And speaking of kickstands....

My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side. She
always has to be on the greasy chain side so that the bike is to her left.
I'm trying to train her otherwise so she will stop ruining her socks, pants,
and shoes, but that's another story. The problem, although not
earth-shattering, is that , when it's time to set her kickstand, she's
always on the wrong side of the bike. This gets to be a problem when we are
boarding trains or ferries or any other time when people are impatiently
pushing to get by us.

The other day, I came up with an idea for a kickstand that flips into
position by the press of a button somewhere on the frame. It would have to
be some kind of spring-release design, I guess. Has anybody seen something
like this? OR, does anybody have any other ideas to help us deal with this
mild annoyance?

(Forgive me for asking questions that are way below the technical prowess of
this group, but "little" problems can be just as annoying as major
mechanical ones.

TM

On Aug 18, 1:34*pm, "Papa Tom" wrote:
My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side. *She
always has to be on the greasy chain side so that the bike is to her left..
I'm trying to train her otherwise so she will stop ruining her socks, pants,
and shoes, but that's another story. *The problem, although not
earth-shattering, is that , when it's time to set her kickstand, she's
always on the wrong side of the bike. *This gets to be a problem when we are
boarding trains or ferries or any other time when people are impatiently
pushing to get by us.

The other day, I came up with an idea for a kickstand that flips into
position by the press of a button somewhere on the frame. *It would have to
be some kind of spring-release design, I guess. *Has anybody seen something
like this? *OR, does anybody have any other ideas to help us deal with this
mild annoyance?

There's a fellow in Kansas City with a cruiser bike set up with
a kickstand wired to a[n otherwise unused] shift lever. It
works, though fairly half-assedly.

It seems like quite a lot of complication for nearly no return,
but if you like that sort of thing it shouldn't keep you up at
night trying to decide.

Papa Tom wrote:
My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side. She
always has to be on the greasy chain side so that the bike is to her left.
I'm trying to train her otherwise so she will stop ruining her socks, pants,
and shoes, but that's another story. The problem, although not
earth-shattering, is that , when it's time to set her kickstand, she's
always on the wrong side of the bike. This gets to be a problem when we are
boarding trains or ferries or any other time when people are impatiently
pushing to get by us.

The other day, I came up with an idea for a kickstand that flips into
position by the press of a button somewhere on the frame. It would have to
be some kind of spring-release design, I guess. Has anybody seen something
like this? OR, does anybody have any other ideas to help us deal with this
mild annoyance?

(Forgive me for asking questions that are way below the technical prowess of
this group, but "little" problems can be just as annoying as major
mechanical ones.

TM



Why don't you get her a double sided kickstand?
They are better anyway. I have one that works like a motorcycle stand
and I wish I had gotten one twenty years ago.
Here is the one I have, there are others that are maybe better for more
money.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=11375

It seems like quite a lot of complication for nearly no return....

Ahh, but that's a judgment that can be made only by the bum-backed husband
who has to put the damned thing down for her eleven times a day while
juggling his own bike (which is usually way off-balance from the weight of a
one-sided pannier set-up). I don't want a "half-assed" solution, though.
When it comes to the bike, I want things to work right, all the time!

BTW, does anybody manufacture a carbon fibre kickstand yet?

Eric Vey wrote:
Papa Tom wrote:

My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side.
(...)
Here is the one I have, there are others that are maybe better for more
money.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=11375

I have that one on my bike.

I like it a lot. It can be easily set or cleared from either side of the
bike. (I tried it from the right side just now and it worked just fine.)

--Winston

Papa Tom wrote:
My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side. She
always has to be on the greasy chain side so that the bike is to her left.
I'm trying to train her otherwise so she will stop ruining her socks, pants,
and shoes, but that's another story. The problem, although not
earth-shattering, is that , when it's time to set her kickstand, she's
always on the wrong side of the bike. This gets to be a problem when we are
boarding trains or ferries or any other time when people are impatiently
pushing to get by us.

The other day, I came up with an idea for a kickstand that flips into
position by the press of a button somewhere on the frame. It would have to
be some kind of spring-release design, I guess. Has anybody seen something
like this? OR, does anybody have any other ideas to help us deal with this
mild annoyance?...

I know people who have built "landing gear" for fully faired
streamliners: http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/home.asp?URL=wisil/main.asp.

Here is a commercially available handcycle with retractable outriggers:
http://www.mobilityeng.com/.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
“Mary had a little lamb / And when she saw it sicken /
She shipped it off to Packingtown / And now it’s labeled chicken.”

Papa Tom wrote:
My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side. She
always has to be on the greasy chain side so that the bike is to her left.
I'm trying to train her otherwise so she will stop ruining her socks, pants,
and shoes, but that's another story. The problem, although not
earth-shattering, is that , when it's time to set her kickstand, she's
always on the wrong side of the bike. This gets to be a problem when we are
boarding trains or ferries or any other time when people are impatiently
pushing to get by us.

The other day, I came up with an idea for a kickstand that flips into
position by the press of a button somewhere on the frame. It would have to
be some kind of spring-release design, I guess. Has anybody seen something
like this? OR, does anybody have any other ideas to help us deal with this
mild annoyance?

(Forgive me for asking questions that are way below the technical prowess of
this group, but "little" problems can be just as annoying as major
mechanical ones.

Some models of Panasonic's domestic (Japanese) city bikes have a locking
mechanism which simultaneously drops the kickstand and tilts the saddle
vertical. You might look at those for inspiration.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

A R:nen wrote:
BTW, does anybody manufacture a carbon fibre kickstand yet?

Almost. Fibrax, fiber-resin "Model 2000 Prop Stand", 1986-ish.
Not sure if any remain anywhere now but you could fabricate one!
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

In article ,
"Papa Tom" wrote:

My wife is a lefty and can't seem to walk her bike on the left side. She
always has to be on the greasy chain side so that the bike is to her left.
I'm trying to train her otherwise so she will stop ruining her socks, pants,
and shoes, but that's another story. The problem, although not
earth-shattering, is that , when it's time to set her kickstand, she's
always on the wrong side of the bike. This gets to be a problem when we are
boarding trains or ferries or any other time when people are impatiently
pushing to get by us.

The other day, I came up with an idea for a kickstand that flips into
position by the press of a button somewhere on the frame. It would have to
be some kind of spring-release design, I guess. Has anybody seen something
like this? OR, does anybody have any other ideas to help us deal with this
mild annoyance?

(Forgive me for asking questions that are way below the technical prowess of
this group, but "little" problems can be just as annoying as major
mechanical ones.

And forgive me for breaking my rule and interfering with a
domestic arrangement. The solution is to roll the bicycle
from the left side. How to diplomatically put it across is
now your problem again. Best wishes.

--
Michael Press