So, your chainring must be quite a hindrance. After all, it hangs farther below the BB than any kickstand.

By race poser marketing helping to create a market dominated by bikes that were so uncomfortable and impractical for use by the general public (i.e. (the typical10 speed racers of the 70's) , that the introduction of the mountain bike design with wider lower pressure tires and more comfortable riding position seemed to be a revelation; instead of the reality-bringing back the old stuff with the one positive feature of the 70's hype-bike the improved and reliable derailler systems.

Damnit Jim! I don't want any more wheels on my bike ever! They can warp and buckle, my lock can get tangled with the spokes when i lock the bike, the tires that come on them can puncture, etc! Etc!

Yes SOME kickstand under Some circumstances, for Some riders can do those things. But in general with any decent kickstand and for most riders all these things are non issues hence non arguments.

And of course i realize that a wheels is an essential component for for some of us so is a kickstand! I am just making an analogy. Any component on a bike, no matter how trivial, can cause major problems in certain circumstances if the quality, engineering or installation is rotten.. Or if that component is ill suited to it's users' needs. But that hardly justifies leaving everything or even one thing off for those people that don't experience any of the problems you mention. I have owned maybe 50 bikes and ridden 25 years. Everything from high tech racers, to recumbents, folders, MTB's, 3 speed English bikes etc etc. I have almost never had any of the problems you mention at all! And the 1 or 2 times i did i spend about 7 euros, got a new good kickstand and presto, no problem. Yes i don't do technical MTB ing or some such form of cycling but then again what percentage of cyclists do anyway? All i am saying different strokes for different folks.

Great example of that is to look at today's "retro bikes..." Those made for the American market may not come with a kickstand, or even fenders... Yet these things tend to be otherwise rather practical for daily ride/short errand bikes that would suit the general population.

Yeah, I think ILTB has hit the nail on the head in some respects... just hop on down to the local bike shop and take a look at the inventory... chances are you'll see lots of "racer bikes," perhaps carbon fiber, some compact frames, some high end MTBs (depending on the shop), but few "daily riders." In fact go check out the conversations on the commuter forum and look at how so many commuters have "built up their own ride." Now granted, your commute and my commute may vary... but the situation is that if you went down to the LBS and asked for a commute bike... you may be shown one lonely "campus bike" over there in the corner, whereas the store is stocked with "racer bikes." (and the subtle differences between bikes hardly justify the inventory... IMHO)

Now dare I point out that in some place like Finland... the bikeshop picture is just the opposite. Daily riders are the majority of the stock, but high end special bikes are available. I suspect it is the same in say Amsterdam. (although I don't really know).

So with the demise of the kickstand (which did suffer from the problems you mention, actually... I remember my old Schwinn... **) perhaps the focus on cycling in America went on a decidedly strange tangent that has left the general public behind.
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**speaking of tangents... my old Schwinn as I started to say, had a welded on permanent kickstand, and indeed when I jumped curbs and the like, it would flop down and catch the cranks... But for certain bikes a kickstand of some sort was nice. I recall many years ago a wire thing that could be flipped down from the down tube that was great for touring bikes... kept the front wheel from flopping around when you leaned the bike against something.

Sounds like you hang out at the wrong bike shops.
Locally there are some with more comfort, hybrid, crusier than either high end mtb and road.
Most all of the former appear to have kickstands.
The hard thing locally is to go to a bike shop and convince them you want a road bike or similar for commuting, not a hybrid or the like. I had to visit three shops before one would take me seriously that I wanted a cyclocross bike, not a low-end-touring bike, not a hybrid, not a cruiser not a mtb for my commute.
Of course it would have been easier if I said I wanted a bike for racing and 'serious' road riding, but as soon as I said commuting it raised all kinds of roadblocks to taking what I described as my needs seriously.
Al

Sounds like you hang out at the wrong bike shops.
Locally there are some with more comfort, hybrid, crusier than either high end mtb and road.
Most all of the former appear to have kickstands.

Hmmm, seems to be a difference of opinion here. I've noticed a dearth of kickstands myself, or I wouldn't have offered my opinion of what happened to them, in this country anyway...

I have 2 bikes. A hybrid with a kickstand, and a roadbike without a kickstand. I love kickstands and the roadbike is going to have a kickstand soon as I get to the bikeshop. Either that or the roadbike is going out in the yard. The roadbike has scratched the wall in my house. This wouldn't have happened if a kickstand was on it. The hybrid has been in the same room for 3 years and hasn't put one scratch on the wall.

The roadie has been here about 6 months and has already put 2 scratches on the wall. Just my 2 cents.