# Why no kickstands on road bikes?



## ndtriathlete (Apr 28, 2006)

is it just dorky?


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## cctitans (Mar 20, 2008)

*i had the same question. please lmk. but i guess it builds my strength carrying my 23lb bike? lol*


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## Medicman55 (Mar 19, 2008)

Proably unneeded weight.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

The added weight is one issue. Another issue is that, because of the modern road bike's light weight, any decent breeze or bump would knock it over if it were held upright by a just a kickstand. It's best, then, to either lean it on something, tie it to something, or just lay it on the ground.


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

1. Cost to the manufacture. All those $3.00 kickstands add up.
2. Race bikes don't need kickstands.
3. Race bikes look cooler without them.

Knowing that, lots of folks on touring bikes or utility bikes put kickstands on all the time.


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## Dr. Placebo (May 8, 2007)

I know MTB guys are afraid of getting impaled by them. once you figure out how to balance the rear tire against a wall you don't really need one.


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## juicemansam (Nov 26, 2007)

One possibility is how the road bike is used, such as being hanged for storage, how it's transported and that usually it's left on the transport until it's used, only to return to the transport once the ride is over. And then there's the fact that kickstands loosen over time/use becoming one more thing maintain.


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## Steel Ridr (Dec 24, 2005)

Also in a road race a competitor could reach over and lower your kickstand so you would be at a slight disadvantage.


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## walter2007 (Nov 22, 2007)

I’m in the process (right now) of drilling and taping my carbon frame because I didn’t want to mount a universal clamp-on kickstand and scratch the frame.

walter


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

I remember the kickstand on my huffy when I was 7. The darn thing would click on my crankarm clack, clack, clack.. all the way through the ride. Nothing had better clack when I ride now. 
In 1986, my dad told me, 

_You mean you bought a 3 thousand dollar bike, and It doesn't even come with a kickstand?_

Walter 2007, please don't drill or tape perfectly good carbon fiber. Oh, and don't put a kickstand on a carbon fiber bike, you will anger the cycling Gods. Thanks.


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

The rule of buying bikes goes like this:

"Kickstand = Don't Buy"


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## dwadamcat (Feb 20, 2008)

First off, walter2007 you are an idiot you don't drill carbon fiber ever yoiu just voided your warranty gongrats. Any scratching a CF frame is not a big deal. And why are you posting in a beg. forum with a CF frame. No beg. needs a CF bike PERIOD. You dont need a kick stand they are stupid and suck. I have never had a time when I need one I commute 7 days a week and mountain bike and road bike at least 4 times a week. you just dont need one bacause if you are locking it up you are leaning it on what you lock it up to. If you are using a kickstand it is on a wal-mart bike and dont even post on this forum because you are not a cyclist if you ride a wal-mart bike. Just learn to do without it, they get in the way and are a sign of a complete noob. Ask your local bike shops employees how they do it and trust them they ride ALOT more and ALOT better than you


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## wmayes (Aug 8, 2007)

Au contrare, you kickstand naysayers. Mine looks cool with the front basket, handlebar streamers and the baseball card stuck in my Mavic Spokes!


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

dwadamcat said:


> First off, walter2007 you are an idiot you don't drill carbon fiber ever yoiu just voided your warranty gongrats. Any scratching a CF frame is not a big deal. And why are you posting in a beg. forum with a CF frame. No beg. needs a CF bike PERIOD. You dont need a kick stand they are stupid and suck. I have never had a time when I need one I commute 7 days a week and mountain bike and road bike at least 4 times a week. you just dont need one bacause if you are locking it up you are leaning it on what you lock it up to. If you are using a kickstand it is on a wal-mart bike and dont even post on this forum because you are not a cyclist if you ride a wal-mart bike. Just learn to do without it, they get in the way and are a sign of a complete noob. Ask your local bike shops employees how they do it and trust them they ride ALOT more and ALOT better than you


Ah...I'm guessing walter2007 was posting with tongue firmly in cheek.


