Kickstands make it easy for most people to leave their bikes standing somewhere without necessarily leaning on another surface. But some bikes (particularly BMX bikes) come without them. If you are used to kickstands, you may wonder why some manufacturers don’t include them.
Can you add a kickstand on your BMX bike? You can add a kickstand to your BMX bike. However, there are reasons why the manufacturer doesn’t put a kickstand on these particular bikes. Whether or not to put a kickstand on a bike comes down to deciding if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
The Function of a kickstand
A kickstand is a piece of metal that flips down from a bicycle’s frame to help your bike stand without leaning on another surface. Bike owners can use a kickstand when their bike is not in motion, such as during repairs, tuning, display, and storage.
Traditional bikes, which are mostly used for transportation, have kickstands to keep the bike straight. This is so that you can have an easier time loading or unloading goods.
A BMX bike is a racing bike and a stunt bike and thus doesn’t need a kickstand.
Kickstands are also great for kids who aren’t yet ready to ride on their own two wheels. They’ll be able to stop safely by using one foot and the back tire like an anchor.
They will also park their bikes easily instead of lifting them from the ground, given that the bikes might be heavier for them to lift.
5 Reasons Your BMX Bike Doesn’t Have a Kickstand
Safety Hazard
BMX bikes don’t have kickstands for safety reasons. When a biker performs an airborne, the kickstand may come loose and be the first object that hits the ground, causing severe injuries to the rider. A kickstand could also get caught on an obstacle and flip over, causing the rider to tip over.
Kickstands can also snag things when a rider is riding on mountainsides, and a cyclist can crash if the kickstand catches a branch when a cyclist is descending.
Weighty
Kickstands add additional weight to BMX, which are stunt bikes and can contribute to wind drag. Stunt bikes don’t need added weight. They need to be light to compete with other bikers when doing tricks efficiently.
Adding a kickstand will cause the bike’s weight to be on the back tire, which is not best for traction. If you want your BMX bicycle to have excellent speed potential when doing stunts, riding without a kickstand will increase your bike speed.
A kickstand weighs .5- 1.5 lbs, which might not seem like much but makes all the difference when doing bike tricks and stunts.
Unnecessary
Racing cyclists need less breaks when competing and therefore don’t need kickstands for their bikes.
The bikes are also not meant for carrying goods that would warrant them to stand straight. Without kickstands, people can easily lean their bikes against walls and poles.
Unaesthetic
Believe it or not, kickstands will make BMX lose their aesthetic value and appear just like other regular bikes. Lack of kickstands makes them stand out from other bikes.
Unstable
Kickstands are not the best in supporting a bike because they are located on the rear side of the bike. An unstable bike will cause your bike to fall and thus risk damaging the derailleur, frame, and paint finish.
Adding a Kickstand to your BMX bike
As the bike owner, the decision stands with. It mostly depends on what you will use the bike for. You can add one if you will mostly use it for transportation and not tricks racing or stunts.
If you have a BMX bike and wish to add a kickstand, you can purchase and have it added at a local dealer repair shop. If you are a DIY person, you can buy it and add the kickstand.
When adding a kickstand to your BMX bike. You should be aware of what the bicycle frame is made of because you may end up scratching or breaking if it is made of carbon.
Parking Your BMX Bike Without a Kickstand
To get your BMX bike standing without a kickstand:
- Lean the handlebar against a fence, wall, or a tree.
- Turn the bike upside down on the floor where the bike will rest on the seat and the handle.
- Hook the bar over a railing or fence.
- Rest the bike’s pedal on a raised ground surface
Final thoughts
BMX Bikes are considered to be easier to ride and can easily maneuver through obstacles when racing or performing tricks.
For this reason, they do not require Kickstands. However, you can customize your BMX bike and add a kickstand if you wish to for transportation purposes or to customize your kid’s bike to make it easier for your kids to park.