11 Genius Ways To Stand Up a Bike Without a Kickstand

Many serious bike enthusiasts are not keen on having a kickstand built onto their bike. It adds extra weight, manages to catch dirt, and will generally get in the way.

So, some riders will even remove a kickstand if their bike comes with one.

When that’s the case, you need to know about the other options out there that can prove to be just as effective as a kickstand.

There are 11 ways to stand up your bike without a kickstand. Some of them you’ll have to pay for, but others are completely free.

Anyway, let’s take a look…

11 Ways to Stand a Bike Up Without a Kickstand

Option 1: Turning the Bike Upside Down

The first option, if you really have nothing else available, is to turn your bike upside down. Now, this is really basic, but it works like an absolute charm.

Keep in mind that the parts of your bike that are touching the ground will be the handlebars and the seat. Nothing else will be making contact, and that’s good enough for us.

Also, don’t worry about the chain or brake cables when hanging upside down. A problem with them is more likely to rise when you have your bike on its side as it changes the tension and pull on those parts.

Turning your bike upside down will certainly result in it standing up, even though it’s the wrong way up.

If you really have nothing else available…turn your bike upside down. Now, this is really basic, but it works like an absolute charm.

Option 2: Using a Click Stand

One cool option is to use a click stand. If you have never heard of this, or seen one, then it sort of resembles a tent pole. 

This device includes a series of aluminum tubes held together by a shock cord. One end has a cradle, and the other has a rubber foot. The rubber cradle sits under the top tube of the wheel, while the stand then comes down and the rubber foot is placed on the ground.

It’s a basic device, but its design is so clever and intelligent that it works.

Also, the click stand is actually capable of being folded up. That means you can put it in a backpack and it’s not in the way when you are riding along.

But one important point to remember is that a click stand comes in different lengths. This is due to there being different dimensions of the frame. 

With this, make sure you know the size of your frame, and double-check that the click stand corresponds to that size. If it doesn’t then there’s a good chance your bike will simply fall over as it cannot support it in the correct way.

My favorite Click Stand is the BV Alloy Adjustable Rear Side Non-Slip Bicycle Bike Kickstand. This offers many benefits, such as:

• It is the leading click stand on the market
• Highly versatile, and can be used on pretty much any bike
• Good stability
• Relatively easy to secure

You can check out the current price on Amazon here.

Option 3: Using A Bike Lift

This is a fantastic way of storing your bike in even a tiny space. A bike lift secured to the ceiling of a garage, or even a room in your house, will help you quickly hoist your bike out of the way, and make it easy to both put-away and get back out fast.

My favorite bike lift is the RAD Cycle Products Bike Lift Hoist. This has several major benefits, including:

• Its hooks are protected with rubber coating, to stop your bike getting scratched
• It is able to deal with very heavy bikes (if required)
• You get a lifetime warranty

You can check out the current price on Amazon here.

I’ve also written a full review of the best bike lifts on the market. You can check out that post here.

Option 4: Resting on a Tree

If you are out for a ride in the country and need to stop for a rest, then the humble tree can end up being one of the best kickstands you will ever use. 

Of course, the tree is going nowhere, and it has no problem in you resting your bike against it, so why not take advantage of that? Any tree of any size will do, even a relatively young one is not going to struggle with you resting your bike against it.

Option 5: Using an Upstand

An upstand is not that different from a click stand, but with a few small differences which makes this out as being a completely different item.

Once again, it uses foldable sections with a shock cord running through the middle. However, this version uses carbon fiber rather than aluminum, and there’s one other difference.

The bike end of an upstand also has a neodymium magnet, and this plays such a key role in how this entire item works. You see, instead of having a rubber cradle, you use the magnet to attach the upstand to your bike. 

The bottom part is the same as a click stand. It features the same rubber foot I mentioned with the click stand, and that’s because it works exceptionally well. 

Releasing it is also very easy to do. It comes with a quick-release lever that disengages the magnet and allows you to quickly fold everything up and get back on your bike.

The rubber stops it from sliding, so it’s an effective way of holding your bike upright without too much hassle. Once again, it can fold up and be carried around in your backpack. 