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## JRox (Oct 5, 2004)

Hey Walter, we have been waiting 8 months to hear how the kickstand is working out. Some of us seem to have developed A LOT of anger at being forced to wait this long.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

dwadamcat said:


> First off, walter2007 you are an idiot you don't drill carbon fiber ever yoiu just voided your warranty gongrats. Any scratching a CF frame is not a big deal. And why are you posting in a beg. forum with a CF frame. No beg. needs a CF bike PERIOD. You dont need a kick stand they are stupid and suck. I have never had a time when I need one I commute 7 days a week and mountain bike and road bike at least 4 times a week. you just dont need one bacause if you are locking it up you are leaning it on what you lock it up to. If you are using a kickstand it is on a wal-mart bike and dont even post on this forum because you are not a cyclist if you ride a wal-mart bike. Just learn to do without it, they get in the way and are a sign of a complete noob. Ask your local bike shops employees how they do it and trust them they ride ALOT more and ALOT better than you


Yes- why have a really practical yet somewhat dorky thing on your bike?

Actually, the sign of being a complete noob is judging someone else's bike unworthy (and their abilities as a cyclist) solely because their bike has a kickstand. 

for example, there's this total noob on a kickstand-equipped bike:










That would be 6-time U.S. Champion and olympian Dede Barry. Man, what a stupid noob- she's even got fenders on that noobcycle. And it's a mixte! Every bike shop employee knows you can't ride one of those with out looking like a noob, because they ride ALOT more and ALOT better than any noob... Man, what a walmart bike. 

*sigh*

Look, if you want a kickstand, get one- on a racing bike, they aren't exactly necessary- but if you aren't racing and you're mostly commuting or running errands or you just hate leaning your bike against rusty stop signs, Who cares what other people think? Get a kickstand. 

Besides, no one steals bikes with kickstands, because only noobs have kickstands and you'd never put one on a $4000 custom bike like the one in the picture... Oh.. wait...


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## dave2pvd (Oct 15, 2007)

dwadamcat said:


> First off, walter2007 you are an idiot you don't drill carbon fiber ever yoiu just voided your warranty gongrats. Any scratching a CF frame is not a big deal. And why are you posting in a beg. forum with a CF frame. No beg. needs a CF bike PERIOD. You dont need a kick stand they are stupid and suck. I have never had a time when I need one I commute 7 days a week and mountain bike and road bike at least 4 times a week. you just dont need one bacause if you are locking it up you are leaning it on what you lock it up to. If you are using a kickstand it is on a wal-mart bike and dont even post on this forum because you are not a cyclist if you ride a wal-mart bike. Just learn to do without it, they get in the way and are a sign of a complete noob. Ask your local bike shops employees how they do it and trust them they ride ALOT more and ALOT better than you


Such a compelling diatribe; I look forward to your future masterpieces. Please keep it up.


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## iherald (Oct 13, 2005)

buck-50 said:


> Besides, no one steals bikes with kickstands, because only noobs have kickstands and you'd never put one on a $4000 custom bike like the one in the picture... Oh.. wait...


Her Father-in-Law made this bike. Maybe he just doesn't like her.


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## z rocks (Sep 9, 2007)

Wonder if ya could make/market a sweet CF kickstand that would look really stylish on them fancy racin bikes?


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

z rocks said:


> Wonder if ya could make/market a sweet CF kickstand that would look really stylish on them fancy racin bikes?


zomgwtfbbq that's a million dollar idea! 

CF kickstands for $500


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## lancezneighbor (May 4, 2002)

buck-50 said:


> Yes- why have a really practical yet somewhat dorky thing on your bike?
> 
> Actually, the sign of being a complete noob is judging someone else's bike unworthy (and their abilities as a cyclist) solely because their bike has a kickstand.
> 
> ...



That is a COOL bike!


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## Akirasho (Jan 27, 2004)

... I'd stopped to take some pics of my bike when a woman with a group of Japanese tourists asked "Why don't American bikes have kickstands?" whereupon I answered, "cuz when we're on the bike... we're goin' somewhere... not parking."

:So desu ne. Wakaremasu desu yo."










As has already been said... too much weight (call me a weight weenie if U want) to carry round for those rare times when you're stopped (never had probs leaning against something on just laying it down, rear der side up for the occasional pee break or coffee stop).


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## z rocks (Sep 9, 2007)

Its been done. Carbon tent poles were used in the example i saw. "click stand" or some such it was called.


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## John Nelson (Mar 10, 2006)

z rocks said:


> Its been done. Carbon tent poles were used in the example i saw. "click stand" or some such it was called.


The click stand is made of aluminum, not carbon.


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## android (Nov 20, 2007)

buck-50 said:


> And it's a mixte!


Uh, no it's not.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

android said:


> Uh, no it's not.


Man, I am such a noob. Now I'll never qualify for carbon. 

