Are you after a kickstand for your fully loaded touring bike? If you are like me you would think that they are a great idea. From my personal experience anyway. As someone who creates bike travel videos this requires me to get off and on my bike more then enough times everyday to set up ride by shots and then having to stop and go back for the camera. Having a kickstand is ideal. As some of the places you stop don’t have much to lean your bike on and when you lay your ‘heavy’ bike down on the ground it makes it a effort to pick it back up again. With a kickstand, if you got to get off your bike, just flick the stand down and you are good to go. Making life on the bike that little bit easier. Also from personal experience cycling around Japan, it is kind of in their culture to don’t have your bike leaning against places like buildings and fences. From what I understood it was a sense of disrespect. They do have specific bike parking areas but if you have a kickstand this would not be a problem.
But depending on how heavy your bike is will depend on what type of stand you get as it has to support the weight. So stands are built for different weight limits. Also so bike tourers don’t like kickstands as much as they have had bad experience. Some have mentioned that they crush the chainstay which is definitely not good. I am not sure what type of bikes they use, could be aluminum or cheaper quality bikes.
Bike kickstands can come in a variety of different styles and designs the main three I would say is something like the Clickstand which is a broken down pole design that packs down small but is often attached the the middle of the top tube as a stand for the bike. Then you have a two legged kickstand which is often mounted behind the bottom bracket along the chainstay area. Then there is one legged more traditional stands that attach to the chainstay most commonly and work as a normal kickstand.
If you are not completely sold on the idea of a kickstand and you are just looking for alternative ways to keep your bike stationary when parked. For example if you are on a steep hill and you want to lean your bike against a wall if it is rather heavy it might start rolling backwards. There are locking bicycle lever sets you can get to lock your brakes into place. Or you could use something like velcro around the bar and the brake lever.
But if you are after some other DIY options to a kickstand you could also get around from going out a purchasing a new kickstand if you wish. Like this photo above you could cart around sticks like this and use them for standing your bike up. When I tour without a kickstand, sometimes I will use my helmet underneath my pedal. It is a bit of a balancing act but once you figure it out it is a okay alternative. Although I must mention that there has been times where the bike fell over and damaged some parts. You could also lean the bike and pedal up against a gutter which also works but when you are exploring the Australian outback you are going to struggle to find a footpath.
Which is why it comes down to you and your personal need. Where are you going to be riding? More remote and you plan to get off your bike a lot? You might want to look further into the listed kickstands below for some ideas. They are not essential but very handy. When you are bike touring it makes putting the panniers back on the bike very easy. Compared at least to holding you bike with one hand as you install the pannier in the other.
I am always one for using multipurpose items on bike tours. Why not try getting a collapsible hiking stick? The one from Cabela’s has a V shaped gun rest on top. Then you could use it as a bike stand, but also great for hiking plus you could use it as a support for a tarp.
Okay so let get into some of the bike kickstand options. Theses have all been tested and recommended by bike tourers from all over the world. There is one in particular that is very popular in the bike travel community and for good reason.
Click Stand
The Click Stand works wonders if you use a velcro strap around your brakes. It is the perfect solution to a kick stand for bike touring. Packs down to a very small size and when assembled works wonders. They are designed to support any type of bicycle, included loaded touring bikes and tandem bikes. They come in two different sizes; the mini and the Max. All made from expedition/aircraft grade 7000 series aluminum tubing. The Mini’s tubing is .374″ (9.5mm) in diameter. The Max’s tubing is .433″ (11mm) in diameter. As I mentioned earlier this type of stand contacts your bike at the top tube which means that it supports you bike above its center of gravity, which makes it stronger and more stable than a traditional kickstand.
They weigh approximately 75 grams. A Mini can weigh less than 60 grams, and a Max up to 100 grams. These stands have been tour tested with a fully loaded tandem pulling a Bob trailer. there is no need to worry about the stand as it contacts your bikes frame as it features, paint friendly rubber coated replaceable cradle. And a non slip rubber foot to keep the stand planted sturdy on the ground. It is just as effect on up, down, or side hills just as well as on flat ground. They also come separately with frame brackets to mount them on your frame when not in use to save space in your bike bags. The Mini is priced from $38 and the Max from $38
Pletscher Double Legged Kickstand
Know for being a very sturdy bike stand, used by some bike tourers I asked, and they say they have used this “one for years and it’s been so sturdy and strong, even when carrying over 50kg.” So if you are after a kickstand that is rather robust and able to support rather heavy bike touring setups then this might be a great choice.
Some of the benefits to have a double legged kickstand are that the front wheel stays straight, doesn’t turn. This makes it easier to take nice bike pics. Also the front wheel stays straight and the bike doesn’t turn left or right and fall over. One wheel is off the ground, making it easy to turn the pedal to turn the wheel. Also if you’re on angled ground there is no problems about bike tilting over. The one thing to keep in mind about these type of stands is that they are generally a little heavier then other stand options.
This double legged kickstand weighs about 542 grams for a size Large. The max load capacity of this stand is 25 kg but some have mentioned being fine with over 50 kg of weigh with this stand. This stand is priced from $44.28 on Amazon.
Greenfield SKS2 Rear-Mounted Bicycle Kickstand
If you are after something that is a bit more cost effective them they other models mentioned so far. This rear mounted kickstand by Greenfield might be a option for you. It is a single leg stand that mounts on the chainstay. It has been recommended by a few bike tourers who mentioned that they have used this particular stand for over 16,000 miles on various terrain on a fully loaded touring bike and they are very happy with it.
This stand however is not suitable for any type of bike it has some restrictions for installation. Suitable for certain sized bikes, keep in mind that this stand comes in different sizes which makes it suitable for different bike sizes. But Also might not work on bicycles with disc brakes. And lastly will not work on bicycles with square, rectangular, or large diameter shaped tubing. It is only $22.07 on Amazon, but don’t take my word for it! Head over and read the reviews.
Tubus Side Kick Stand
If you are not familiar with the brand Tubus they make some of the leading bike racks for touring. Their kick stand is designed to be attached to the rack directly. this could be not compatible for some who don’t have a Tubus rack system and it would not make sense for you to go out and buy a Tubus rack just so this stand works for you. The other options are preferable if you don’t have any Tubus racks. This kick stand has a specific purpose. As it is a well-known problem for cyclists with low-rider racks: you want to park your bike and, because of the weight at the front. The front wheel tilts and the bike falls down. The Tubus side kickstand for lowriders helps to avoid this problem. It features a height-adjustable foot, and is compatible with the Tubus Tara, Ergo, Nova and Duo. The stand is designed for 26″ and 28″ bikes.
Ursus Jumbo
Another two legged kick stand is this Ursus Jumbo. It was recommended by a bike tourer who said that this stand is “very stable, especially with the dog trailer attached.” It is compatible with 24″ – 28″ wheelbase and not compatible with 20″ wheel. The maximum weight load is 176 lbs or 34.4 kg. It is made from 100% in aluminum with steel components and made in Italy. The whole unit weighs 2.86 lbs or 1.3 kg which is quiet a lot heavier then the previously mentioned two legged stand. Priced from $79.99 on Amazon.
Bike kick stands are great but they are not for everyone. You can get by just fine by leaning your bike against a tree, wall or fence when ever you need. Again they are not essential but can come in handy if you are constantly getting on and off your bike and especially in isolated areas where maybe there is not much to lean your bike against. All of these kick stands are tour tested by bike travellers and are recommended so if you feel like getting a kick stand these are some of the better options out there.
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