Doohickie

What a snobby statement. It reads: If you use a kickstand, you're not cool and your bike sucks.

Hofweber

Let longfemur be the roadie elitist that he is.

valygrl

Bekologist is my hero

Another kickstand benefit: option to take really great photos of your bike posed just exactly where you want it, instead of leaning on the barrier or lying on it's side.

BikeManDan

Admittedly Im tooting my own horn here but I'm an advocate of dual leg kickstands and sell ones made by Hebie here: https://www.bikefront.com/products/st...leg)-kickstand
Only three more in stock though unfortunately, they're my most popular item

Also have a cheaper version going on eBay right now:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Dual-leg-heavy-d...d=p3286.c0.m14

Nigeyy

Anybody want to comment on the potential of the clamp having to be so tight it might damage the frame where it is attached? What about if the bike falls over, could having the kickstand have a detrimental effect? I have to admit that I am a little wary of the kickstand for this reason. Anybody have experience with this like Cyclesafe? I suppose another reason I don't have a kickstand is because I've never really thought I've ever needed one and it adds more weight, and I assume a well made one is going to be either a. expensive, or b. heavy.

But then again, I never "needed" a workstand either, but now I just wouldn't part with it Perhaps when I get a bit of extra money I might invest in the dual legged one -I can see how handy they would be. I couldn't care less though if some people think they look less than cool -if it works, hey, it's good enough for me.

vik 

That's one thing I don't really understand - the function of the clamp on a ESGE 2 legged kickstand is simply to hold the stand in place. The clamp doesn't support the weight of the bike - the bottom of the clamp pushes up on the chain stays behind the BB where they should be reasonably strong on a touring bike and there is, usually, a chain stay bridge to further strengthen that area.

I think what may be happening is that folks are tightening the clamp excessively to combat the clamp/stand rotating when in use. This will for sure damage the finish of your bike and may crush the chain stays.

If you want to stop the stand from rotating you can instead increase the friction between the clamp and the chainstays:

- use some cloth tape to protect the bike's paint [vs. smooth electrical tape]
- rough up the clamp and apply a thin coating of shoe goo to the parts that touch the bike
- let the shoe goo dry thoroughly, this will provide a grippy surface on the clamp
- then tighten the clamp to the cloth tape covered chainstays
- I put some shoe goo on the clamp bolt to keep it from coming undone [it can still be removed if you need to later]
- tighten moderately - don't go crazy here

Some bikes may use really thin tubing and wouldn't be a good candidate for an ESGE kickstand, but most robust touring bikes [like a LHT] won't have an issue.

mwl6464

Here's my 2-legged stand.

Al Downie

Blimey Mwl - that's quite a set of parallel bars you've got there! Ever have to shoo-away nuisance gymnasts?

mwl6464

LOl, yeah I still haven't got new adjustable stem or angle set rite on the bars.

Boondock

I use the Greenfield rear mount kickstand. It works great with a trailer. I got it at an ebay store for $14. It's aluminum, weighs 340 grams. It's called the Greenfield "Stabilizer".

Cyclesafe

I tried several different ways to "cushion" my frame from the kickstand. Nothing worked. It could have been because of the roundness of the frame and the flat aluminum "wedge" of the kickstand plate.

Sheik_Yerbouti

Huh? I-- I don't know that. Auuuuuuuugh!

Longfemur

No, actually, I meant just what I said... that there is no good way to mount a kickstand on a quality road or touring bike, literally. I may be an elitist, I don't know, but I meant that in a mechanical way.

Also, look, there's nothing elitist about suggesting to someone that given the abundance of vertical objects and curbs out there in the real world, you really need a spindly, unreliable kickstand the same way you need handlebars with ribbons coming out of them, or a playing card in your spokes. If there's nothing around, your bike is safer just being laid down gently on it's non-drive side. It's not really a question of extra weight, since a kickstand is pretty light anyway.

