Maybe you bought a new road bike or already own one, and you noticed that it doesn’t come with kickstands. Although road bikes are great for riding around town or even commuting to work and can be hung in almost any weather condition, they don’t come with kickstands. This means you’ll have to carry them around or lay them down if there is no other alternative support. Why must that be?
Kickstands are not necessary for road bikes to work at their optimal. Factors such as their weight, cost, unideal biking conditions, etc., can hinder the speed of road bikes which is their main purpose. So, manufacturers and major companies do not see the need to add a kickstand when most bike riders are going to remove it anyways. Why would a manufacturer include something that isn’t needed?
It can be quite bothersome that you can’t put your bicycle on the stand. However, there are many other ways to make it stand without it too. So, in this article, we will discuss the reasons why these bikes don’t come with kickstands, how you can stand up your road bike without one, and discover whether you can add the kickstand to the bike yourself.
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Why Do Road Bikes Not Have Kickstands?
First, it is important to understand what road bikes are actually designed for. They are smooth, quick machines that are popular for exercise, exploring, group rides, and racing, as they are made so that they can take you as far as your legs can cycle on a paved surface – hence the name road bikes.
Since its design structure is optimized for this purpose, it comes with some features unique to it – as well as without some, namely a kickstand. This doesn’t come without any reason, as we need optimal results for cycling for road bikes, so let’s explore these reasons.
Their Weight Becomes A Hindrance
If you ever see professional road cyclists, you will notice that they try to be and make their bikes as lightweight as possible. Tight clothing, light wheels, paint-free bikes, no water bottles, no cages, and no tools are kept to the minimum to avoid extra weight. If they are passionate enough, they sometimes even go on hard diets for this purpose.
This is because the more weight there will be, the more force you will need to do in pedaling. Eventually, this makes the journey less enjoyable. More weight, more air resistance, and less aerodynamics. Three things that describe why road bikes can not work to optimum due to the addition of a kickstand.
Kickstands create a lot of drag and make riding more difficult. It makes it hard for the cyclist to pedal and increases the air resistance opposite to the cycle. Hence, this is why most bikers don’t get a kickstand, or they get them removed if there already is one. So, since they will usually remove the kickstands themselves, manufacturers don’t see the importance of adding one to a road bike.
Branches and Other Items Can Latch Onto It
While cycling on the trail, you will encounter many hindrances, especially on roads with more greenery and forestation. This is because the branches, leaves, or any kind of plants can latch onto your kickstand and make you fall over, which you would not want.
The same could happen on normal roads as we never know what lies in the path of those roads.
It Is Dangerous
Since we discussed that it could latch onto the items in your path, it is common knowledge that it can prove to be very dangerous for bikers. But the danger doesn’t stop at that.
You could even get impaled from a kickstand in case of any accidents. There have been plenty of stories about people who got impaled by the handlebars of their bikes, which are quite thick. So if there was a kickstand too, which is much thinner and could impale someone much deeper and with much more critical conditions, no more words need to be said.
It can be a risky sport – if you do not take measures to ensure your safety. Not getting a kickstand might be one of them.
They Can Be Noisy
Another reason many bikers remove their kickstands is because of the annoyance of their noisy rattling while cycling. Do you want to go on a peaceful cycling journey? Then getting a kickstand might not help – as its loud rattles will accompany you on your ride.
They Make The Bike Unstable
Adding a kickstand can become a huge hindrance to your ability to stabling your bicycle while riding. In fact, it could make you fall over. This is because an additional weight on a road bike that is meant to be lightweight can be harder to control. Since they are located in an awkward area, this instability is more likely to bother you.
Can Create A Malfunction In The System
If the kickstand is close to or on the same side as the gears and chains, which is usually the case, it can tangle up in those parts. Moreover, if it is folded incorrectly or brushes against it during a ride, it might crush the chain.
Kickstands can also damage your brake systems if the bike gets in an accident, and that is something we definitely do not want.
Kickstands Add More To The Cost
While we have talked about everything, it is important to realize that manufacturers would want to save money in their businesses – so there is also a huge financial factor as to why these bikes don’t have kickstands.
Adding a kickstand will not only be costly because there’s an extra addition, but it is also because they need to be produced as light as possible if they do exist on these bikes, and this requires more finances from the manufacturers as labor. Since it could affect their business a ton, why would they need to add this one extra addition?
How Can You Stand Up The Bike Without The Kickstand?
