Storage Solution
I have had a storage problem for over a year now. You see, I bought a nice bicycle last December. It has an aluminum frame, front and rear disk brakes, indexed shifting, and stuff. I spent a decent amount on it - something like $550. A lot for a bicycle? Not really. It is on the low price scale for a high end bike. As opposed to a high price cheap bike. The next step up was almost $800.
Anyhow, for all that money there is no kick stand. Those are not manly. If you have a kick stand on your bike, other people will laugh at you. Kick stands are for cheap, low end, department store bikes.
Funny how that works huh? The less you spend on a bike, the MORE things it comes with to keep it from falling over and getting scratched. So I do not have a kick stand. And I do not want to go into the fancy bike store with the $5,000 carbon fiber super bikes (yes you still have to peddle them yourself) and ask for a non manly kick stand!
So I have been storing the bike by leaning it against stuff. There is a small storage room thing in the house that I use for this. There is a lot of crap in there to lean a bike against. What the hell is in all those boxes? I forget. It must be crap nobody needs, because nobody has gone looking through any of the boxes for anything in a long time. So if you are missing something and you can not find it - it may be in a mystery box here! Who knows!
Anyway, what I needed was a better system. Some sort of stand! A stand that supports the bike with the tires off the ground, so that I can make adjustments and stuff to it. Yea. That is what I need. A stand! A manly stand! Not some wimpy girlie non-manly kick stand thing! A storage stand that is also a repair stand, so that I can start to break stuff on the bike while trying to adjust/repair/maintain it.
So I made one. Out of 3/4 inch galvanized steel plumbing pipe. It uses screw together technology. It is strong as hell. And it only cost around $30 to construct. In theory it can be taken apart for easy transportation. It is pretty cool. I have to post photos of it sometime.
I am fairly happy with the end result. No more leaning!
Let the destruction begin!
Labels: bike, destruction, manly stuff, projects, repair
posted by The Lazy Iguana @ 01:12
6 Comments:
Badoozie, I would be in direct violation of man law. "No man shall install anything uncool on anything he owns".
When I asked about a kick stand when I bought the bike the bike store people were horrified. Only their kids bikes came with them. They said they could special order one for me, but they had none in stock that would fit my grown-up bike. Now they could have made an additional sale here! What sales person tries to talk you OUT of spending more money?
So I laughed and said "HA HA! Got you there! I do not really want a kick stand! Had you going huh?". And I left.
My super manly galvanized steel pipe bike stand is WAY COOLER anyhow.
The Lazy,
Isn't crazy how much bikes cost now? I still have the bike I got at Christmas in Junior High. I refuse to pay more than $150 for a bike when my old Schwinn still works fine.
Sounds like you made a serious stand.
This is a very funny post and it's true! I don't know why "cool" guys don't have kickstands, but they're the same ones that wouldn't be caught dead with a bike helmet.
Bikes ARE costly, aren't they? I go to our local bike dealer (Gator will recognize the name: Chainwheel Drive) and I am in awe.
Caiman - it is one hell of a stand. A little on the heavy side, but I can use the parts as a weapon in a pinch. I could use the longest pipe to destroy ANY other bike stand or expensive high end bike without damaging the pipe.
Saur - I have a helmet. Last time out I did not use it. But I did not fall down so everything was OK.
Bikes can be expensive. I want a road sport bike next. Or maybe a road touring bike. Something with 700c wheels and skinny tires. I want to ride the M.S. Society's 150 mile 2 day bike thing. Not this year. Or maybe not! I could do the half ride thing.
Now that's definitely manly!
Jesse James would be proud of you.
Lazy Iguana:
I used to ride the Michigan MS 150 every year; great tour.
In high school and college, I worked at a bike shop. The general consensus was, and is, that kick stands add weight but no riding benefit. Therefore, they are superfluous.
Also, when you attach one, it can scratch the paint job.
However, if you want, I believe that Specialized still makes a good model kickstand that mounts on the rear fork. You might try asking about that, for when you're away from the new stand.
Post a Comment
<< Home