Kickstand?

This may be a stupid question, but for you experienced tourers, do your bikes have kickstands? Mine doesn't, which is fine for commuting around the city, but it seems like it'd be benficial on a loaded bike when you want to hop off to take a picture.

Just curious.

-Zach

 

Yes... Yes... It's a difficult question. A baffling query. Didn't mean to stump everyone.

 

For a touring, a kickstand is very useful because you often have nothing to lean the bike on when you want to get off.

However, if you are loaded up with panniers, your kickstand must be very sturdy to not fall over, especially if the ground is uneven. To solve this problem, a double kickstand is needed. You might also want to consider bring a small flat piece of wood to place between the end of the kickstand and the ground.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/accessories.html#kickstands

You might find it cheaper elsewhere.

I use a BOB trailer, which I equipped with a motorcycle style kickstand that holds up both the trailer and the bike on any terrain.

 

Hey Zacu, I'd get a kickstand. They really do come in handy. If you can, invest in the "double" kickstand, or if you're tight on cash then at least a very good quality, strong one. The weight of the pannies can cause a weaker kickstand to snap (happened to me!). If you opt out of the kickstand, figure out the trick of standing your bike up against the curb with the pedal. It's hard to explain, but if you can't figure it out, let me know and I'll try to describe it.
Good luck!

 

anyone actually have one of the above double kickstands? if so, how do you like it? i've always used a regular kickstand, but of course gravel, unlevel road, or even a little wind sends the bike toppling on occasion, so i've been thinking about one of the above.

 

Yes, buy a kickstand, and then buy another for that one when it snaps off, and then one to replace the replacement when it snaps, etc...

 

Yes I do find a kickstand very helpful on a tour, and for general commuting, parking etc. It is very handy when packing your bags on the bike. Get a stand that fits on the rear chainstay, like this one:
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=details&sku=KI1002

This type will not dump your bike when the front wheel turns to the side, and it is very good at supporting a bike with fully loaded rear panniers. If you look closely you'll see three laden bikes with this sort of kickstand here:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/550352684/2200591550074746151AGZXoo

My Greenfields stand has had two and a half years of sloid use, including one two week tour and several 3 and 4 day tours. It's still going strong.

Cheers
Peter

 

I've done umpteen thousands of kms touring in Europe, Canada, USA, NZ and Australia.
I have never once wished for a stand.
Extra weight and something else to go wrong. If the is nothing to lean the bike against, just lay it down gently somewhere. If the stand gives way, breaks etc., the bike will come down hard.

Cheers

Geoff

 

I'm glad you're happy.

My alloy kickstand weighs less than a kilogram. When I'm touring I can be carrying 25-30kg, so that half kg kickstand is no handicap. After reading about the 'ultimate tour' of Heinz Stucke, on the road since 1963, touring the world on his German 3spd roadster with up to 50kgs of gear, I've given up worrying too much about weight. Carrying my typical load I can happily travel 60-120kms in a day. I want to see the country I travel through, not race through doing RAAM distances

And the problem with this is? It happens to me (very rarely) but I don't stress over it.

Cheers
Peter