I'm a bit confused as to wher to start looking for a kickstand to put on my LHT. I've seen a few people with the double legged kickstand but it looks substatiially heavier than the single which works just find on my buddy's bike while fully loaded.

What are your thoughts on kickstands (other than they arnt necessary)

Price vs weight + usability = (a good kickstand)

On a loaded touring bike and on my city bikes I prefer the double legged kickstand. One of the better ones out there is the Pletscher/ESGE double legged, it is probably the best compromise between light weight and durability. There are others out there like Hebie but they are heavier.

Aaron

>>>Pletscher/ESGE double legged<<<<

Looks like a good design for a loaded touring bike, but $42 seems like a lot for a kickstand. Or am I just dating myself?

Anyway, I tour with a single pannier on the left side, opposite the derrailleur. My single kickstand balances the bike pretty well...except for when it DOESN'T and the whole bike - with all my stuff - goes toppling over in front of an amused audience. I've had my eye on a double for a while, but haven't done anything about it yet.

Dating yourself Bike parts are expensive! I just purchased an 8 speed IG hub that cost more than my first high end race bike did in 1974!

Aaron

I wanted a kickstand too but before u buy one go to Surly's website and see what they say about them.

Greenfield Stabilizer. Like $15, does the job for me. Only a single leg and mounts in the rear chainstays, but it works unless you're really overloaded to one side.

Check out the Click Stand; I use it on tours. Very stable and light.

I just removed my Pletscher. It's been a mixed bag for me. I like having a kickstand, and the Pletcher was more stable then a regular, center-mounted kickstand, but still not 100% stable, especially when the bike was loaded up. It would occasionally topple, and during one fall the kickstand got very loose and appears to have slightly dented the chainstay in spite of my care not to overtighten.



I took mine off the other day when I got my Click Stand. I can see the value of the Click Stand when touring, but it certainly lacks the ease-of-use of a dedicated kickstand. Although I did heft the Pletsher in one hand and the Click-Stand in the other, and I got a real feel for how much weight that two-legged stand adds. Given that it is still unstable on uneven ground or when the bike is loaded up, and given that I sometimes have it loaded with too much for the kickstand even when not on tour (not to mention the problem of lifting a fully loaded bike to engage the kickstand), I may be done with the Pletscher stand, at least on this bike.


I have also tried the Pletscher REAR Multi ZOOM Kickstand (https://www.thorusa.com/accessories/pletscher.htm). It worked. I can't remember if I had any spokes in the holder or not at the time, which might interefere with the installation. It didn't stay on for a long time, as it was slated for another bike. It suffered from the same problem as other, single-legged kickstands in that if the bike wasn't on a level surface, it could wander. The Click Stand has this problem as well, and it's solved by locking your brakes closed with an elastic band. The rear-mounted kickstand was definitely more stable than a center-mounted, single-leg kickstand, though, and it might be an option for you. I may put it back on my bike for commuting and use the Click-Stand for touring. In my daily commute, the most useful piece of the Click-Stand is the elastic bands the keep the brakes engaged and enable me to lean the bike against anything, including the Click-Stand, without the bike rolling.

Never used one. Usually tour with my partner and lean the bikes against each other if there is no building or fence to park it against.

I dented the chainstays on my LHT with a Pleschter double leg kickstand. I might have overtightened, but I'm not sure (I think they sell a product to avoid this too, but I'm not sure about that either). My kickstand eventually broke after using it through a couple of winters (the spring inside snapped).

All that being said, the next time I'm going to do a long tour, I'm going to get another one. I found it extremely convenient.

I have a Hebie Bipod Stand 605 NL and a retro fit stand plate 699 40 which I got from https://bike24.net for $39 delivered. It is fitted to my Surly Long Haul Trucker and works fine. It is a bit on the heavy side but and it is reasonably stable but sometimes I have to position the bike properly to stop it falling over.





Overall I am happy with it and prefer it to no stand.

Andrew

+1 on the greenfield rear stabalizer. Been using one for years with a single pannier Simple light and durable. Make sure you get the one for your wheel size.

Given that limitation I guess I have nothing to add

My 2004 Trek 520 came with a kickstand. I never quite bothered to remove it, though as photo illustrates, I more often leaned the bike against something. Photo was taken in 2006 during ride from Ukraine/Hungary border to the Volga River. The bike was stored in garage in Russia for three years before a friend retrieved it to cycle the Pamir Highway. So despite being eight years old, relatively low mileage and likely candidate of bike I ride for some of my next multi-month tour. However, I'll probably remove the kickstand before then...

+1

I have the Pletscher double legged on my Hunqapillar. It is alright, holds the bike steady for loading, that is when the ground is solid, level, there is no wind, etc, etc. It seems like all kickstands are a love/hate relationship. They're great when they work. Pletscher has a new design for their single legged kickstand. It feels a lot lighter and is adjustable, with a larger foot to place on the ground.



Marc

I prefer the rear mounted side stand too. But there are times when parked on a slope when the front wheel will want to roll sideways, so you should either have a loop of bunge cord to use as a parking brake on your handlebar or plan to spend a few extra seconds when you park it to make sure that the parked bike is stable.



Regarding kickstand and wheel size, if the stand is too long, that is what hack saws are for. But only cut a bit at a time to make sure you do not cut too much off. When I worked in the bike shop many years ago (back in the days when kickstands were included on almost all bikes), we used a hacksaw on a lot of stands to make them fit right.

I have the same Plietscher 'zoom' KS, it is adjustable longer, and Shorter..
[hard to hacksaw something off and thus make it longer]

My Koga Miyata trekking bike also has a 2nd KS,
under the left pannier on the front lowrider rack.

Read the Surly site first about kickstands

+1 that's what I went with and could not be happier.

I rode for decades without, much better with.. brazing on the KS plate may cost a buck fifty a scrap of tube
might be a dime, or 50c

better to let the customer choose .. rather than some snooty justification on why that was precluded.

"We're too cool for kickstands".

There is an active thread on the General Cycling Discussion forum concerning kickstands. I like some of the pictures on page 5 They show how those who like to lean their bikes up against trees make do. Maybe someone knows how to move pictures from one forum to another can move them over to this thread.

Yeah, choose carefully based on the info on Surly's website regarding kickstands. I had my touring bike built with a kickstand plate, but when I found about the click-stand, I decided to go for it. It takes a few seconds longer to get it out of the bag where I keep it and extend it compared to a regular kickstand, but it works great. Also, it won't compromise the frame in any way, it is incredibly light and will make your bike have a much cleaner look.

"We're not liable for you crushing your chainstays."