Kickstand

psycholist

100 W
Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
155
Location
Okanagan Valley, Canada
I'd like some opinions on single leg kickstands (the kind that mount behind the bottom bracket and between the stays).
I remember using these decades ago on steel frames and they had a tendency to loosen, no matter how much they were tightened.
I've noticed quite a number of these in pics posted on the forum and they seem to be mounted on aluminum frames.
Are the newer models somehow better designed at maintaining their tightness? Maybe locktite might help?
Do you have to be carefull tightening them down so as not to squish the soft aluminum tubing?
I recall seeing a model that had textured alloy clamps that dig slightly into the tubing. This would seem to help prevent the kickstand from twisting and working it's way loose. Anyone have experience using this type with an aluminum frame?
 
One option is to find the kind of single leg stand that bolts to the rear wheel axle. Not sure where to look, I've gotten all mine of junk wallbikes bought at the flea for pennies. Steel ones can have stuff welded on to lenghten them if needed.

Then I like to do a double kickstand, one on the bb, the other on the rear axle. I just got an old used think ebike, which has the center stand. Right away I see why those are so popular. I could get used to that real quick.
 
motomech, It's an Iron Horse Warrior hardtail, 6061 aluminum frame.

dogman, Can't use the kind that attatch to the rear axle as there is not enough thread left on axle (3/8 torque plate, nordlocks, nylocks, etc.).

I've thought about the double-leg kickstand but am concerned about the clearance issues as I will be doing a lot of off-road riding. I think the single leg kickstand that mounts behind the bottom bracket is my best option. It just makes me cringe, thinking about the torque required to fasten this while trying not to deform the aluminum frame. Seems like others are using them succesfully. Maybe some models are better at maintaining tightness with less torque, or someone has some installation tips.
 
Double legged kickstands are great on an ebike. Unfortantely, I still can't get mine to stay tight. Everyfew months I need to hit them with a wrench. Even with loc-tite. Solution: I got a frame with a kickstand plate. Hopefully that will help!

And yes, there are some clearance issues for off road riders. Although, perhaps it may work. It might not even be taller than your chain ring.

http://www.crowcycleco.com/double-leg-kickstand-screw-adjust-black.html

These people are great. They sent me a new one, free of charge, when the bad weld on mine broke. I honestly can't imagine how I got by with out these kickstands.
 
I am using a Greenfield alloy kickstand on an aluminum Diamondback 29er with no problems.Mounts the way that you describe.Easy to cut to length.Just tighten snug enough to compress the lock washer is all that's needed.see- http://www.greenfieldny.com/chart_bicycle.htm
 
auraslip said:
Double legged kickstands are great on an ebike. Unfortantely, I still can't get mine to stay tight. Everyfew months I need to hit them with a wrench. Even with loc-tite. Solution: I got a frame with a kickstand plate. Hopefully that will help!

And yes, there are some clearance issues for off road riders. Although, perhaps it may work. It might not even be taller than your chain ring.

http://www.crowcycleco.com/double-leg-kickstand-screw-adjust-black.html

These people are great. They sent me a new one, free of charge, when the bad weld on mine broke. I honestly can't imagine how I got by with out these kickstands.
I have this same kickstand from another source and had it mounted to a steel frame without the welded mounting plate.No matter how much I tightened it,the motion of kicking it from one side to raise it would make it turn a little, then loosen.Requires some fabrication adaption on most frames without the welded mounting bracket.
 
auraslip said:
http://www.crowcycleco.com/double-leg-kickstand-screw-adjust-black.html
I have this same centerstand on my Columbia MTB. The chain drags on it a bit when in the outermost rear gear, however it's extremely stable and I never had any problems with it at all.

Unfortunately, the chain geometry on my new Giant MTB is somewhat different, such that the chain doesn't really clear it at all. It still works, but it's annoying. I've ordered one of the folding twin-leg stands (the kind where both legs fold up to one side when "up"), waiting to see how well that performs.
 
Thanks for the great feedback guys! This is really helping me make an informed decision.
auraslip said:
They make a kickstand with more clearance. I have both the tall and the short model. The taller one clears up the issue of the chain rubbing on the kickstand legs.
Is the taller model's extra length in the spring housing rather than merely having longer legs?
If so, It would have less ground clearance?
 
