Sam Tully

Hi all,
I am thinking of putting a stand on my touring bike and have never had one before, its just that lately I have dropped my bike a few times while obtaining things from my panniers and probably just not being carefull enough. So the qeustions are :
- Are they worth it (pro's and con's if any)
- And what type, ie. side kick style or A frame motorbike style.

Any help or knowledge shared would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Sam

forresterace

As far as I'm concerned, it's not even a close consideration.

https://www.click-stand.com/Home_Page.html

I'm very pleased with mine.

antokelly

great idea if you can get one that's easy to fit, weigh's nothing, hold up the bike no matter what weight it's carrying ,dosent cost an arm and a leg to buy.the click stand im sure it does it all with bells on , but is it not a pain to unravel every time you want to stand your bike up.like where do you put it when your panniers are full .emm.

staehpj1

If you like a stand they get one, but I don't see how it will make you less likely to drop the bike. Personally I either lay the bike down or lean it against a solid object. My observation is that when I have ridden with folks who use stands that they are more likely to have their bikes fall over than those who don't. Part of that may be because a bike that is already laying down can't fall over.

I tend to be in the camp that tries to figure out ways to take less stuff and have less accessories bolted to the bike. To me it is just another thing that adds some weight and isn't needed.

A lot of folks like the Esge / SKS Double Leg Bicycle Kickstand. For me it is both too heavy and too expensive, but a lot of folks love it.

xyzzy834

I'm firmly in the camp of kickstands for touring bikes. I don't use a stand for my sporty road bikes because I'm hardly ever off of them unless they hanging in my garage at home. I'm constantly parking my touring bike in all kinds of places that don't have a convenient place to lean it against. If I laid it down, my panniers would be, at best, inaccessible on one side and probably soiled or wet if the ground isn't dry grass.

Experienced bike tourists eventually strike a balance between utility and weight that works for them. In my case, the kickstand easily earns it's keep.

I use a standard Greenfield kickstand. It costs about $5. Works like a champ and I haven't given it a thought for years.

rhm

Yeah, me too. But:

I got one of those for my tandem, and really like it. Sadly when I changed the cranks, the kickstand didn't fit any more, so it's now derelict.

elpy zee

+1.

I even use the stand to hold up the bike in a parking space at the store or wherever. It's a road vehicle, after all.

Bekologist

ESGE double leg for my heavy touring bike and one on the grocery beater too. I leave the legs a little long to handle softer roads where they might need to dig in a little.

I think they are very stable and worthwhile bolt-on for a traditional touring bike.

less of a requirement for a lightly loaded, ultralight touring bike setup.

Cyclesafe

The reason loaded bikes fall over when leaned against a tree or whatever is because the front wheel turns. Even the clickstand comes with "brake bands" to keep the front wheel from moving.

I tried the ESGE double kickstand, but I could never keep it from coming loose. And I tried everything. And it weighs a ton! (I just now went to the garage, dug it out from my left-over parts bin, and got the actual weight. At 602g, just shy of a ton.) Plus I have two dimples on the frame next to my bb for my troubles.

But I solved the problem at virtually zero cost and zero weight. I use a velcro strap between my front wheel and frame every time I lean my loaded bike against anything. I can rummage through my panniers and even take the panniers on and off with there being no danger of the bike falling over.

Kickstands are a solution to a problem I no longer have.

crazybikerchick

For a touring bike - absolutely! Its great not to have to find something to lean up against when you want to stop and have a snack, or take a photo, heed the calls of nature, or park and go into a cafe/store/etc (I just use a car parking spot when fully loaded)

On my touring bike I have a Greenfield kickstand that attaches to the rear triangle - I find it incredibly stable. On my recumbent Giro 26 that I used on my most recent tour I have a standard Greenfield kickstand attached to a special bracket for it.

