No respect, often slighted. To most, the lowly, rarely respected kickstand is the Homer Simpson of cycling components and a sure mark an inferior bike that adorns virtually all lower-priced bicycles, while most higher end bikes tend to come without.
Rolling up on a group of roadies enjoying a post ride espresso at the local chichi coffee shop and popping out the kickstand on a modest cruiser will almost certainly ignite a flurry of eye-rolling intermixed with a cackle of muttering and under the breath derisions and holier than thou stotting about in regard to that “bicycle” you just rolled up on.
Anti-kickstand sentiment is not completely unfounded. Performance bikes that don’t normally carry any gear and are built for speed and agility with a premium on achieving the lowest weight possible most likely won’t benefit from the capabilities the humble kickstand has to offer.
Frames constructed of exotic carbon and epoxy or those with chainstays fashioned of wafer thin tubing may even be damaged by clamping on a kickstand or permanently tweaked from the torsional forces placed on the frame when leaning a heavily loaded bike to the side.
Negative biases against kickstands are rare things that both roadies and mountain bikers agree on but is mostly unfounded.
Ode to an Unsung Hero
The modest kickstand is a useful tool to the cycling tourist and even necessary for certain bikes, load carrying situations, or for running “around-town” errands. Many bikes that aren’t strictly race bikes will benefit from a kickstand. Being able to park the bike without having to lean it against something or lay it on the ground is a real plus. And though the debate will rage long after you read this post fades into oblivion, here’s my two cents:
Continually looking for a better way to travel, I was tussling with the idea of putting a kickstand on my Co-Motion Divide. Yes, I was actually considering clamping such a kitsch piece of kit on a custom made premium ride.”Have you become completely unhinged and had gone barking mad?” you must be thinking. Well, yes I have… sort of.
Riding across central China last year, I came to appreciate the benefits of having a kickstand. Not having to continually look for a place to lean my bike or end up laying it flat on the ground while loaded was a real convenience day in and day out. It was also easier to hang the panniers and load the bike.
The Pletscher Zoom single legged kickstand on my Fargo worked pretty good if I was careful to place it on hard ground and keep it standing near vertical. If the bike leaned over at anything more than the slightest angle, its weight would torque the plastic extension on the skinny single leg and chain stays to a scary angle threatening to snap them off or permanently twist the Fargo’s smallish chainstays into an ungodly shape. On soft terrain, the bike’s weight would drive the stand straight into the soil like a ten penny nail. As long as there was not a lot of weight on the the kickstand it worked great and the bicycle could be parked nearly any place I liked, underscoring the value of having a kickstand. The concept was good, but the gear was less than optimal.
Enter the Pletscher Twin-Legged Kickstand
With my two main issues being functionality and quality, I went in search of the ideal kickstand for my Divide and eventually settled on the Pletscher Twin-Legged center stand that could be mount directly on metal kickstand plate I’d had welded on when I initially ordered the Divide.
The Pletscher Twin-Legged Kickstand is a Swiss-made, center mounted kickstand that handily supports heavier bikes and heavier loads as opposed to its leaning singled-legged cousins. It’s quiet, well-constructed and swings open and closed via a patented internal spring mechanism. The Twin-Legger doesn’t look cheap and runs about about $50 online. It comes in silver or black, and I choose the later as it blends pleasantly in to the shadows.
The Pletscher mounted nicely on the Divide’s welded kickstand plate located just behind the bottom bracket, whichI had added to the frame when I originally ordered the Divide. Because the rear brake cable passed across the left edge of the kickstand plate, I had to grind down the corresponding edge of the Pletscher kickstand a couple of millimeters so that it didn’t pinch or impede the brake cable went mounted. In the storage position when not supporting the bike, both both legs neatly retract up under the left chainstay, a design commonly found on motorcycles.
As part of the installation process, Pletscher’s bipod legs must be cut to achieve proper height, which isn’t a big deal. The rubber feet included with the stand aren’t necessary, but on wood floors or other sensitive surfaces, they’re a must. The kickstand adds about about 1.6 pounds to the bike and the top chainstay mount has plastic sandwiches to protect the chainstays. I replaced stock galvanized bolt with a stainless steel socket cap screw that looks cleaner, provides better access, and won’t rust.
There is about a 5mm of clearance the stored legs and the rear tire, which doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough. Additionally, I constructed a small shock cord bungee that can be attached to keep the front wheel straight while on the kickstand if the bike rocks back and lifts it off the ground if the rear of the bike is significantly heavier than the front.
