that don't have kickstands, I made these simple floor stands from scrap plywood. So they were essentially free, and took a few minutes to make. When they're not in use, I can simply kick them out of the way.

therealjoeblow

Absolutely, a kickstand is the first thing I put on any new bike that comes into our garage (5 of them there now).

I buy only high quality alloy ones that work great and don't wear out or rattle around.

My favorite is the Giant OEM one that mounts to the factory frame mounts on my Roam:



Cheers
TRJB

RonH

No kickstands for me. In the past I hung the bikes on this (didn't have a garage).


Now I have a garage so I have two of these — one for each bike.

Scarbo

Depends on the bike. I have them on my old steel bikes. A Greenfield KS3 only costs about 8 bucks. I like em on the right bike.

Marcus_Ti

I have a few of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Need to buy another one for the Non-Urban-Bike, come to think of it.

GeneO 

I have a couple of these, They work well.

Gresp15C

One other thing, if you have wall space, a "closet rod bracket" is an inexpensive way to hang a bike. I have a couple bikes that are not in use, hanging on those. I put a piece of an innertube over the hook to protect the paint.

BobbyG

It really depends on how you ride. I commute and run errands and I find my kickstands helpful for when I stop to make clothing adjustments, shopping, etc. That being said, I keep my old roadbike un-fender and kickstand-free. When I ride without a kickstand I lay the bike down, or lean it up against curbs, and when I lock it I use clothes pins in the levers to set the brakes I park my bikes in the shed and my wide's bike plus two of mine have kickstands, and my old roadbike leans up agains the wall. If none had kickstands I'd probably stand them inverted on the seat and bars.

curbowman

For me, kickstands are a must for urban and touring bikes. But if you just want them for storage there are lots of alternatives.

LiquorLad

If it doesn't make your bike faster then don't put it on your bike.

jefnvk

Most have them, one doesn't. I find them practical on my bikes, the one that doesn't won't fit anything but a rear mount, and that bike is only ridden on long road rides I'm not really stopping anyhow.

kickstart

All my bikes have quality stands of various types that are more convenient, and reliable than bike racks or leaning it against a fixed object. While there are better options than a kickstand for storage, If I were to choose one with storage as a primary consideration, I would choose a 2 leg center stand as a bike standing vertically will be more stable, and take up the least amount of room.

AlexCyclistRoch

Keep in mind that a common clamp-type kickstand can not be used on aluminum or carbon fiber frames.

TenSpeedV2

No bike of mine will ever have a kickstand on it. Ever. For storage options, there are far too many including simple J hooks that you can screw into studs in the ceiling of the garage, or vertical racks as pictured.

fietsbob

Oooh another Kickstand thread..

Depends on the purpose of the bike..

The one I use most, so a 'Utility bike', is a trekking bike with, 2, a 2nd KS under the front lowrider rack..

C&V road bike does not..

You asked about storage, there are racks to do that.

I have that road bike hanging from hooks in the overhead..





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italktocats

no no no

Wileyrat

No. Not only no but........Well, no.

AlexCyclistRoch

My feelings about kickstands:

How often do you REALLY need one, and do you REALLY want to carry around the extra weight all the rest of the time? Can't you find a wall or tree to lean it up against?

They make sense for motorcycles (how often would you want to pick up a 300 lb motorbike off the ground?), but unless you have osteoarthritis, how much do you really need one?

ColonelSanders

I use mine multiple times a day and the weight is a piffling insignificance.

When I first got my latest bike, my existing kickstands wouldn't fit on it, so I tried making do without a kickstand and all I achieved was multiple instances where my bike would slip and slide against various metal poles or things I had tried to lean it against and I would scrape paint off my bike.

I also often encounter bike racks at shopping centres that are on sloping ground, so a kickstand is a godsend there.

Sometimes, but often not.

The few weeks I spent without a kickstand made me realise just how valuable they are to me as a commuter.

If I had another bike that I used for long rides or club rides, then sure, I wouldn't want a kickstand on that, but when your bike is a do it all bike for you, then kickstands are must.

kickstart

Every time I get off my bike.
Yes, because the weight is inconsequential, and if I didn't have it, I couldn't use it.
I could, but I rather choose where I park, rather than search for a suitable spot that isn't inappropriate, or likely to fall or be knocked over.

When one uses a bicycle as a vehicle, it's preferable to have it standing upright on its own when loading and unloading it with whatever one is carrying.

kickstart

To some people a bike is primarily sports equipment that can sometimes be used for limited transportation. Others use bicycles primarily as transportation that can also be used for recreation when desired.

The former pursue intangible accomplishments, the latter embrace practical applications. It's a matter of priorities that often clash with each other.