Cons - weigh something, but compared to the weight of a loaded touring bike - negligible!
- some bikes its trickier to mount them on than others
- if pulling a trailer some designs may interfere with the trailer mount

Pros - Your bike stays up!
- Anywhere parking
(I guess this could be a con if the kickstand makes you more lax about security than you otherwise would be. However I find in most small towns I would just leave my loaded touring bike unlocked and make sure to grab small valuables like wallet/camera)

lighthorse

I'll repeat myself from previous threads on this subject. Use them if you think you need them. I have never had a stand on any of my bikes. Two trips across the U.S. and have never found a need for one.
Cheers.

antokelly

lighthorse how would you know you don't need one if you never had one.

John Nelson

I'm also a huge fan of the click-stand. There isn't always something suitable near to lean the bike against. The click-stand also leaves all four panniers accessible (i.e., two of them aren't leaning against something), which makes loading and unloading much easier. It only weighs 3.5 ounces (less than a kick-stand I'm sure), and it assembles itself.

NeilGunton

I regard a kickstand as an essential part of my touring bike, but that's just me. Some people are fine laying the bike down on the road, or else stoutly maintain that there's always somewhere to lean it (not my experience, personally). Anyway, my favorite is the Greenfield rear kickstand. I find it to be very stable and it folds neatly back out of the way when not in use. The thing is it's not very compatible with rear disk brakes (the brake housing tends to get in the way) or spoke holders (ditto on the Long Haul Trucker, very annoying).

You can see a number of reviews of the Greenfield, Click-Stand and ESGE double leg stands here:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/revie...?board_id=3597

Neil

ezdoesit

Another +1 for the clickstand.
I received mine yesterday and have been wondering why I didn't get the clickstand sooner I have a Fuji Touting bike and it works great plus the owner Tom is a great person to deal with.
I have no affiliation with this company just a happy customer.

kayakdiver

Just got back today from a little 280 ish mile tour. I met a nice couple riding some really pretty Waterfords. Anyways... while I was talking with them the lady of the group had her pretty bike crash to the ground. It was one of those 2 legged ESGE double kickstand. Thanks but no thanks. I'll lean mine against something or lay it down.

Oh.. and for those of you who have ridden the North Cascade Hwy.... Riding from up and over and back again in two days is a grind .

antokelly

any pic's of your tour kyadiver thank's

kayakdiver

I didn't take to many since I already have tons from the pass. My normal camera is broke now so I was using a less than ideal camera. Anyways. A few are here.https://cid-e00965f6d68a35b2.skydrive...Cascade%202009

You can check out my other album if you want. It starts from the west side. It's from last summers cross country trip. 2008 Tour here.https://cid-e00965f6d68a35b2.skydrive...x/New%20folder

kyakdiver

rainking63

I have a Greenfield, and it's great. The best part about it is that you can spin your cranks backward while the stand is deployed, making it easier to clean and lube your chain. I've tried doing it on the road without a stand, and apparently i don't have the finesse to do so. The stand makes it a cinch.

lighthorse

antokelly,
Contrary to Neil and your experiences, I have never been lost for a place to lean my bike when I want to stop for awhile, never. I also smile to myself when someone says they would never lay their bike down. I always lay my bike down to change a flat tire. My panniers provide the perfect method to lift the rear of the bike off the ground to remove/replace the wheel with minimum effort.
My friend, don't waste your effort trying to convert me to the "kickstand users." I certainly did not intend to imply that I did not think anyone should use a kickstand. I just don't use them. We all travel in different ways. I am sure that the specific stands that posters have recommended here are good ones and that someone will find one that works for them based on these recommendations. Good for the recommenders and good for those who find the recommendations useful.
Cheers

rpk0925

On a related note (and I hope this isn't off-topic), but do they make such a thing as a stand to hold your bike upright in the case of doing emergency repair work for mechanical problems encountered in the middle of nowhere? (I'm thinking of cases where a person might be riding solo and have nobody else with him/her to hold the bike steady for them).

mylesau

A couple of bits of rope over a tree branch will get the bike off the ground to do maintenance.

rpk0925

Good thinking!

How about if there aren't any trees around? (There are places like that).

mylesau

Turn your bike upside down...

rpk0925

Another good thought.

Hmmm... Maybe I should get your phone number so I can call you when I get stranded. :-) :-) :-)