The Divide’s super beefy chain stays and integrated kickstand plate make a solid platform to mount the Pletscher kickstand and will readily support the weight of the Divide with loaded panniers (25kg). No worries about crunching a set of anemic chainstays here.
A sticker on the Pletscher puts its weight capacity at 25 kg, which should be fine for my kit considering on of the wheels will be bearing about half the weight when the kickstand is deployed.
The Good, the Bad and the Not-So-Ugly
The Pletscher looks smart and is compact. Deploying the legs to park the bike is straightforward affair accomplished by simply positioning the bicycle on firm, fairly level ground and pushing the legs down to the ground with one foot and then lifting the rear tire off ground by the rear rack allowing the legs to pop into place — easy done. If the front forks want to turn left or right, install the stabilizer bungee stowed in the Revelate pouch on top tube.
Loading and unloading the bike while it’s on the kickstand is a breeze. The bike remains steady and stable while hanging the panniers. Parking the bike without having to always look for a place to lean it against or lay it down on its side is super handy as well. When stored, the kickstand is tucked out of the way under the left chainstay and doesn’t rattle or make any noise.
Pros
- Keeps the bike upright without having to lean it on something.
- Don’t have to lay my bike on the ground when there’s no place to lean it against.
- The bike is very stable when parked on firm level ground.
- The stand simplifies hanging the panniers and loading the bike.
- Facilitates/simplifies bike maintenance and tire removal. No flipping the bike over.
- Convenient to stand the bike for photo ops.
- Kickstand tucks up out of the way when stowed.
- Center-weight placement makes bike stable and doesn’t torque the frame.
- Get lots of compliments from other tourers.
- Looks nice and professional, not cheap.
- No dreaded kickstand wobble or drooping.
Cons
- May look a little funky, and not as clean as without, but not much.
- Adds weight, but not much.
- Load must be evenly distributed or the bike will tip.
- Fork tends to turn sharply left or right if raised off the ground. Need to use a shock-cord bungee to stabilize the wheel at times.
In a nutshell, the Pletscher Twin-Legger works great, is clever, and it’s Swiss made. The Twin-Legger looks like a solid piece of gear, is affordable, although just barely at $50, and you can’t buy it at the Five-and-Dime. I give it two adventure cycling thumbs up.
Embrace Your Inner Kickstand
Kickstands will continue to turn people off because they are associated with cheap bikes. But they are no less functional on an expensive bike. I know many other cyclists are minimalists and wouldn’t think of putting a kickstand on their bike. It’s their style and I’m good with that. But having a functional quality kickstand suits my riding style and provides me with many more pluses then minuses. Even my friends who would never own a bike with a kickstand think it’s cool.
Kickstands aren’t for everyone. But it is mighty sweet to be able to conveniently park my bike virtually anywhere I go without having to lean it against a wall or lay it on the ground, or to effortlessly hang the panniers on the racks while the Divide stands steadily by. So, if you’re a tourist toting a heavy load or just an occasional commuter running an errand or stopping in for a shot of espresso, “Embrace your inner kickstand!” I say. Come to the Dark Side.
Well stated Johnny! Roll on brother!
Keifer, Thank you much for the kind words. Happy roads and strong tailwinds. Cheers, Johnny
As a bike mech of some 40+ years, kickstands are one of the two most useless and idiotic things to put on a bike. The bike can still fall over and bend /break things. Dent chain stays, etc. Just lay the bike down on its side. At that point the only way to fall would be off the Earth, and that’s not gonna happen. The other useless idiotic device to put on a bike? Training wheels…
Paul,
Good comments and lots of color. I lov’em and share many of the same sentiments. For now, I’m going to roll with the Pletscher and see how it works on a couple of upcoming rides. The beauty of the stand that I’ve got is that if it doesn’t work out, I can remove it in a moment. I like your idea of training wheels. At my age and riding ability, they’re a serious consideration. Thank you for the comments and have a good one and cheers, Johnny
Uncalled for, Paul. Johnny stated good reasons for supporting his bike (e.g. loading panniers). You aren’t really offering any advice, you’re just being dismissive. A good wrench listens to customers and doesn’t call them idiots (at least not directly).
All “cyclists” should be required to use training wheels in addition to helmets to keep them from tearing their lycras when they fall over at stop signs.
Useless?? Idiotic??
Don’t know what sort of mechanic-ing you were doing over the 40 years but your comment is waaay more idiotic then the kickstands ever were.
Although I do agree about “stabilisers”- that’s what they are called btw 😉
I agree that kickstands are unwanted weight, and that bikes on stands can still fall over. However, I also agree that it’s a pain in the a** to have to always pick the bike up off the ground, especially when loaded. I just got myself a Click-Stand for my Surly LHT. Not tour-proven yet, but the company had it made and delivered in just a few days. Lighter than a clamp-on, and seems to be very sturdy. And since it’s not attached, if i don’t want the weight, i just leave it at home. Seems to be a good compromise.
