In Praise Of The Lowly Kickstand

In the world of cycling there are two types of people. Those who use kickstands and those who do not!

In my thirty years in the bike business I have come across many people who are emphatically anti-kickstand and many people who are shocked when told that “no, the bike does not come with a kickstand but one can be added”. For those folks the idea that the bike wouldn’t just automatically have a kickstand is preposterous.

As for me? I’m both for and against. Now before you start accusing me of being a slippery politician, I own and ride all kinds of bikes-some have kickstands and some don’t.

So here are the arguments for, and against.

First, let’s talk about where a kickstand is not good idea. On a lightweight racing bike, a kickstand is added weight and, generally speaking, the mounting hardware can damage your lightweight frame. If we’re talking about performance mountain bikes that get ridden in challenging off road conditions, a kickstand could present a hazard getting caught up on logs and rocks. In general, riders on performance bikes don’t have to “park” their bikes very often. Either the bike is being ridden, hanging on a hook in the garage, or secured in a bike rack on the car.

For anyone who is not riding a lightweight racing bike or tearing it up off road, a kickstand is a no-brainer! I will sometimes jokingly ask a bike buyer if they are planning on throwing their bike down in the dirt, or would they like to add a kickstand? When you think about it, a kickstand is a cheap and effective way to keep your bike nice. Maybe your bike is not a $10,000 dream machine but even basic bikes are a significant investment these days.

So why don’t all of these types of hybrid and recreational bikes already come with a kickstand? Well, some do, but the bike makers were told a long time ago by dealers that half the people who bought a new bike asked for the kickstand to be removed! So the industry made a decision to let customers make their own choice at the time of purchase.

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. While not for everyone, a kickstand is a useful tool for most of us and you should probably get one. What are your feelings about kickstands? Great idea, or an absolute no-no?

Drop us a line via email gen_mgr@cyclecraft.com  or give our shop a call (973)227-4462