LOL, if you saw how I usually dress to ride my road bike, you wouldn't think I am a elitist.

d18rc

https://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/images0...0Surly%201.jpg

IntoThickAir

On my very first tour I didn't have a kickstand and soon regreted the absence - my panniers were filthy and the food within could be crushed. I got an ESGE kickstand, clamped it on, hacksawed it to the right length, and will never go back to touring without it. But I should mention that I prefer desert scenery and camps, and around the Sonoran Desert the only vertical post is usually a saguaro cactus. Like an enormous strip of Velcro, they'll keep your bike steady, but at the cost of perforating your panniers.

A note for the beginner: make sure you have your touring tires on when you saw the kickstand. My 700 x 47 tires are much taller than my 700 x 28 city tires, and it makes a difference in how much the bike leans.

DukeArcher 

Since the time my one-legged stand snapped in half while I was lying next to my bike reading, and the loaded up bike almost crushed my spine, I have shied away from kickstands.


One up for the curb or post method!

Johnny Vagabond

+1 for the click-stand. I've been using mine commuting and for a few overnights and I love it. It's so simple and light that I'm surprised someone didn't come up with it sooner! Also, you don't have to "mount" it anywhere on your bike frame - it's not necessary!

Aushiker

G'day

I am not planning on putting a stand on my bike but I am considering one of these for the BOB as I have heard good things about them working well.



Details at Alfred E Bike.

Andrew

jurjan

No I don't, BUT, I personally feel that a blinky and a tiny LED headlamp is perhaps enough when cycling around in your hometown (depending on laws etc.), but when cycling around on a dark night on a road you've never been on?
Give me some real lights any day.
however, that is a personal opinion.

Aushiker

Have you considered mounting it on the Bob instead of the bike? It is the approach that I am considering.

Regards
Andrew

Juha

That right there would have been a good moment to walk out of the shop . It's OK for him to offer ideas and advice for your consideration, but to flat out refuse to install a kickstand is something else.

I have a 1-leg kickstand, installed near the rear wheel. It's stable enough, but the leg was originally too narrow for soft soil. That was easily fixed with a rubber cap. Because the stand is way back there, some attention is required to make sure the bike stays upright with full front panniers, especially on uneven surface. The stand doesn't interfere with pedals, so it doubles as a roadside repair stand. I think it's a good thing to have.

--J

jurjan

LOL, Longfemur: I'll be sure to tell my bicycle maker that the next time I go there.

But perhaps MY opinion of a quality bike is different from yours.

However: could you try to explain why you think / know that?
because if you ARE right, I'll have learned something new.

Boondock

hello Andrew, I'm not sure what the advantages would be mounting the kickstand to the trailer? The rear mount puts the kickstand almost directly in the middle of the bike and trailer, and I didn't have any clearance issues with the trailer. And when you disconnect the trailer for a ride around town/camp, your bike will be in the same boat as all the other tourers who don't have a kickstand.

And I am a creature of habit. When I stop the bike and swing my leg over the saddle to dismount, the muscle memory I've developed, aims my foot directly to the kickstand without thinking about it. I'd have to relearn the whole process

I remember seeing a picture somewhere of a bike and bob trailer with a kickstand on each, I can't remember where I saw it, but it was probably of CGOAB

Doohickie

I think you give up too easily. I can think of several ways to mount a kickstand that won't damage a bike. If you have a touring bike with 200 lb. of gear on it, naturally, a traditional 1-legged kickstand is not up to the task. But for a bike that weighs 20 lb., a kickstand is not going to hurt the bike. Laying a bike around haphazardly can damage the bike and its contents. Leaning it up against a wall is frequently much less stable than using a kickstand. On my old Nishiki, the original kickstand broke and I ended up replacing it simply because it seemed like it frequently fell over or wanted to roll away whenever I leaned it against something.

I would counter that it is much less stable leaning against a wall than standing on a kickstand that is appropriate for the bike.

Well, maybe if you stood it up with a kickstand instead of letting it lay around or leaning it up against stuff that scuffs it up, it would still be pretty.

Doohickie

At least someone got the reference....