Matt,
Thanks for the comment. Concur. The Click-Stand is pretty good. I would recommend them. I’ve used one on my Specialized FSR. It worked well and was convenient being able to park my bike pretty much anywhere I wanted. I used a small bungee to lock down one of the brakes so the bike wouldn’t roll will it was leaning on the Click-Stand. It was a four-segment stand and weighed about was a tent pole would and was easy to store in the frame bag. And like you said, if you don’t need it, you can leave it home. Good points and thank you for the comments. Cheers, Johnny
That kickstand looks pretty badass. I think I might need to pick one up. The hardest part of riding for me is getting off to take a picture or do anything and then having to pick the bike back up. I have a giant scar on my calf from when I flipped the 100+ lb bike up hopped on before it was balanced and then having the bike fall over and stopped only by the sprockets digging into my achilles. This seems a perfect solution. Also, like the bipod design seeing it reminds me of the KLR I used to have 🙂
Justin,
Thanks for the comments and input. I’ve been using the Pletscher for just about two months and it works great, especially stopping for pictures. The stand is solid and stable loaded and unloaded. The stand is well-constructed and looks smart on my bike. It’s super convenient beginning able to park my bike pretty much wherever I stop as long as there’s fairly level and firm ground.
Tonight when I packed my bike for shipping to Shanghai, I was able to put the bike on the kickstand, remove all over the racks, front tire, remove the handlebars and put foam pads on the frame, all while the bike set there until I lowered into the bike box — no flopping the bike or wrestling it around on the ground. How sweet is that? I’m really pleased with the double stand.
Again, thank you for the input. Best regards, Johnny
Hey Johnny, Nice bike!!! I’ve got a Fargo with Jones bars that are lowered with a level stem that allows me to stand up over front end on steep climbs.My question to you is can you stand up on the pedals with the riser stem.I ask this because stem adjustment with Jones bars on the Fargo has not been easy.I’m thinking about getting the Co-Mo Divide.Really interested in your input on she climbs seated and standing…..Thanks for sharing your bike!!!
Jeffrey,
Thank you for the comments and kind words. I can pedal out of the saddle and will if sprinting across and intersection or the like. On loaded climbs, I tend to spend most of my time seated with little to no time out of the saddle as it’s difficult and inefficient to do with loaded panniers. On my Co-Motion, the stem adjustment was right on. On the Fargo, I changed the stem to get me a little more upright and over the saddle and off of the handlebars to improve comfort for spending all day pedaling in the saddle day after day. As a result, I’ve all but eliminated numbness in my hands after long hours in the saddle. Unloaded, it’s much easier to stand and pedal, but again, I tend to focus on technique and remaining seated, save for times I actually need to stand.
Cheers, Johnny
I put a double-legged Pletscher on my 1970s Peugeot, which I use both for shopping and for enjoyable semi-long rides. The stand works very well when I am trying to load my filled panniers onto the bike, and it allows me to park the bike conveniently next to the front door, ready for business! I would not get one for an all-out touring bike – I’d want a click stand for that – but for many uses the double stand is just great.
Sachi,
Thank you for your comments. Over the past six months, I two had come to really appreciate the convenience of the double-legged Pletscher, especially when touring. It’s such a pleasure being able to stop and park that bike virtually anywhere there’s a flat piece of ground without having to prop the bike up or look for something to lean it up against, which is real plus in Chinese cities we they often won’t allow bikes leaned against larger buildings. Along with a good bell, a rear view mirror, I consider my double-legged kickstand and essential piece of equipment for cycle touring in China. Cheers and happy trails,
Johnny
I just added a black Pletscher bipod kickstand to my Giant Talon hardtail mtn bike. Normally, I would not considering doing such a thing, and I doubt I would ever put one on my beloved carbon road bike. However, I use the Talon also for pulling a trailer full with heavy music equipment (small PA and steel drum for playing at a local farmers’ market), so I can can have the bike freestanding while I hitch and load the trailer. The added weight on the bike can be easily compensated for in loss of weight of the rider (me). I think the Pletscher has a cool factor anyhow. And at my age (46) I tend not to care what others think.
