JohnBrooking

Because it's Friday and I'm in a frivolous mood (should really be going to bed), here's a poll inspired by the current "CNN: One of Us?" thread.

vrkelley

ha ha yea frivolous!
Some time back...slvoid talked me out of kickstands. I've never looked back But ..if you've park with heavy panniers, they may be needed.

DavidLee

I ordered a kickstand last week. I don't like leaning my bike against things at all. It's also gonna make it easier for me when cleaning my bike & its cheaper then a topeak flash stand. Besides, I think they look cool.

khuon

Good for him. And good for you.


They may be needed but the ones available don't live up to the task so a heavily loaded bike is a good reason for not having a kickstand in the first place.

SingingSabre 

I love my kickstand. Sometimes it's insufficient for the load I'm carrying and I have to lean my bike up against something, but that's only Sunday nights (fire practice on Sundays...I have to carry an ammo box containing 6 poi heads, two chains, and a can of white gas; portable speakers for my MP3 player; my messenger bag with my personal stuff; fire eating torches; a glow staff; a practice fire staff; video camera; digital camera; occasionally a tripod).

ahpook

i have a kickstand on my fixed gear.. what does it all mean???

jyossarian

I voted other cuz my kickstand broke and I've never bothered to replace it.

dogonabike

Well, i think they can be usefull. Both my bikes have em.. but they kinda came with them anyway, heh. Dont always need them, but why bother NOT having them and laying your bike on stuff if it could get scrached and dinged easily?

chicbicyclist

As a commuter/utility cyclist, I cannot see ANY reason why commuters/utility cyclists should not have a kickstand. You're not racing.

*shopping for a rear axle mounted kickstand as we speak*

khuon

It's been my experience that having a kickstand virtually ensures my bike will get scratched and dinged after it has fallen over. I've not come across an effective kickstand yet. Laying the bike down on the ground returns it to its lowest potential energy state.

Barring that, I just do the pedal trick...


It works offroad too...


Of course if you have a willing participant in the form of another bike, you can also try this...

gbcb

They won't be the new Fixed Gear until someone does a Natty Fab on a utility bike with the kick stand down.

dragonbait1

My kickstand helps me when waiting for BART, the best cars for bikes usually are not near anything to lean your bike against, I could hold it but with a kickstand I can just rest my hand on it and wait for the next train. Also you can run you pedal back against it to help keep the bike from rolling with train surges.

RGB, Kickstand Fan

chicbicyclist

Putting it on the ground on the sidewalk, potentially blocking the way for others is illegal in some areas, and using the pedal trick is just impractical in alot of situations whenever a suitable support structure is not in place(which is pretty much everywhere in an urban environment).

Have you tried those two legged kickstands, Khoun? There are two types, one where both legs are on one side, and another with one leg on each side(sometimes lifting the front or rear wheel in the air). Granted they are probably heavier, but again, commuting is not time trial/racing, and its not attached to your wheel and rotating when you're moving.

Kabloink

I have to agree. I always found the benefits outweight the weight issue for me. When I am commuting with 15lbs of stuff in my panniers that extra weight makes little difference. The kickstand makes a huge difference when trying to stuff it in a garage with limited wall space and lots of bikes.

The other week a brake cable had slipped on my bike in the middle of a parking lot. The kickstand allowed me to adjust the cable in a parking spot without having to turn the bike over, lay it down or walk it to the nearest pole or wall. Why thats not a big thing, it was still convenient at the time.

The image issue that some people have with kickstands isn't even a concern to me when I am wearing a helmet covered with reflective tape and a super bright safety yellow/green vest. I don't think most people will notice the kickstand when I am going by.

I-Like-To-Bike

Yep, kickstands no doubt should be considered frivolous; at least by any StyleMan who thinks gears, coasting, adequate brakes and/or fenders are also frivolous features on a bicycle used for commuting.

No Commuting StyleMan should be seen in public with such a nerdy item. What would his StyleBros think?

zoridog

For commuting: I need to lock my bike, slide my trunk bag on and off, make roadside repairs in dress clothes ... I'll keep the kickstand.

For group rides and casual treks, you may not need it but it is nice to have.

chajmahal

I'm lost here. A bike falling from improper use of kickstand = scratched bike but a bike falling over from improper use of curb/pedal trick = no scratches? What magic are you working?

Having problems with bikes falling over when you use a kickstand? It all comes down to operator error. 25 years of using kickstands and I've never had a bike fall over. You gotta be smarter than the piece of aluminum folks. If you can master a hunk of concrete and a pedal I think a kickstand is within your reach. You can do it!

For the commuters who could stand to lose 20 pounds and yet complain about a few ounces of kickstand? They're out there. I don't think there's any forum on the internet that can help you.

huhenio

Pass the popcorn .... the kickstand does not hold my bike better than looking for a nice curb to pedal it against.

rmwun54

I rode without a kickstand for 25 years, but now I have them on three of my bikes. I say the heck with what others think, if I want a kickstand then a kickstand it is. As we all know one of the best memories of having a bike as a young person was the kickstand. Yeah baby.

Roody

I voted no, but I do know some non-geeks who have a kickstand. Also, I am a geek and I don't have one!

A few years ago, my kickstand came loose while I was riding and pointed out from the bike. If it had pointed in, instead, it probably would have fouled the rear spokes. I might have crashed, or at least needed a major rebuild of the wheel. I tightened it, and a few days later it came loose again. So I took it off, and I've been a "leaner" ever since.

khuon

No magic. I'm simply pointing out that I've yet to encounter a situation where a kickstand would work better than the pedal trick. I have encountered situations where neither will work. Because of that, a kickstand is pretty much worthless to me. Any place where I would deploy a kickstand, I could instead use the pedal trick. For me, the danger for damage is equal and the advantages of a kickstand are non-existant. The dangers from having a kickstand on my bikes are however quite real.


I don't always do the pedal trick. I know its limitations much as I know the limitations of a kickstand. Because of the reasons I stated above, I have chosen not to use a kickstand. I also don't do the pedal trick when the forces of nature will work to thwart its effectiveness.

khuon

... an experience encountered by many. None of my current bike frames will support a kickstand but even if they did, I wouldn't use one. I too have had scary moments where a kickstand prematurely deployed or came loose and swiveled dangerously into places it shouldn't ever be. This was especially true when MTBing so I ditched the kickstand long ago. Now most of you might say, "well this is a commuting forum and not the mountain biking forum..." Fair enough. However, even on my commutes, I tend to jump and hop my roadbike. Sometimes I ride my MTB instead of my roadbike and sometimes I take some offroad shortcuts. All those activities present situations by which a kickstand can be accidently deployed or jarred loose.

spider-man

I thought three-speed hubs were the new fixed gear.

chicbicyclist

That's my prediction as well, spider-man. Better grab those vintage bikes before it becomes mainstream!

foolish heart

I'm considering a kickstand. Where would it be more practical: at the level of the bottom bracket or at the rear hub?