What *do* you call a frame like this? Is it a lady's frame, a dropped top tube frame or what?


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## russotto (Oct 3, 2005)

This thread reminds me of the Klingon Biker Gang. They ride pink bicycles (or tricycles...) with basket, streamer, and bell (and probably a kickstand too). And then they just wait for someone to make something of it.

Dede Barry doesn't LOOK like a Klingon though... And since when are Americans allowed to ride European* commuter bicycles? That's unpatriotic, I say! This is America, she should be commuting in an SUV.

(*OK, it's actually Canadian. But fenders, rack, chain guard, headlight, and internal gearing? Might as well be in Amsterdam)


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

russotto said:


> This thread reminds me of the Klingon Biker Gang. They ride pink bicycles (or tricycles...) with basket, streamer, and bell (and probably a kickstand too). And then they just wait for someone to make something of it.
> 
> Dede Barry doesn't LOOK like a Klingon though... And since when are Americans allowed to ride European* commuter bicycles? That's unpatriotic, I say! This is America, she should be commuting in an SUV.
> 
> (*OK, it's actually Canadian. But fenders, rack, chain guard, headlight, and internal gearing? Might as well be in Amsterdam)


Figure she lives in boulder, which might as well be amsterdam...


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## android (Nov 20, 2007)

buck-50 said:


> Man, I am such a noob. Now I'll never qualify for carbon.
> 
> What *do* you call a frame like this? Is it a lady's frame, a dropped top tube frame or what?


The bike in the picture is just a women's frame. 

A Mixte is a very specific type of woman's frame that is structurally very sound. there is not a single top tube, but rather two smaller tubes that run from the top of the head tube all the way to the rear dropout. There is an achor point where they are brazed to the seat tube as they pass by.

here is a typical mixte frame.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

buck-50 said:


> Yes- why have a really practical yet somewhat dorky thing on your bike?
> 
> Actually, the sign of being a complete noob is judging someone else's bike unworthy (and their abilities as a cyclist) solely because their bike has a kickstand.
> 
> for example, there's this total noob on a kickstand-equipped bike:


I love those whitewall tires.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

The major reason by far is that you don't want your light weight road bike to fall over - which it is very likely to do if you use a kick stand. It is far, far safer for the bike to lean it against a wall or post, or lay it down when not in use. Compared to a typical non-road, all purpose bike, there are also so many parts that could be damaged if it fell. The heavier, sturdier all purpose bike can withstand this stuff with less severe consequences.

The second reason is that it is not necessary because you can just as easily lean it against a wall or post, or lay it down when not in use. Unnecessary.

All that said, I think it's dumb that bikes generally sold to kids don't have kick stands. My family has several bikes, and my garage just doesn't have enough wall space for the bikes, and I wish the kids' bikes had kick stands.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

the first time your nice/expensive bike falls over while on a kickstand is a good opportunity to understand why they're not desirable.

oh, and they're fugly.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Listen to Camilo and Oxtox.


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## roadster99 (Jan 24, 2006)

* I'm sure she's racing competively with that bicycle too....:aureola: *


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## dwadamcat (Feb 20, 2008)

I am not trying to put anyone down sorry if I offended anyone I just hate hearing about a murder of a nice bike. kickstands do have there place like bikes like that one there. but for any mountain bike or road bike it is unnecessary. I just got distraught after reading about mutilating a carbon frame. cause you dont need a carbon frame for commuting. Again I am sorry to stir people up I was sounding like a bit of an ass but drilling a carbon frame come on!! so anyways how did that drill job turn out walter? so in close my foot will remain in my mouth when I am pissy.


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## Dklein (Nov 25, 2008)

Uh... I dunno but the carbon magnetic w/ steel set points works for me.

I just made that up but it has to work and its not about the bike.


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## ChrisTheHokie (May 9, 2008)

dwadamcat said:


> I am not trying to put anyone down sorry if I offended anyone I just hate hearing about a murder of a nice bike. kickstands do have there place like bikes like that one there. but for any mountain bike or road bike it is unnecessary. I just got distraught after reading about mutilating a carbon frame. cause you dont need a carbon frame for commuting. Again I am sorry to stir people up I was sounding like a bit of an ass but drilling a carbon frame come on!! *so anyways how did that drill job turn out walter?* so in close my foot will remain in my mouth when I am pissy.


Walter's comment was... :idea: A JOKE!!! :thumbsup:


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