Tony,
Thanks for the comments. I’m based in Shanghai now and ride my bike virtually everyday both commuting around the city, on 2-5 day microadventures around Shanghai, and on longer adventures ranging farther afield in neighboring provinces. I’m so glad I’ve got the Pletscher double-legged kickstand on my that makes parking my bike super convenient. Whether parking on the sidewalk (most Chinese security won’t allow bikes near nicer buildings), along the road or trail, or stopping to talk to locals or take a picture, being able to pop the bike up on the stand and not have to search for something to lean it on or lay it on its side is awesome and definitely worth the small amount of added weight. As a double-legged stand, it’s solidly mounted and provides stable platform that doesn’t stress or torque the bike frame when parking while loaded. It also makes it easy to work on the bike when performing maintenance. As you stated, having a free-standing bike is a real plus. Over the past couple months, I’ve ridden with Chinese riders and their mountain bikes all have kickstands (single-leg rear frame mount) too. They’re all about practicality as well when it comes to adventure cycling. I say, “Find what works for you and go with it.” Along with my bell and rear view mirror, the Pletscher a critical component for riding in China that will remain on my Co-Motion Divide.
Happy Trails, Johnny
Thank you, Johnny, for that review. I had looked at that stand before. I think I will install one now. Good story!
Hi Johnny.
Good read. Yes a very subjective item on a bike. I have a couple of bikes that have kickstands though not like yours that comes double leg.
My commuters definitely have kickstands, can’t live without them as I need it locked up parking upright at designated parking lots, banks, post office, markets etc.
2 of my touring bikes have kickstand too, but they were used only when there are no loads on it as they are light weight alloy stuffs. I may try one of these double leg heavy duty like yours one day. Then again,..its $$$$.
Cheers
Acid.
Acid, good to hear from you my friend. Love your posts on Facebook.
I’ve grown to like my kickstand more and more. At one time, I wouldn’t even think of mounting a kickstand on my bike and know, like you, I can’t live without it. Being able to park my bike anywhere without having to lay it down or continually looking for a place to lean it up against is so convenient. Moreover, I can easily load my bike or perform maintenance on it without having to jockey it around. In preparation for an upcoming ride on the Silk Road, I changed the oil in my Rohloff Speedhub, replaced the disc pads and adjusted the brakes on the Divide, all while it sat on its kickstand in my apartment. Additionally, I was able to test load all my gear as well.
I think the trick to kickstands is to have a good frame, to use a quality kickstand, and for me, to use a center mount double-legged stand, which is much more stable and doesn’t require the bike to be leaned over which can significant torque and place stress on a loaded bike frame.
Thank you for the input and happy trails. Keep up the great posts. I hope to see you out there some day.
Best regards,
Johnny
I’ve used this kickstand for eight years and now wouldn’t consider a bike without one.
Rolly,
Thank you for your comments and visiting my blog.
I agree. Having a quality kickstand is such a plus in bike travel. Having a kickstand plate added on to the Co-Motion Divide when I ordered and installing a Pletscher Two-Legged Kickstand was one of the best things I did with my bike. No only is it now super convenient to stand my bike anywhere there is a firm patch of ground, but I can load and unload panniers and frame bags with ease, not to mention perform maintenance on the bike as well. I’ve used the kick stand so much that the original rubber tips have worn through and I’ve replaced them with trekking pole tips that even work better.
Best regards and happy riding,
Johnny
Quick question. If you had a kickstand plate installed in your CoMotion, why are you still using the chain stay bracket to attach the kickstand. I realize you have pretty beefy chain stays but why use the stays when you can bolt directly to the bracket and avoid the pressure on the stays altogether. Thanks.
Great post by the way. I do loaded touring, often off road, and no way I am laying my bike with bags on it’s side every time I have to get off (mud, sand, dirt, puddles, leather seat) and I have found some leaning their bikes against inappropriate supports (even convenience store windows). If MY bike ends up on it’s side, I am usually under it.
Marc,
Using the chainstay bracket more fully incorporate and clamp down on the Divide’s beefy chainstays while using the kickstand plate as added support seemed like the stronger setup than just bolting solely to the kickstand plate alone, which is brazed on the bottom of the chainstays. I’ve ridden the Divide now on numerous trips over the past couple of years and stood it up on the kickstand under a wide variety of conditions fully laden with gear and the kickstand remains rock solid. I was looking for the most solid mount I could get knowing that combined with a lot of gear weight and any twisting or leaning force can put a lot of torque on the kickstand and bike frame.
I know it’s not for everybody, but I highly recommend a kickstand for extended bike travel, especially a centered double-legged type. The convenience of parking the bike pretty much wherever I like and not having to continually search for a place lean it up against or to lay it down is worth the added weight. Moreover, having the kickstand makes it a pleasure to load, unload, and work on the bike as well. I highly recommend a quality center kickstand setup to anyone doing long-distance bike travel and pretty much consider it an essential piece of kit.
