How long should a $50 double-leg Swiss kickstand last?!

[Jay]

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Jay Bollyn wrote:
>> This is my second kickstand from these guys, and my patience is wearing
>> thin. Am I being unreasonable (which has happened)?!
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/2bcncy
>>
>> Let me say at the outset; when this kickstand is new, it works perfectly,
>> and does exactly what it needs to do. It is a pleasure to use on my daily
>> commute, where a double-leg kickstand is essential to my feng shui.
>>
>> The first one crapped out after 6 months. The retailer and manufacturer
>> (both) were prompt and helpful. They replaced the obviously defective
>> kickstand.
>>
>> Nine months later, the replacement unit needs to be replaced. The
>> kickstand does not retract as it should. It nearly drags on the pavement.
>> So I just finesse it with my toe, and it then retracts to the midpoint.
>> At least it is not dragging on the ground. When the kickstand is new, it
>> retracts fully. At this point, the kickstand will not retract fully -
>> this is why I tied it up, for the purpose of this pic.
>>
>> http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/kickstand-drag.jpg
>>
>> http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/kickstand-midpoint.jpg
>>
>> http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/kickstand-retracted.jpg
>>
>> I suspect, this kickstand is actually being made in China, not
>> Switzerland.
>>
>> End of rant and out of breath,
>
> Have you disassembled and cleaned the kickstand? I would expect any area
> not well sealed to be full of grunge, considering the winter commuter use.
>
> --
> Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
> POST FREE OR DIE!
>
That is exactly my point. The mechanism is certainly not well sealed. I
imagine there is gunk in there, which over time destroys the kickstand by
simple friction. And I suspect the alloy used is cheap, weak, not durable,
unable to withstand all road conditions.

There is no way to disassemble it, as near as I can tell. Looks like it is
intended to be used, lubed, and then land filled.

J.

 

[vey]

landotter wrote:

> I see the wingnut mind is plodding along as usual. "It's more
> expensive...it MUST be better". Not so. Greenfields are by far the
> best stand out there. That's why cops, that have all that spendy gear
> in the rear case, use them. I've got the even cheaper $8 BB mount
> version, and it's doing it's job thoughtlessly right now.

Cops don't carry +50 pounds in a front basket and maybe another +50
pounds in the rear, but I often do. That's why I went with a double
kickstand. I have the pyramid pro stand and I've been exercising it at
least 10 times a day for the last 4 months. So far, so good, but I don't
use it in crazy weather either so I dunno how it would work in Chicago.

http://tinyurl.com/ynmjaz

 

[datakoll]

walls and trees are cheap and durabble.
all tohers apy cash

 

[Jay]

"vey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> landotter wrote:
>
>> I see the wingnut mind is plodding along as usual. "It's more
>> expensive...it MUST be better". Not so. Greenfields are by far the
>> best stand out there. That's why cops, that have all that spendy gear
>> in the rear case, use them. I've got the even cheaper $8 BB mount
>> version, and it's doing it's job thoughtlessly right now.
>
> Cops don't carry +50 pounds in a front basket and maybe another +50 pounds
> in the rear, but I often do. That's why I went with a double kickstand. I
> have the pyramid pro stand and I've been exercising it at least 10 times a
> day for the last 4 months. So far, so good, but I don't use it in crazy
> weather either so I dunno how it would work in Chicago.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ynmjaz
>
It looks like the fully exposed spring would need to be replaced on a
regular (yearly) basis. Do you know if the spring is sold separately, and
intended to be replaced by the end user?

J.

 

[A Muzi]

>> Jay wrote:
>>> Yes, of course; the kickstand is on my regular lubrication checklist.
>>> Chain, derailleur, kickstand. Clean and lube, as needed, depending on
>>> conditions. In the winter, we are talking at least 3x per week.

> "M-gineering" <[email protected]> wrote
>> with what? WD40?

Jay wrote:
> http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/teflon-plus-lube.htm
> I like to use the red straw, because the lube goes exactly where I intended.
> No overspray.

