T Stew

I'm not sure I follow your angle, it seems quite the norm here. A bit of ridicule is often had at the sight of 'dork' disks and the like. Or is that an accolade? Often the folks sporting all these items get deemed to be a 'Fred' if I understand the term correctly. It's so normal I wondered if this was a troll post to begin with. Just saying there are some of us here not worried about what others deem dorky or uncool.

But yes I assume I am very odd for around here did you see my sig line?

Why in the world would any sane person add a kickstand to this bike that is being "disrespected'?[/QUOTE]
Well I am not much into the mountain scene but that looks like a really nice bike to lay down on rocky terrain. I was brought up to take care of my belongings, especially the expensive ones. And I'll repeat again, I was mainly referring to using kickstands on loaded tourers. I do not have them on most of my bikes, only my 2 Voyaguers and LeTour Luxe. I was bringing up one instance where kickstands could actually be preferred. I like the double kickstands especially when there is much weight on the bike.

AlmostTrick

Right. You don't even need to go to the "Hot or Not" or "What don't you like about my bike" threads to see this is the case... It comes up in regular threads quite often. For many, it's all about high fashion. (or what's not acceptable)


Oh, and yes, some do like to troll.

ksryder

But don't you get it, man? If you ever let your bike touch a blade of grass you are DISRESPECTING a precision machine because YOU WEREN'T BROUGHT UP RIGHT AND DON'T TAKE CARE OF STUFF!!!1!1!1!!

I'm going to add this particular hot taek to my bingo card.

fietsbob

And Valve caps.

bikecrate

Reflectors - it depends. My road bike had the biggest ugliest wheel reflectors I've ever seen. They were removed. Other bike still has them. Mostly rely on lights.
Dork disk - don't care. Took it off my road bike, but kept it on my adventure bike.
Kickstand - not needed. There's always something to lean a bike on.
Chain guard - the bikes I have now didn't come with them.

cyccommute 

My (current) bikes never had kick stands, reflectors or chain guards to remove. As I put all of my bikes together from parts, I didn't put the kickstands and chain guards on to begin with. I have no use for either.

As for reflectors, my state requires rear reflectors and wheel reflectors. I reluctantly use both. I don't need them and find them to be less than useless* but I don't want some lawyer saying that I was culpable for injuries if someone in a car runs me over.

*I'm not against rear lights nor front light and I have more than most people do of either. However, my backwards state requires the reflectors and makes the lights optional. I would rather have it the other way around but this is not the legislative atmosphere to be monkeying around with bike laws...all kinds of crazies come out of the woodwork when bicycle laws come up.

General Geoff

If wheel reflectors are required, I'd be more inclined to apply reflective tape to the rims on disc brake bikes. Or use tires with reflective sidewalls.

CliffordK

Oh, the massive weight of those things. And rotating weight at that.

Plus the chain guards and spoke guards and kickstands and reflectors... Whew!!! A bike could be just absolutely MASSIVE with all of those.

And, don't forget aerodynamics. That flat face of the reflectors, directly into the wind.

cyccommute 

I'll add

Fences
DSCN0165 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Random branches

DSCN0465 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Rocks

image by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Curbs

DSCN0387 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

And walls

2015-05-03 11.38.54 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

I even have leaned them up against a rickety cable over a 1500 foot drop

DSCN0512 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

DSCN0522 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

The world is full of "stands". I don't need to carry one with me

ColonelSanders

When I get around to taking a photo of my bike with two kickstands on it, I know you will change your mind.

cyccommute 

Nope.

ussprinceton

I don't own any bikes with kickstands

jitteringjr

So does this mean you ride with both lights and reflector 100% of the time or do you sometimes forgo the light so you can have a reflector instead?

T Stew

No, I do get that, though I did have to be reminded about the hazard when it comes to racing and kickstands (though I doubt anyone was really contemplating that scenario?). But you don't seem to get that many folks don't use reflectors, kickstands, and chain guards because they are uncool. TRUTH. Well surely you must get that since you've been on the forums for a while, we are each just focusing on our own angles. I know I speak for the minority here, but still wanted to stand up even when its uncool and say I have no problems sporting reflectors, dork disks, kickstands, or chaingaurds, etc. I've never had a chainguard though for the record, and only a small number of my bikes have the rest.

Superfluous has not been a good enough reason for me to remove these items on the few of my bikes that have them, and they have never presented a hazard (most are actually safety equipment to a degree lol).

I think you way overestimate my concern in the matter but go ahead sometimes I need some humility. For the record a blade of grass is not much concern.

Thanks for the info on the real world, I've never been out there yet
Sarcasm aside, some beautiful pics there!
Got to say though if my bike were leaning up near that drop off like that, with say 30+ lbs of loaded panniers, I'd be much more at ease with double kickstand. Similarly in the pic of random branches.

