Kickstands for road bikes

I'm a student entrepreneur and keen road cyclist looking to try and design a kickstand for a road bike. Internet research mainly focuses on the cons; weight, drag, lack of style etc. however I propose to design a stand which rests parallel to the rear wheel in order to divert air away from the rear wheel spokes, subsequently reducing drag. The stand aims to amplify the performance of a road bike whilst increasing its practicality in day to day use such as commuting to work. If anyone has any feedback or suggestions regarding this idea I'd be very thankful.

 

Kickstands are generally rejected by serious cyclists because they

• encourage leaving the bike standing in random locations where it can be knocked over, run over, or otherwise damaged
• tend to crush and otherwise weaken the chain and seat stays to which they're usually clamped
• add bulk to the bike where they can get in the way of spinning feet
• add weight to the bike in exchange for unreliable and dubious function

My suggestion is to find something else to invent.

 

The only kick stand that will prevent a road bike that typically weighs less than 10 kg from being blown over in even a moderate wind is a double legged one that sits under the bottom bracket. Like you see on motorcycles. Single legged stands attached to a chain stay can damage aluminum and especially carbon fiber stays. I've seen 30 pound cruiser bikes blown off their stands by 15 mph winds. To describe them, simply, they are next to useless and unreliable at supporting even light bikes in the wind. Most road cyclists lay their bike on the ground, off the pavement, with the drive side facing up, when they're off the bike for a short time. Or they lean it against a tree or a pole. Commuters will generally chain and lock their bike to an upright, too. You're trying to invent something that will have very little demand.

 

As you can see, in America so-called "serious cyclists" have eschewed the use of kickstands ...

The problem (besides the structural issues which oldbobcat & mpre53 suggested based on how many kickstands would be attached behind the Bottom Bracket) is that in the United States the rear-axle-mounted stand which is common in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa (and probably, South America) which elevates the rear wheel off the ground is rare ...

IMO, if YOUR design doesn't symmetrically elevate the rear wheel off the ground, then may have limited advantage over current designs ...

BUT, if you think you have a design that is better, then why not design it and try to market it?

BTW. As far as bikes with single-legged kickstands being blown over by the wind, I think THAT is an issue of understanding how-and-why a sail boat is propelled and therefore NOT setting it up perpendicular to the wind!!!

• I would guess that in litigious America, THAT would warrant a "warning label."

 

How many of your bikes have kickstands, alf?

Not that I'm against kickstands, per se. They have their place on kids' bikes, cargo bikes, utility bikes, Dutch bikes, Bobbie bikes, other styles of commuting bike, comfort bikes, cruisers, motor bikes, recumbents, etc. But given that road bikes are now of lightweight construction that crushes easily, in steel, CF, titanium, or aluminum, and tight clearances between the rear wheel and bottom bracket are so thoroughly occupied by cables, derailleurs, and now batteries for powering shifting systems, that an aftermarket kickstand is pretty much out of the question.

A kickstand as an integral part of the frame is pretty much the only way this could happen, so I'll be looking for this feature on the 2016 Allez.

And even though mountain bikes are more ruggedly constructed and weight is less of a consideration, riders have thoroughly rejected kickstands as a nuisance.

I'm anticipating photos of Specialized Rockhoppers and 40-year old Raleigh Super Courses sporting kickstands, in rebuttal. I rest my case.

 

NONE of my bikes has a kickstand.

My point was simply that with the caveats in mind, if the OP wants to try to design a kickstand that he should go ahead and do so ...

We in the States are not the only potential market.