A good upstand to go for is the Upstand created by the Upstanding Bicycle Company. (You can check it out on Amazon here). This uses a strong magnet and does the job well for a versatile number of bikes.

Option 6: Hooking Your Bike on a Fence

So if you don’t have a tree to use, then what are your options? Well, one option is to use a fence, but we aren’t going for the conventional way of doing things.

Instead, you can use the fence to effectively hook your bike against it.

You want to use the bar of the bike and use that as the hook on the fence. This does make the bike exceptionally stable, and it’s going to keep it in an upright position for as long as you need.

The same approach can also be used with railings. You may have even observed bikes hanging on railings in cities with them then being locked into place. That alone will show you just how effective this is as an option.

Option 7: Leaning Against a Wall

A wall is another excellent option, and you can rest either the front or rear of your bike against the wall. Once again, this is a strong and sturdy kickstand that is going nowhere. 

With a wall, you can stand your bike at all sorts of angles, and it won’t let you down. 

Option 8: Using Two Bikes

If there are two bikes, then why not use them as a form of a stand for one another? Both bikes can offer a substantial amount of support for the other, and they effectively cancel one another out resulting in both bikes then standing upright.

This approach works best when there is a slight angle to each bike. It allows you to use that angle to create a firmer base for each bike. 

This is perhaps the option that confuses people the most as it feels like it defies physics, but that’s not the case. 

As you can see, as long as you have the ability to lean your bike against something that is stable, then you can stand your bike. Also, we gave you a couple of examples where you have to use some ingenuity.

But those are not the only options available.

Option 9: Using a Line-Up Stand

A line-up stand is another good option, and it’s perfect for use in your garage as it will support your bike and keep it upright. As the name suggests, you line up your bike and place one of the wheels of your bike in the groove provided.

These stands can work for a number of different sizes of wheels, so there should be no real issue when it comes to it working out if it’s going to work. 

These stands are still lightweight, and they are easy to set up. However, don’t think they are unstable as that’s not the case. Simply place one wherever you wish to park and store your bike, and it will perform its job well.

Option 10: A Bike Rack

A bike rack, or even a multi-bike rack, is another way to stand up your bike without the need for a kickstand being incorporated into your bike.

These bike stands come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations, as well as price tags. You can even see about hanging them on the wall of your garage, and at least it keeps your bikes off the ground with absolute ease.

But if you have two bikes, and they are quite lightweight, then a two-up bike stand could be the ideal solution. It means you have one bike sitting above the other with them hooked onto the bike rack via their frame.

This is all easy to do, and the initial installation of the bike rack takes next to no time to complete.

Also, if you manage to put it on the wall of your garage, or wherever you plan on storing your bike, then at least you don’t take up extra floor space.

A simple bike rack for up to five bikes is the SimpleHouseware 5 Bike Bicycle Floor Parking Adjustable Storage Stand (You can check the latest price on Amazon here).

Option 11: Using a Scorpion Stand

The final option I plan on looking at is called the scorpion stand, and this small item packs a punch when it comes to being able to be used in a variety of locations.

This device is lightweight and also portable. It can be used both indoors and outdoors without any problem, and yet it’s still very effective at what it does. 

It’s called a scorpion stand due to the way it effectively has a ‘tail’ that sticks up and this is the part that ‘hooks’ onto your bike and helps it to stand up. Thanks to the design of the base, the scorpion stand can help balance your bike, and it’s surprising how well it works.

A scorpion stand is easy to buy online, doesn’t require any setup, and undoubtedly makes a difference when it comes to helping you to stand up your bike without a kickstand.

Summing Up

And that is how you manage to stand up a bike without having to incorporate a kickstand in the equation. As you can see, there are multiple options available, so you should never really find yourself in a situation where you feel stuck by all of this.

Of course, you don’t have to go down the click stand or upstand route if you don’t want to. There should always be other options out there for you to try out before you perhaps want to carry around a click stand.

At the end of the day, this is all about correctly caring for your bike. Knowing how to stand it up when not in use, or when having a break when riding, is important. Good luck standing up your bike!