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Do bicyclists use kickstands anymore?

dctokyo

Warming-Up
Oct 25, 2014
29
2
Do you guys use them?

As for me here are some cons:
A) Weight. If you're a serious cyclist you don't want to add any weight to your bike, people pay thousands of dollars to shave off or save a few extra ounces.
B) They damage the frame where they attach. A serious cyclist who has paid thousands of dollars for a bicycle is NOT going to attach a type of kickstand that "pinches" the rear wheel stays, as the aluminum (or composite) WILL be damaged by the clamping action over time.
C) Standing a bike on its kick stand invites it to be blown over in the wind (or bumped by a pedestrian) resulting in something getting bent or broken or at least scratching the finish of your expensive bike.
D) Bike stands are everywhere....practically. At schools, libraries, public buildings, malls, etc. Just about everywhere you go there is a rack to really secure your bike with a "U-Lock" as opposed to cables and combination locks.
E) It discourages you (the owner) from leaving it unattended! Bike thieves recognize good bikes from a distance. They cruise around known bike parking locations just looking for someone to leave a good bike.

If you use one, what type ?
 
Real 'bicyclists' have never used kick stands in the history of the bicycle, or even velocopede I dare say.
 
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When I had an aluminum bicycle, I had a kickstand from Minoura. Worked well, adjustable to get just the right amount of lean. Weight really didn't bother me, I had a triple which let me spin up any incline.

That said, I've been without a kickstand for years and am fine without one. The road bicycle is now mainly used for fast commuting and way too rare group rides. I use a mamachari for utility cycling.

If I was to go back to a fast chari, I would get a frame that accepts a center kickstand and dual kickstand. This would let the bicycle slot into those designated parking slots, self supporting so less strain in the front wheel. Sort of like how the mamachari are set up with the enormous rear kick stand.
 
A) Weight. If you're a serious cyclist you don't want to add any weight to your bike, people pay thousands of dollars to shave off or save a few extra ounces.

There are serious cyclists, and there are people take small numbers of grams seriously. (Sometimes these groups overlap.)

Yes, some cyclists who actually ride quickly and without electrical assistance, and further than 10 km, use them. (See for yourself.) No. I'm not one of them. (Though if I had a triathlon bike I might put a stand on it, just to enjoy the reactions.)

Clearly you think stands are unnecessary and a bad idea. Good, you've thereby saved yourself some money.
 
A serious cyclist who has paid thousands of dollars for a bicycle is NOT going to attach a type of kickstand that "pinches" the rear wheel stays, as the aluminum (or composite) WILL be damaged by the clamping action over time.

I think your personal view of "serious cyclist" doesn't extend much beyond racers. And there are many great bikes made from materials other than aluminium or carbon, for example steel and titanium. Some of these bikes will last for decades. Can you not be a "serious cyclist" if you use your bike not just for Sunday rides or races but also for touring, commuting, shopping, etc?

Yes, weight matters somewhat, but for a lot of people weight seems to matter more on their bikes than around their hips...

I had a kickstand on the first road bike I ever owned (a French-made 10-speed Motobécane Mirage, back in the 1970s). I still use one on my current road bike because it's convenient. If I'm on a ride and I want to take off or put on a layer I don't have to find any object to lean the bike against. While shopping I can park the bike anywhere I can park a mamachari. And if it makes the bike look less "serious" and theft-worthy, hey, that's a bonus :)
 
If that dude making the micro pump thing that was shilling here could make a combination ....wait for it....... Pump, kickstand, tire lever combi, bottle opener, lock and shoe horn, he would be on to a winner.
 
  • Most bikes don't have kickstands because of fashion.

    When "10 speed" racing bikes started being imported to the US in the early 70's, they didn't have kickstands because they were racing bikes. You didn't stop at a cafe and have a cup of coffee on your racing bike. So kickstands became associated with cheaper bikes and non-serious bikers. If you were a "real" biker, you didn't have a kickstand.

    This idea never caught on in Europe, where hybrid type bikes come standard with a kickstand.

    Kickstands aren't a problem on bikes that are designed for them - those bikes have a plate for mounting the kickstand and the kickstand doesn't come loose any more frequently than the seat or wheels come loose.

    If you are mounting an aftermarket kickstand on a bike not designed for kickstands, however, you do have to be careful because you are going to have to mount it to frame parts. Meaning that if you crank down too tightly on the bolt, you can collapse the frame tubes. So people don't crank down tightly and the kickstand loosens. This is not an inherent problem of kickstands, but it can be a problem with kickstands on bikes not originally designed for them.
 
Most bikes don't have kickstands because of fashion

No, most bikes don't have a kick stand because they are not shopping bikes which need to be stood upright outside a shop with loads of other shopping bikes.

BMX; a bike used for aggressive street and race riding, designed to be as strong as possible. No need for a stand, so they are not factored into the design.

MTB; an off-road bike used for traversing mountainous terrain, deep forest tracks, and bespoke downhill courses. No need for a stand, so they are not factored into the design.

Road; an on-road bike, used for long distance touring and super fast racing. No need for a stand, so they are not factored into the design.

Shopping bike; used for going down the shops in lieu of a car. Needs a stand, so it is factored into the design.

If you are putting a stand on anything other than a shopping bike, you have bought the wrong bike.
 
Road; an on-road bike, used for long distance touring and super fast racing.

And for commuting, pootling along river banks, posing near your mates, fondling, etc.

Here you go:

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Stick prongs into ground, rest pedal on top of ring.
 
No, most bikes don't have a kick stand because they are not shopping bikes which need to be stood upright outside a shop with loads of other shopping bikes.

[. . .] Road; an on-road bike, used for long distance touring and super fast racing. No need for a stand, so they are not factored into the design.

[. . .] If you are putting a stand on anything other than a shopping bike, you have bought the wrong bike.

Today I put a Minoura side-stand on my criterium bike (!!) (as intended by Miyata before half you lot were even born) or commuting bike (as used by me). The reason being that for three weeks it must live in a parking area under a condo, and there are many bikes there but few walls or rails.

I think that the old bike has a certain elegance, in a mass-produced Japanese way. Or rather, it did have till today. The stand looks enormous and hideous, and it's as if the bike is on crutches. I happily attach things to bikes -- why the hell should I carry soyjoys, allen keys, pump, etc when the bike can do so instead? -- but I draw the line at this monstrosity. I'm looking forward to removing it and trashing it.

I dab at my eyes with kleenex as I attempt to console myself by contemplating the autotrimming of the front derailer:

 
Probably not a reason to get a kickstand, but one LBS has this kind of parking:

full


Problem is that my bikes are too big and/or seats too high that they can't hook onto a pipe system like that.
 
Probably not a reason to get a kickstand, but one LBS has this kind of parking:

full


Problem is that my bikes are too big and/or seats too high that they can't hook onto a pipe system like that.
Rest your bike from its brake levers then. We did this the other week when we stopped at an udon restaurant and it was blowing a gale. I promptly removed my front wheel and took it inside with me (everyone else thought I was crazy doing this, but I'd rather be over precautions than throw caution to the wind).
 
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