Is the taller model's extra length in the spring housing rather than merely having longer legs?
If so, It would have less ground clearance?

Yes, less ground clearance. You only need them if you have a large chainring.
 
psycholist said:
Joe Perez said:
I've ordered one of the folding twin-leg stands (the kind where both legs fold up to one side when "up"), waiting to see how well that performs.
Another interesting option. Please post your impressions when you get it mounted.
Just got the stand today, and so far I'm impressed. I don't have the battery and motor mounted on this bike yet (so it's not up to full weight yet) but despite being considerably lighter weight than my old centerstand, this one seems to be just as stable.

amvbZ.jpg


The design is very clever. The "second" leg is spring-loaded such that it automatically extends when you put the stand down, and then retracts back into place when you raise the stand. When retracted, it is completely out of the way.

KxHBf.jpg



My only gripe (and this is exceedingly minor) is that the bolt which it came with is far too long if, like me, you choose to mount it using the bike's welded-in plate rather than the clamping bar which came with the stand. You could go to the hardware store and buy a shorter bolt, or if you have a bunch of flat washers lying around like I did, you could just stack 'em up to compensate for the difference.

zUX6X.jpg



One additional advantage of twin-leg stands is that you can easily use them to raise one wheel up off the ground, which makes things like derailleur adjustment and even chain cleaning a bit easier. And unlike center-mounted single leg stands, they do not interfere with rotating the crankset.


If you're interested, this is the particular one that I got: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370556342120&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160#ht_1060wt_952

I'm sure that link will expire eventually, so for future readers of this thread, just search ebay for massload folding kickstand. Several different ebay vendors are selling it, though surprisingly I haven't found it at any traditional bike shops.
 
Thanks for the detailed post with great pics Joe Perez! Looks like a quality product. Wish my bike had a mounting plate like yours :cry: That would eliminate my main concern of deforming the aluminum frame. You could really tighten that sucker down.
Does this model have more ground clearance in the retracted position than the typical two leg model?
The description in the link states "We do not recommend this kickstand for electric or motorized bikes - it may work but we have others that are more heavy duty than this one". Whats your opinion on this. Judging by your pics, I just can't imagine it lacking the strength to not be able to support a ~60 pound E-bike.
 
psycholist said:
Wish my bike had a mounting plate like yours That would eliminate my main concern of deforming the aluminum frame.
Well, then you'll appreciate the little adapter plate and extra-long bolt which they supply. :mrgreen:


psycholist said:
Does this model have more ground clearance in the retracted position than the typical two leg model?
Relative to my old centerstand, this one does sit a bit higher when retracted. I don't go off-roading, so ground clearance isn't really something I've ever considered in choosing a stand.


psycholist said:
The description in the link states "We do not recommend this kickstand for electric or motorized bikes - it may work but we have others that are more heavy duty than this one". Whats your opinion on this. Judging by your pics, I just can't imagine it lacking the strength to not be able to support a ~60 pound E-bike.
Well, it's definitely lighter weight than my last one, which was made from pressed steel. In terms of stability when the bike is at rest, that's mostly about the distance between the "feet" of the stand as they contact the ground relative to the bike's weight and center of mass, insofar as how much it wants to tip over.

On that metric, this one is about the same as my old one. One thing which is different is that the angle of the legs (in the vertical plane as viewed from the front or back) is much greater on the new one, so as you extend the length of the legs (which is very easy) you also increase the spread between the feet. So if lateral stability is a concern, you can just lengthen the stand and make it wider (which will have the effect of raising one wheel further off the ground.)

In terms of robustness, I suppose you could argue that since this one has more moving parts and is made of lighter material that it would be easier to break, however I can't really think of how you'd apply the forces necessary to do so. Perhaps if you jumped onto the bike while the stand was extended and tried to roll backwards then you could break it, but I don't think that even an SLA-equipped ebike could cause it much harm just from normal operation.
 
psycholist said:
Thanks for your thorough response Joe Perez. Although I still have my concerns about deforming the aluminum frame, I'm favouring this kickstand.
Of the few centerstands that I've personally seen and used, this one is my favorite so far. The length of the legs is easily adjustable, it poses no interference concerns to the chain, it's very lightweight, and it seems to be robust.

