Touring - Front wheel flop/double legged kickstand?

Hello all.

One of my pet peeves is when I park my loaded bike and the front wheel flops over and the front end "walks away" on me. If I don't catch it, the whole rig can fall over.

I ride with rear pans, a Burley Nomad trailer, and only a handlebar bag on the front. I am currently using a chainstay mounted, single leg kickstand. When I park it for any amount of time, I usually use a short bungee cord to hold the front wheel still so that it won't flop to one side or the other, but for short stops (pictures, nature break, etc) it gets to be a hassle.

I'm thinking of making up a mechanical fork lock device. Maybe a spring loaded barrel and rod gizmo that I will install on the fork tube and HB stem. It's just an idea right now.

I'm wondering if a double legged kickstand will solve my problem. Could I cut the legs down to just the perfect length so that both wheels will stay on the ground, and the bike will still be supported? I don't want the front wheel to come off the ground and flop to one side or the other. Does anyone have any experience with what I'm talking about? I hope I'm making sense......

Also, I ride a Trek 520. I'm wondering how to install a double legged kickstand and not have the rear derailleur cable rubbing on the mount bracket, can I make a groove for it?

Any info appreciated.

Turn the handlebars when you park, so the wheel is already flopped when you leave the bike. Which way to turn depends on terrain and slope.

--J

I have one of those Esge / Pletscher 2-legged stands on my tandem, and it's amazing. A very clever design, both legs fold up to the left side like a regular kickstand. I'm not sure how your cable is routed, but I'm guessing it won't be a problem. You certainly COULD cut the legs down so you the back wheel touches the ground, but I wouldn't; the stand is strong enough to hold your bike and probably all your gear (it does for me, and my bike is HEAVY!).

I have one of those Esge / Pletscher 2-legged stands on my tandem, and it's amazing. A very clever design, both legs fold up to the left side like a regular kickstand. I'm not sure how your cable is routed, but I'm guessing it won't be a problem. You certainly COULD cut the legs down so you the back wheel touches the ground, but I wouldn't; the stand is strong enough to hold your bike and probably all your gear (it does for me, and my bike is HEAVY!).


With my current rig, I don't think that the rear wheel would come off the ground, due to the tongue weight of the trailer and the rear pans. The only weight on the front end is the handlebar bag. So I'm worried about having the front wheel coming off the ground when I kick down the stand, and then it would flop to one side or the other, and I'd rather it didn't, even if it doesn't neccessarily mean that the bike would be unstable. I want to be able to kick down the stand and have the bike be stable enough to dig around in the trailer, or pans, and not have the bike move around on me.

I have been using a Pletscher 2-legged stand for a few years. The first one I had I trimmed it close to the length you are talking about--both wheels on the ground. The trouble with this length is if you change the size of tire in the future. I later put larger, thicker (thicker from the rim to the thread) tires on it and the 2 legs didn't touch the ground at the same time--the bike would rock from side to side. I have have a new 2-legged stand and have not trimed it too short.

I used a "parking brake" with my front wheel & ESGE double leg kickstand.

I used a strip of double side velcro to lock the front brake handle when I put the stand down.

When ready to go I kept the velcro looped around the handle bar to itself.

This set up also acts as an oppurtunistic theft detterent for when you are away from the bike for just a few minutes but don't lock up.

Edit: adding parking brake/strap will work on rear brake lever as well.

I have the two leg Pletscher and it works fine.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i110/jesusridesaroadthing/100_0326.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i110/jesusridesaroadthing/100_0327.jpg
I need to refine it a little, but it holds the front wheel stable when parked. Only takes a second to flip it to lock. It's aluminum, and weighs almost nothing.

Nice! My fear would be I'd forget about it and inadvertently rip it out. Let's just say you (or some unauthorized person) gave the handlebar a sudden jerk and, god forbid, something bent or broke; what would happen? If one of your aluminum parts bends/breaks, no problem; but if it rips the shifter stud off the frame, you have a problem. That would scare me.

Nice! My fear would be I'd forget about it and inadvertently rip it out. Let's just say you (or some unauthorized person) gave the handlebar a sudden jerk and, god forbid, something bent or broke; what would happen? If one of your aluminum parts bends/breaks, no problem; but if it rips the shifter stud off the frame, you have a problem. That would scare me.


You'd reeeeeally have to work at it. If you could put your hands on it, you'd know what I mean. You'd have to hit it with a hammer to break that stud off, it's pretty sturdy. Not saying it's not possible, but it's not something I'll worry about. As far as forgetting about it, I've got it adjusted to where the wheel is cocked to the right when it's locked. As soon as you try to mount the bike, you realize immediately that you forgot something. Nobody tries to mount their bike with the front wheel cocked, do they?

We'll see. I think it should work out. Looks a little funny on there but hey, it's a touring bike.

Nice homemade solution! Thanks for sharing--might have to do something like that myself.

You're definitely onto something with that innovation. I've often wished for a convenient way to lock the front wheel in position, and wondered why there wasn't a readily available gadget. Would be really useful for ppl who prefer to lean their bike against a tree or post rather than use a stand. I wonder why a simple locking feature is not available built into the frame or fork or head tube?

Nice! My fear would be I'd forget about it and inadvertently rip it out. Let's just say you (or some unauthorized person) gave the handlebar a sudden jerk and, god forbid, something bent or broke; what would happen? If one of your aluminum parts bends/breaks, no problem; but if it rips the shifter stud off the frame, you have a problem. That would scare me.

I had the same thought. Getting a dt shifter boss replaced would not be easy. Plus the repair would ruin your paint/pc.

I've used a mini bungee cord in the past for the same purpose. Just passed it through wheel and across top of DT. Keeps the wheel from twisting or turning. Weighs nothing, easy to replace with just a piece of cord, which I've also used too (after I lost bungee).

[QUOTE=Thulsadoom;8517361I need to refine it a little, but it holds the front wheel stable when parked. Only takes a second to flip it to lock. It's aluminum, and weighs almost nothing.[/QUOTE]

Hey, that`s cool! I don`t really need one, but maybe I`ll do it anyway. Just because...