February 04, 2022 2 min read
"Should I get a kickstand on my kids bike?"
We get that question a lot here at Prevelo. Kickstands are pretty straightforward and inexpensive devices. Two wheeled vehicles like bicycles cannot stay upright on there own when at a standstill. A kickstand gives you an option for keeping your bike upright at a standstill. But they have both advantages and disadvantages. We'll break that all down.
It's a rod that attaches to the bicycle. You can kick it into the vertical position and use the kickstand to hold the bike up. When you are ready to ride, you kick it back to the horizontal position.
The main benefit to a kickstand is that it holds your bike upright on its own. When you park your bike upright:
There are several downsides to kickstands:
Bikes do not need to be held upright when parked. The choice to use a kickstand so you can park your bike upright is a matter of personal preference. When you park your bike you have a few options:
Whether or not you need a kickstand depends on which of the above options fits your personal preference and circumstance.
Some people think that laying a bike on the ground is bad, careless or sloppy. Others think that kickstands are unnecessary, get in the way while riding, and that laying a bike on the ground is just fine. There's no right answer. But, for what it's worth, in the cycling enthusiast community, in the crowds where people ride uber expensive carbon fiber bicycles, kickstands are virtually non-existent and it's totally normal to lay bikes on the ground.