Not having a kickstand could actually prove to be useful regarding how you can stand up your bike in public too.
Especially if you do your groceries with your bike, you definitely would not want anyone to take it and run away while it’s only on the kickstand. You would want to lock up your bike somewhere with a pole or handle, so it isn’t hard to snatch it away.
If you do not fear any of this, you can still just park your bicycle with the help of a vertical wall or any. You could buy a kickstand pad to protect it from any damage inflicted by the support it is leaning against and vice versa.
You could get a bike stand if you are wondering where you can place or park your bike permanently with no damage at places like your home or workplace. This can help you save a lot of trouble in finding a nice support place to make your bike lean against.
Can You Add A Kickstand On Your Bike Yourself?
Although we established that kickstands could be really heavy for road cyclists who are serious about it, if you are a regular bike commuter, installing a kickstand on your bike might be a good choice. Whether it is for doing groceries, because of a disability, or just commuting generally, kickstands can be very helpful; they are made for a good purpose, after all.
So to do that, if your road bike does not have a kickstand, you might be wondering if you can install it on your bike yourself. The answer is yes, but it also comes with a price. It could potentially damage the shape of the frame. Also, you might get a bit ridiculed by the professional cyclist community – but you do you!
You can install it in two ways, as while buying external kickstands, they are designed so that they can easily get installed onto the bike. The good news is – it does not cost much either.
Can I Install Any Type of Kickstand on My Bike?
Before you start installing a kickstand, it is important that you inspect if it is the right type of kickstand for your bike. Make sure that it is the correct size and that it actually mounts to your bike. The types of kickstands may differ between road and mountain bikes.
How To Install A Kickstand
Installing a kickstand on your bike is actually a very easy and quick task. But – finding the right size of the kickstand to buy before installing it is very important.
As we discussed earlier, kickstands can make your bike unstable, so it is crucial that you stabilize it with the right size, shape, and position. Make sure you don’t pass the weight limits for it, either.
Get The Right Position
Place the bottom of the kickstand in the approximate location on the frame where you believe it should be, and lock and remove it. You want to ensure that whenever the kickstand is up, it is far enough away from the tire to support the bike.
Finishing Up and Tightening The Kickstand
When you have set up the bottom part of the kickstand in its right place, tighten the bolt with your fingers and then use a box end wrench to help tighten it to its best. Give your all for this job, as you do not want the kickstand coming off later on from any external forces.
During cycling, there will be a lot of forces trying to weaken the kickstand as it is used frequently, so make sure it is tightened perfectly.
If you are still having issues installing a kickstand, the following video might help you out on how you can add one to your bike:
How Do You Use The Kickstand?
After you have installed the kickstand, make sure you check if it is working properly. Using the kickstand is actually quite simple; you just need to use your foot to kick back on the metal kickstand. It will open up; you can make your bike stand by its support.
Do Other High-End Bikes Have Kickstands?
Almost all of the discussion applies here, too, with some more details about mountain bikes. High-end mountain bikes definitely do not have kickstands, as having kickstands and cycling in mountainous areas is the most dangerous thing a cyclist can do.
Falling over due to kickstands getting stuck on the roots of the vegetation can lead to some serious and severe accidents, much more severe than those on land or with road bikes.
You can see this in the most popular high-end bikes, too, such as the Ibis Ripmo V2 XT and the Giant Stance 29, where neither have any kickstand, and they don’t need one either.
Another example of a high-end bike is the Canyon Aeroad road bike, which does not have a kickstand either. They are designed to be lightweight and show optimal performance for flat surfaces. If a kickstand is added, the balance can get messed up, and the bike might become unstable.
Canyon Ultimate CF SL8 Disc Aero is another high-end bike that is known for its lightweight and high spec; its frame is designed for the best aerodynamics.
We can follow from this pattern that most, if not all, high-end bikes do not have a kickstand.
Final Thoughts
Biking is a very interesting sport – but like any sport, there are some measures you need to take to enjoy it to the fullest, with safety. For this exact purpose, manufacturers do not provide a built-in kickstand on road or mountain bikes, as they can prove dangerous if you are biking for long-distance risky areas.
However, whatever way you want to bike in, we explained all the answers to your questions so you can enjoy biking in whatever way you are comfortable with.
I always had a thing for cycling sports and love almost anything that involves bikes and boards. I work part-time as a designer in the tech industry and work on my blogs whenever I can.