Sunday, November 14

Wow, Kickstands ARE Useful


With a Kickstand, You Don't Need a Bike Rack!
This morning, preparing for the adventure to come, Frankenbike was a bit indisposed, with light mountings that didn't want to work quite right without further fiddling. Realizing that it'd been a while since I've ridden my wife's bike, I took it out for a little coffee. When I got there, there was an empty parking spot that I suddenly realized would work well for a bike with a kickstand. Since thise coffee shop doesn't have a bike rack, I decided to park like the peasants park.

NOW I know why all you out there keep those kickstands on your transportation bikes. So you can park without laying the bike down on all that oily greasy parking slot. Some of us take a little longer. The only problem that I can see with this is the bike isn't secured to anything. THAT explains why y'all go for those heavy bikes! A heavy bike is harder for a thief to lift and throw into the back of his/her waiting white pickup.

As a result, I shall have to retire the photo below. Who needs a stinkin' bike rack?

I've Seen the Light, Kickstands DO Have a Use!

5 comments:

cycler said...

Kickstands are a vital part of any bike setup where you're actually going to carry stuff (besides yourself). When you're loading and unloading serious cargo it just doesn't work to lean the bike against something, unless you enjoy your bike falling on the ground a lot.

I still lock my (heavy) bike to an immobile object, the kickstand just makes certain that it doesn't tip over while I unlock it when it's loaded down with , 35 -40 pounds (wood stain, 2 cans of great stuff spray insulation, lawn waste bags, gutter repair parts, D cell batteries, 100 pack of zip ties, acetone, half gallon of milk, cereal, sausages, turkey drumsticks, 2 six packs of soda, chips,cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, onions, grapefruit juice ) of stuff on it in order to get it home.

Pondero said...

I can almost see Chandra's beaming smile from way up here on the prairie. He is so proud of you.

Steve A said...

We casual recreational riders only keep racks on our bikes for the image aspect.

If I'd realized that using a kickstand would please Chandra so much, I'd have started parking this way long ago! OTOH, the bike looks sillier taking up a full parking spot than a Smart Car would.

Oldfool said...

There has been a change in the way kids throw their bikes down when they arrive here. They have started using their kickstands just to shut that old fool up.
Grandma has decreed that unless the bikes on the backporch have kickstands so she can move them around without having to lean them on something then they are going out in the bike pile.
You have the right to the parking spot as well as the lane. If I lived in a place like that I would put a bullet proof screaming movement activated alarm on my bike.

limom said...

I've been thinking of not only a kickstand, but one of them dually kickstands that raises up the rear wheel.
Of course, not on the Rocket Sled, but on the other bike.

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