Bike Kickstands Review

Most recreational bikes and frames are equipped with a kickstand, a device designed to balance and maintain a bicycle in an upright position. It is usually comprised of a piece of metal which is flipped, or more accurately, kicked, into place on the ground. It is most usually located in the middle or towards the rear of the bike’s frame. They may be made of either steel or cast aluminum, like the Wald kickstands.

When choosing a kickstand for your bike, make sure that the base of the stand is large enough to hold the weight of your bike like the Sunlite kickstand. It is also important that you choose a stand that will maintain the bike’s weight on a variety of surfaces such as concrete, gravel or dirt. Ideally, the stand should be long enough to settle into a dirt surface without letting the bike fall over. However, if the kickstand is too long, then the bike is at risk of falling over. Mounting a kickstand is a fairly easy process. Depending upon the type that you choose, most kickstands like a Schwinn kickstand are mounted near the rear hub, and if a model needs to be mounted by clamping should never be added to a bike that has a carbon fiber frame.

There are several types of kickstands available: rear-mount, bottom bracket and two-legged kickstands. As each of their names imply, what differentiates one from the other are their placements on the bikes. Rear-mount kickstands are recommended for kids’ and cruiser bikes. They are often attached to the bike frame at the area of the chain stay and the seat post. They offer greater stability than other models due to the additional bolts and plates. Two-legged kickstands are center mounted and have two legs. The legs in this type of kickstand is useful to have on a bike that deals with heavy rear-end loads, such as delivery bikes. Finally, the bottom bracket kickstand is placed near the bottom bracket.

Models

There are numerous models of kickstands to fit almost any budget such as Greenfield kickstands. Depending upon your model of bike, you can choose from kickstands made from alloy, chromoly tubing, or steel. Some models are designed to fold completely flat when not in use and are coated with ceramic for ultimate durability.