There's the cause of your corrosion.
Stop rinsing the lubricant out with that stuff and get some oil.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[A Muzi]

>> Jay Bollyn wrote:
>>> This is my second kickstand from these guys, and my patience is wearing
>>> thin. Am I being unreasonable (which has happened)?!
>>> http://tinyurl.com/2bcncy
>>> Let me say at the outset; when this kickstand is new, it works perfectly,
>>> and does exactly what it needs to do. It is a pleasure to use on my daily
>>> commute, where a double-leg kickstand is essential to my feng shui.
>>> The first one crapped out after 6 months. The retailer and manufacturer
>>> (both) were prompt and helpful. They replaced the obviously defective
>>> kickstand.
>>> Nine months later, the replacement unit needs to be replaced. The
>>> kickstand does not retract as it should. It nearly drags on the pavement.
>>> So I just finesse it with my toe, and it then retracts to the midpoint.
>>> At least it is not dragging on the ground. When the kickstand is new, it
>>> retracts fully. At this point, the kickstand will not retract fully -
>>> this is why I tied it up, for the purpose of this pic.
>>> http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/kickstand-drag.jpg
>>> http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/kickstand-midpoint.jpg
>>> http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/kickstand-retracted.jpg
>>> I suspect, this kickstand is actually being made in China, not
>>> Switzerland.
>>> End of rant and out of breath,

> "Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote
>> Have you disassembled and cleaned the kickstand? I would expect any area
>> not well sealed to be full of grunge, considering the winter commuter use.

Jay wrote:
> That is exactly my point. The mechanism is certainly not well sealed. I
> imagine there is gunk in there, which over time destroys the kickstand by
> simple friction. And I suspect the alloy used is cheap, weak, not durable,
> unable to withstand all road conditions.
>
> There is no way to disassemble it, as near as I can tell. Looks like it is
> intended to be used, lubed, and then land filled.

ESGE ships them with a small dollop of grease at the pivot, which you
washed out with an aerosol. Get some oil in there and park with confidence!
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Saudade]

"Jay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
<snip>
>>
>> Have you disassembled and cleaned the kickstand? I would expect any area
>> not well sealed to be full of grunge, considering the winter commuter
>> use.
>>
>> --
>> Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
>> POST FREE OR DIE!
>>
> That is exactly my point. The mechanism is certainly not well sealed. I
> imagine there is gunk in there, which over time destroys the kickstand by
> simple friction. And I suspect the alloy used is cheap, weak, not durable,
> unable to withstand all road conditions.
>
> There is no way to disassemble it, as near as I can tell. Looks like it is
> intended to be used, lubed, and then land filled.
>

Mine has a press fit pivot pin. I simply banged it out with a punch,
cleaned and regreased it. I used a vise to "press" the pin back in.

 

[landotter]

On Dec 30, 3:47 pm, M-gineering <[email protected]> wrote:
> Jay wrote:
> > "M-gineering" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >> Jay wrote:
>
> >>> Yes, of course; the kickstand is on my regular lubrication checklist.
> >>> Chain, derailleur, kickstand. Clean and lube, as needed, depending on
> >>> conditions. In the winter, we are talking at least 3x per week.
> >> with what? WD40?
>
> >> --
> >> /Marten
>
> >> info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl
>
> >http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/teflon-plus-lube.htm
>
> > I like to use the red straw, because the lube goes exactly where I intended.
> > No overspray.
>
> > J.
>
> a wonderfull product no doubt, but in the impressive writeup anti
> corrosion properties are suspiciously absent. I suspect that a decent
> squirt of engine oil would have had better results
>
For such an application, you can't beat aerosol lithium grease. But
indeed, engine oil would have been a step up from the inappropriate
Finish Line light lube.

I suspect the real problem is the lack of proper fenders. Here's Jay's
bike:

http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/snow1.jpg

Road slush constantly flowing through any kickstand will kill it.

 

[Brian Huntley]

On Dec 30, 4:07 pm, "BobT" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> What are those vertical posts in the middle of your bike's chainstays?
>

They look like cantilever studs to me, Bob. Not too unusual to have
them in that position on a small-wheeled bike.

 

[vey]

Jay wrote:
> "vey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> landotter wrote:
>>
>>> I see the wingnut mind is plodding along as usual. "It's more
>>> expensive...it MUST be better". Not so. Greenfields are by far the
>>> best stand out there. That's why cops, that have all that spendy gear
>>> in the rear case, use them. I've got the even cheaper $8 BB mount
>>> version, and it's doing it's job thoughtlessly right now.
>> Cops don't carry +50 pounds in a front basket and maybe another +50 pounds
>> in the rear, but I often do. That's why I went with a double kickstand. I
>> have the pyramid pro stand and I've been exercising it at least 10 times a
>> day for the last 4 months. So far, so good, but I don't use it in crazy
>> weather either so I dunno how it would work in Chicago.
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/ynmjaz
>>
> It looks like the fully exposed spring would need to be replaced on a
> regular (yearly) basis. Do you know if the spring is sold separately, and
> intended to be replaced by the end user?
>
> J.
>
>

I dunno. I looked at my spring this morning. It seems to be well
painted. Here, with 80% relative humidity being "low", everything rusts
pretty quickly unless it is well painted.