Bike Stand

[rich p]

In extremis, I just lay my bike gently over and it rests on the front and rear panniers. No harm done - I don't store open bottles in them. I keep the Scotch bottle cap well tightened!

 

[Bodhbh]

Wouldn't be without one, so useful when you want to quickly park your bike for pee, take photos etc. Also very useful for loading the bike at the campsite.

Once you use one you will will miss it if its not there.

My first tour this year was on a rented bike with a stand and I am very tempted to put one on my bike but - and I'm not sure how much a problem it is realistically - have been scared off by this frame crushing thing.

It only takes a few seconds to wheel it somewhere and balanace it up or lay it down, but with a stand it's just instantly stable and like you say once you get used to it.

 

[Andy in Sig]

A bike stand does not have to be clamped on to the frame so ferociously tightly that it crushes the metal. Hand tight will do for the nuts. The danger of the bike falling over does exist and it is mainly due to parking the bike on ground which is at a less than optimal angle. To help counter this you can fit a smaller, second stand on the front wheel. FWIW I wouldn't be without one.

In any event it seem to me that you are more in danger of damaging the frame by leaning the bike against things and lying them on the ground (except in a roaring gale) just seems to me to be no way to look after a bike.
BTW, the average European touring bike comes equipped with a stand as standard and guess what? They don't seem to get crushed frames.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

The danger of the bike falling over does exist and it is mainly due to parking the bike on ground which is at a less than optimal angle

Aha!..so while you are all looking around for some optimal angle ground with your carbon protractors I'll just be laying mine down, take a nap, chill out a bit, read a book....

 

[billyous]

Harve,

This is what you need....

http://www.click-stand.com/Home_Page.html

 

[Brains]

For a touring bike I'd say a stand is essential, personally I would not have a bike without one.

The art is the right type of stand they need to be the ones on the rear quarter, so level with the rear hub, not the ones that fit on the triangle below the front cogs.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Aha!..so while you are all looking around for some optimal angle ground with your carbon protractors I'll just be laying mine down, take a nap, chill out a bit, read a book....

You'd have to be pretty good at doing all that quickly then as the problem is using solved by turning round about the central vertical axis of the bike until the correct angle to the ground is found.