A suggestion on how to keep the stand securely mounted to the bike (eg: to prevent it from rotating) without having to clamp it down with such force that you risk deforming the frame:

Slather a layer of high-strength epoxy (such as JB-Weld) onto the top pad of the stand and then cover it with a durable plastic sheet (such as several layers of a trash bag with a hole for the bolt punched out) before very loosely clamping it to the frame (eg: finger-tight on the bolt.) This will cause the epoxy to conform to the shape of the frame without actually bonding to it, and once it hardens, this fit will prevent the stand from wanting to shift around. Give it a full day to set up, then trim the plastic, grind away the excess epoxy, and bolt it on securely.
 
Joe Perez said:
A suggestion on how to keep the stand securely mounted to the bike (eg: to prevent it from rotating) without having to clamp it down with such force that you risk deforming the frame:

Slather a layer of high-strength epoxy (such as JB-Weld) onto the top pad of the stand and then cover it with a durable plastic sheet (such as several layers of a trash bag with a hole for the bolt punched out) before very loosely clamping it to the frame (eg: finger-tight on the bolt.) This will cause the epoxy to conform to the shape of the frame without actually bonding to it, and once it hardens, this fit will prevent the stand from wanting to shift around. Give it a full day to set up, then trim the plastic, grind away the excess epoxy, and bolt it on securely.

Doh! :shock: You are one brilliant dude! Thank You!
 
Heh. When you grow up wrenching on ancient cars, you learn these tricks. Depending on the specific epoxy you use (JB-Weld, for instance, is kind of thin and runny) you may need to repeat the process a couple of time to achieve sufficient build-up, but in the end you'll have a centerstand which mates perfectly with the frame and doesn't require a gazillion ft-lbs of torque to prevent it from rotating. Just be sure that you don't get epoxy onto either the bolt itself or the threaded hole into which it goes. Better to use a small amount several times than to glom it all on in one big mess and ruin the stand.

A safer alternative might be to permanently embed a stud or a length of threaded rod into the stand, cut to length, and use a nut on the top. This way you don't have to worry about messing up the thread with epoxy. I'm pretty sure that most ACE Hardware locations have metric threaded rod. If not, just buy an extra-long bolt of the same thread and cut the head off of it.
 
You know what? I just realized that I'm being retarded. JB-Weld is completely the wrong epoxy for this application. You want a putty epoxy such as this:

PeFaj.jpg


It's a two-part epoxy which has a clay-like consistency. It's sold in the form of a small log inside a clear plastic tube, and you cut it with a knife to select the appropriate amount for the job, and then knead it to mix the two parts:

55.jpg


You can find it at most hardware stores, as well as automotive and marine supply stores. With the thicker consistency of this product, you can get a nice, deep molding in just a single pass, and without having to worry about liquid oozing out everywhere.

Here's another example: http://www.toolup.com/loctite_81512_2-oz-cylinder-epoxy-repair-putty-stick.aspx?gclid=CJO6kv_1068CFQQ0QgodAH8Beg
 
I have the same double-legged (single side) center-mount taiwanese adjustable kickstand (esge clone) as mentioned above:

BV adjustable, foldable double-leg kickstand mounting bracket by Terry Chay, on Flickr

However, my Canondale (aluminum) hybrid bicycle does not have a kickstand bracket since those things were frowned on in the 90's

Canondale H600 (1993) bottom bracket by Terry Chay, on Flickr

The Shimano rear derailleur cable is awfully close to the right rear chainstay. So much so, I'm pretty sure when I mount it directly, I'll end up pinching the cable, so that is a no go.

I'm thinking the use of quick-steel epoxy putty can be formed to prevent this. Maybe by including a cut out straw or piece of cable housing in the mold before I set it. Is that the right idea, or is there some sort of accepted practice.
 
What you want for that bike, is a stand that bolts to the frame near the rear wheel.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-Bicycle-Cycling-Bike-MTB-Adjustable-Aluminum-Alloy-Side-Kickstand-For-29-/201323710912?hash=item2edfd409c0:g:fCAAAOSwBLlVH8v6

Or even this might work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/cycle-kick-stand-rear-fitting-new-axle-fitting-26-wheel-/262222626945?hash=item3d0dafc081:g:gYwAAOSwKtlWiVtU
 
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