I have taken my bike out loaded several times without kickstand, it's not like I don't know you can lean it against things... but after this trip without I now greatly appreciate them! No chaingaurd, dork disk, or reflectors either. I wouldn't bother to remove them if it had come equipped but not like I am going out of my way to add them back lol.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HqdxqDl4CZJiE2u72

cyccommute 

Colorado State law requires a rear reflector at all times. Front lights and side reflectors are only required from sunrise to sunset or when atmospheric conditions are such that "...persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of one thousand feet ahead".

The rear reflector is useless in all situations but it has to be there.

cyccommute 

Let's not assume that I'm totally stupid. For loaded bikes, there's a whole mountain on the other side of the trestle to lean against.

My experiences with kickstands are from the distant past but I never found them to be that useful when touring. A loaded bike doesn't stand up all that well on them and the stand tends to sink into soft dirt. That's one of the reasons I got rid of them long ago...I got tired of picking my bike up off the ground. I've since had occasion to watch other people pick up their touring bikes after it fell over while kickstanded. Nothing I've seen has convinced me that they have that much utility.

jitteringjr

You already said this much. You didn't however answer the question of if you then forgo the light sometimes to have the reflector instead. Do you always ride with a front and rear light? We know you ride with reflectors.

Let me put it another way. If you only had room for one device, a rear light or a rear reflector and knowing the law said you had to ride with a reflector, would you pick the reflector over the light just because the law said so?

cyccommute 

I buy lights with reflectors built in for the most part...not all have them, by the way...so that I don't have to choose. If I have a light that doesn't have a reflector, I add a read reflector somewhere to the back of the bike. It doesn't have to be a huge reflector, just enough to cover the legal requirements...a bikini reflector, if you will.

I would rather that the law required active lighting and made reflectors optional. Given the choice, however, I would opt for the light over a reflector any day of the week and I do ride with lights at night....white light to the front and red to the rear (usually several in both directions).

Skipjacks

I leave my rear red reflector on, but to be fair that's more because it does a great job of holding my seat post bag tightly in place so it doesn't shake when I ride.

Does a great job of that!

I'm sure a car behind me couldn't actually see the reflector through the blinding glow of my Cygolite Hotshot tail light....but that seat bag don't move!

Skipjacks

Thank goodness you had reflectors though....or that train might not have seen you in time to swerve to miss you.

jitteringjr

I guess I never paid attention to my rear lights having a reflector built in. Going to do the dark room and flashlight experiment when I get home tonight.

I too think is dumb they require a front light after sunset but don't require a rear light. Having said that, I am not going to put my self at increased risk IMO by swapping one of my rear lights out for a reflector just because what the law states.

cyccommute 

I agree that it is dumb but that is what the Uniform Vehicle Code said for years. I think there are a few states that are changing to active lighting...I recall recently looking at New York state code and they require lights with optional reflectors...but most seem to be sticking to the reflector requirement.

I agree that I would not sacrifice a light for a reflector but I do kludge in a reflector somehow as insurance in the event of a lawsuit. I'm not worried about the police stopping me for improper equipment but I do worry about some clever lawyer using that as an out in the event I get hit.

By the way, not many rear lights have reflectors. Portland Design Works Radbots have them as do some of the Cat Eye lights (but not all). That seems to be about it as far as I've seen.

ColonelSanders

Luckily one can get kickstands with large feet that addresses that issue.


Do you have any bikes that have a kickstand attachment point on them?


I just recently fitted a kickstand to my frame's dedicated holes near the rear of the chain stay and I am pleasantly surprised how solidly it holds up my bike and the kickstand maker claims the kickstand is good for taking a 50kg load and I believe it.


Previously where I had to make do with sticking a kickstand on a bike as best I could, whilst it still worked for me, it clearly wasn't as rock solid as my newest kickstand(with the 50kg rating) is.

oldlugs

For me, a bike isn't complete without a kickstand, fenders, and at least a rear rack. I run front and back reflectors, and depending on the age of the bike, if it came new with them, it gets wheel reflectors. I also have a clip that snaps to the handlebars where I can snap on my high output LED flashlight as a headlamp, and a flashing rear light that can attach via Velcro around the seat post or saddle bag if I run after dark.
I also have a several reflectorized jackets and vests that make me visible at night. (The kind that road workers use).
I runs those clear dork discs too, not so much to protect the spokes from the derailleur but to keep grease from getting down on the hub. Its just easier to clean the rear wheel when the grease doesn't get in around the rear hub and spokes behind the freewheel.

MikeyMK

Isn't there scope for aerodynamic advantage from a chain guard?