On 10/10/2015 10:24 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:

It has been brought to my attention that the art of parking on a pole
is not hard-wired at birth, but must be learned.

The process is very simple. Stop near the pole, a few inches away so
that the bike will lean against the pole and its center of gravity has
to be raised a bit before it can be knocked over.

The curve of the saddle should rest against the pole. This prevents
the bike from rolling forward.

Nudge the pedal on your side with your foot until the pedal on the
pole side rests firmly against the pole. This prevents the bike from
rolling backward.

So now it can't roll, the pole prevents it from falling to one side,
and the lean prevents it from falling to the other side. The bike is
stable.

But sometimes a gust of wind (or a passing child) can give the bike
enough of a push to overcome the weight pressing against the pole.
Just to be sure, wind your cable lock around the pole and through the
frame and both wheels.

If the pole is one of a series intended for parking bikes -- wavy
pipes that provide several poles for each pair of expensive anchor
points are popular -- place your bike at right angles to the row of
poles, so that you don't block other riders from using the other
poles.

If you want the bike locked, select a pole that is very tall, has
something big at the top, or is a closed curve. (A post supporting a
roof usually meets all three criteria.)

Your subject line confused me at first.
http://www.who2.com/sites/default/fi...elly-up-28.png

When I first started "adult" cycling, my older British friend expressed
surprise about my kickstand. He said "there's always _something_ to
lean your bike against." And he showed me the pedal-on-a-curb trick: put
the curbside pedal just back of straight down, prop the pedal on the
curb and turn the front wheel against the curb. The crank acts as a
kickstand. It's not super-secure, but it works.

Then another guy (at a LAW rally) showed me a sort of multi-step plastic
wedge he'd cut out of plexiglass. He'd squeeze the front brake lever,
then cram the wedge into the lever's opening to hold that brake on. The
front wheel was then unable to roll and the parked bike was much more
stable. Blackburn picked up the idea and sold them for a while.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/...71eb9ec3_o.jpg
But they're easy to make.


--
- Frank Krygowski