Anyone who has a high-end bike probably at some point gets asked by those not in the know, “where is the kickstand,” and most of the time the joke is one them. Kickstands add weight, don’t look all that great and generally aren’t needed. At least until time comes for you to want to leave the bike for a moment. Leaning it against a tree, car, building or curb are usually the only options and a lot of the time the joke is on you when the bike falls over. But there are some alternatives for portable kickstands that might be worth considering.
The first is Upstand, which is much like a basic kickstand but made of short sections of carbon fiber, and it relies on a neodymium magnet to fold up when not in use. It reportedly can be installed in less than a minute as it can be added to a bike via the rear wheel’s skewer. As it is folds and isn’t all that long this one seems reasonable to stash in a pocket or pack.
httpv://youtu.be/ciF5zMYFyZ8
The other is Click-Stand, which is in essence a folding pole made of connecting segments of 700 series aluminum tubing, jointed together by a length of shock cord. A simple, neat design that creates a pole that can be carried in a pack when not holding up the bike.
While some reports suggest it could be carried in a jersey pocket, we’d think this might be a little big. Plus we already carry a mobile phone, tubes, first aid kit, energy bar and other stuff. How many pockets do people think we have back there? The other irony of this one is that it meant for basic unloaded bikes, so if someone isn’t carrying lots of other stuff a bike stand seems the last thing they’d bring. But regardless the idea that it can be folded works for us.
Either way, these kickstands off an alternative to leaning the bike against a wall.
Click-Stand Official Website
Upstand Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Kickstand alternatives stay off your bike when you don’t need them]