What type of kickstand do you prefer?

[kmxtornado]

I'm rebuilding my bike and doing away with my ugly bottom bracket mounted kickstand (not really on there, but close). It's going to my sister's bike. I need a new one that will hold excessive weight from an e-bike. What do you guys recommend? I read all the other 3 threads from 2009, but figured I'd start a poll instead to see what you guys feel about different types.

Let the discussion begin. Posting relevant pics is encouraged. Thanks!

[Zoot Katz]

The Xtracycle got aKickBack center stand after breaking two kickstands in four years. It was the missing piece.

An SKS Pletscher aka.ESGE, double legged kickstand was the only one that fit my other bike because the chain ring is so large.

[Kingfish]

Actually - I want a kickstand, but couldn't find one that would fit my FS frame

Parking: I end up having to hunt down a place to lean the bike; If I can't find a post or wall, I end up being the leaning post

~KF

[Joseph C.]

Can you get a double chainstay mounted kickstand?

[Kingfish]

Can you get a double chainstay mounted kickstand?

Example picture please

• At the bottom bracket, the hinge prevents mounting - like a normal hardtail.
• At the rear axle, the frame flexes at the corner, so no way to triangulate a mounting.

<sigh> KF

[Joseph C.]

Can you get a double chainstay mounted kickstand?

Example picture please

• At the bottom bracket, the hinge prevents mounting - like a normal hardtail.
• At the rear axle, the frame flexes at the corner, so no way to triangulate a mounting.

<sigh> KF

An example of what I have never seen? A bit tricky that.

Edit: Is the link Zoot Katz provided an example of a chainstay mounted double kickstand ? http://www.xtracycle.com/kickback.html/

Does something like this exist for non-cargo bikes?

[kmxtornado]

The Xtracycle got aKickBack center stand after breaking two kickstands in four years. It was the missing piece.

An SKS Pletscher aka.ESGE, double legged kickstand was the only one that fit my other bike because the chain ring is so large.

Errr, $140 for a kick stand? Ugh, there's gotta be a better (cheaper) way.

[Zoot Katz]

The Xtracycle got aKickBack center stand after breaking two kickstands in four years. It was the missing piece.

Errr, $140 for a kick stand? Ugh, there's gotta be a better (cheaper) way.

It's a quality built accessory, in a niche market, that's designed to do what it does very well.
A reliable, sturdy and convenient center stand is priceless when you've got to change a flat.
It's handy when you're loading cargo or kids.
I've not regretted having bought it.

A Rock the Bike "Rock Sturdy" stand luckily came with my bro deal Xtracycle.
It's dead simple but was instrumental when building up Le Béte. Longtails are tricky to balance on most bicycle work stands.

[kmxtornado]

I was hoping someone could say a few words on the rear mounted kickstands. I have a regular single for my restoration bike that's mounted in the typical space by the crankset, but was considering the rear mounted type. Just seems to look cleaner. Anyone have opinions on those?...hopefully from people who already have them?

[amberwolf]

I've had a couple, one given to me new and the other off a used bike. Both are the type that clamp between the chainstay and the seatstay just forward of the left rear dropout.

The first turned out to be super-cheaply made. Despite good steel clamping frame and leg tube, they used a 1/32" wall aluminum tube over PLASTIC to connect the leg tube to the clamping frame, for a pivot joint. A regular bike would probably be fine with that, but even DayGlo Avenger as just a cargo bike with baskets (before I used the metal pods) was almost too much for it, and it couldn't hold any kind of load up like groceries in baskets front or rear. Also, it tips over really easy when any load is on a rear rack. DGA eventually snapped the plastic, which is how I found out about it.

The second appears to be all aluminum construction, and I suspect it would break the same way, at the pivot, becuase it gets thin-walled right there for no good reason I can see.

Now, if you have a grinder and a drill, you could do like I someday plan to, and cut out a piece to replace the existing pivot point on the leg, but that's a fair bit of work to do (which is why I haven't done it--probably take me four to eight hours to get it done and fitted).


There probably are good versions out there, but unless they are all steel, and good steel at that, I wouldn't bother with them.

A better kickstand for top-heavy bikes, or really for any heavy bike, is a "cane stand", which hooks to the seatpost under the seat and supports the bike at that point instead of lower down. Some of them are telescoping, and some folding. Most store in a canister on the seattube.

[kmxtornado]

I've never seen that type before. Mind sharing a photo or link? Not sure how to look that up myself.

[amberwolf]

The type that failed on me are pretty common. A google image search for "rear mounted kickstands" gives this:
http://www.google.com/search?q=rear%20m ... a=N&tab=wi
where several of the first page are similar to what I had:

This one is very like the one I haven't used yet:


in that it seems to mostly be a clamp that can then mount a normal centerline-mounted side kickstand.

This one:

looks like it is probably better-made, but I somehow doubt it would be any better for our heavy bikes.


The "cane" type stand is pretty uncommon, and in fact I couldn't find any examples in a few minutes' searching. They've been discussed on ES before, too, but I can't find that either. I bet Zoot Katz could point us straight there, though.

Basically imagine a collapsible walking cane that is a bit longer extended than the distance from bottom of seat to ground. A clamp on the "cane" at the top end secures it to the seatpost, and the other end has a wide enough base for friction against the ground/sidewalk/etc. so when you place it at an angle to the side of the bike, it lets the bike lean on it just like a normal kickstand.

The ones I have seen usually have nothing to limit how far they go outward from the bike, but one had a cord tethering the middle of it to the seattube/BB junction, with what looked like a simple loop/hook for quick release.

[biohazardman]

I use the single chain stay type, Amberwolf's first pic, stand although like others it had to be modified with a dremel and a file to make it fit just right. I also mounted the lower two screws through my torque arm and drilled another hole to connect to the existing threaded hole in the frame just above the dropout. Very sturdy, for my 55LB bike, and good for 5K miles so far. Got to get a bit creative sometimes to make things work.

[amberwolf]

I was looking for pics of the kickstands on my bike, but can't find the one of the broken rear stand. I did find the pic of the regular stand, broken at the hollow aluminum post even on the relatively light original DGA without any motor/batteries/etc:

DSC00194.JPG (71.69 KiB) Viewed 1322 times

DSC00300.JPG (147.62 KiB) Viewed 1322 times

This is the one I replaced that with, which was new when given to me. It broke, just above the spring, where the block yous ee is plastic, and the holllow aluminum tube inside is the only reinforcement.

DSC00290.JPG (142.1 KiB) Viewed 1322 times

DSC00302.JPG (151.72 KiB) Viewed 1322 times

I can't find the pic of it's broken state, though.

[kmxtornado]

Thanks guys. The rear one just looks cleaner to me than the standard kind. Does someone want to mention a few words about the comparison? What's your experience with each? Loving one over the other b/c....

[biohazardman]

Hah, almost forgot the Schwinn it has a two legged center mount stand. Nothing wrong with it either and it supports a 65lb rear heavy bike quite nicely for 4K miles now. Both legs fold to the left side of the bike. They fold up, back at an angle and together like a normal single legged stand.



link to kickstand
http://www.amazon.com/Greenfield-KSRF-K ... d_sim_sg_1

[kmxtornado]

Thanks for loading the pic. For sure mine now looks really dorky with the front being so high off the ground. You've convinced me it's time to take a hacksaw to it for a more proper stance. Sounds like my weekend project is in store.

[D-Man]

My single leg kickstand finally broke. One side of the pivot housing blew apart while parked. I had a spare and put that on.