Hope this helps, Marc. Thank you for the kind words and checking out my blog. Much appreciated. If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Best regards, Johnny
Mounting a Pletscher twin on my bike now. i’m brainstorming trimming the legs and wonder how long I should leave them. With stand down, should I have both wheels touching the ground for optimum stability or should I leave some elevation enabling either wheel removal?
Trip,
Recommend you have one wheel touching the ground the other, which will be the front, a couple of inches off of the ground. If you trim the legs too short, the kickstand won’t work on uneven terrain. Better to go a little longer, shortening in the legs a little at a time until you get it where you want it, than to go too short too quickly and ruin the stand. The legs on my kickstand are at the lenght one tire, front or back depending where the most weight is at the time, is about 1.5 – 2 inches off of the ground, and it works just fine.
Hope this helps. Cheers and best regards,
Johnny
Appreciate the advice and help Johnny. My plan is one cut and then file to fine tune.Getting it right the first time is my objective and the hard part.
In light of commenter PM(s) opinion, I thought if I cut too short i could drill for axles and put a wheel on each leg. I jest.
Trip,
Excellent. Have a good one and happy journeys,
Johnny
Johnny,
I came across your blog while researching the best kickstand that I can find. It will be installed on a 20″ Ferrari CX-30 (for my grandson).
In your opinion, would the Pletscher twin-legged kickstand be a good choice?
Of course it would require trimming to a shorter length than required for a larger bike.
I like the idea of having a stable/non leaning parking option. However, my concerns are two fold:
1. Will there be enough clearance between the bottom of the chain and the right-hand leg, when it is deployed.
2. Would both legs have enough clearance, when they are moved upward to the horizontal (stowed) position, to clear the leading edge of the rear tire?
Ken,
The twin-legged kickstand is the more much more stable, sturdier, and balanced than a side-leaning kickstand for loaded bicycles.
If the bike will be loaded, I recommend the twin-legged kickstand. I’ve found both Pletshcer twin and single legged kickstands to be of higher quality than other stands on the market.
Yes, there should be enough leg clearance between the legs and the chain and right pedal crank when the kicstand is deployed. I have a pretty standard mountain bike and there are no clearance issues.
Yes, there should be enough clearance for the kickstand in the up position, where both leggs sling together and in line along the left chainstay. I don’t think there would be an issue with most bikes. There should be adequate clearance for the pedal crank and tire.
For added mounting strength, I recommend using the top mounting clamp to mount the kickstand with the longer bolt from the top of the chainstays down through the kickstand plate and not just to the kickstand plate alone with a shorter mounting bolt. Mounting the kickstand by clamping to the chainstays is a much stronger and more stable setup than just the kickstand plate alone.
Hope this helps. Please message me if you have any other questions.
Best regards,
Johnny
Johnny my friend. I can finally say I have my Divide, and like you, I ordered the kick plate. I’ve been reading the comments in this thread. Growing up in Africa we used stands, and I would never lay a touring bike on its side. It might be pride but especially on a bike like the Divide. I knew I wanted this kickstand from the beginning reading your post way back. I can’t believe my bike has finally arrived. It’s just being put together now. I may have some detailed questions for you later but your write-up here pretty much answered the questions anyone might have. Keep riding, you’re an inspiration to me…Alan
Alan,
Congratulations on your new ride. I wish you many miles and rewarding adventures.
Sorry to hear about the “less than optimal” paint job, but it looks like you have a workaround to get it right.
For me, a solid kickstand is essential for any serious road work, which makes parking, loading, unloading, or working on the bike so much easier. It’s much like having a free-standing tent versus a non-freestanding tent. The Pletsher double-legged center mounting kickstand is just the ticket. The only change I made was swapping the galvanized mounting bolt our for a stainless steel hex bolt, which is a cleaner, more durable setup. I’ve traveled with friends riding bikes sans kickstands and they are always looking for a spot to lean their bikes, wrestling with it to load and unload it, or work on it, which seems like such a hassle.
If there is any way I can be value-added to your adventures, please don’t hesitate to shoot me a line. If looking forward to following you and your Divide on the many adventures that await the two of you.
All the best my friend. Cheers,
Johnny
Great post. Did you have a kickstand plate on your Co-Motion? Mine is without. Thanks!
Rapido, Yes, I ordered the Co-Motion with a kickstand plate, which works well. Fashioning a kickstand plate for a frame that doesn’t have one doesn’t look too difficult if you wanted to install a kickstand. The two-legged stand works great for standing the bike when it’s loaded. Cheers, Johnny