Kickstand & customer service

[Bikealounger]

A while back I bought a Silvio and ordered some accessories including a spare set of seat covers. They arrived with no velcro. I called and talked to someone about that and also about the pieces of rubber that go around the seat to protect the edges from chipping that came off and got lost on a ride. The woman I spoke with said she would send out new covers with velcro and new rubber strips. I got nothing. Not even a message. Empty promises. Order 1834

Another matter: Kickstand for Silvio. I am so tired of the bike moving and/or falling and getting scratched. How hard is it to design or modify a double kickstand for the bike? Sell it as an accessory. Give us suggestions. I love my Silvio and want to protect it.

 

[John Tolhurst]

Q How hard is it to design or

Q How hard is it to design or modify a double kickstand for the bike?

A Extremely hard. I mean just impossible. Here's why:

The frame doesn't get low enough to the ground for standard kickstands to work. Kickstands have been made in the hundreds of millions. They are excellent products and low cost. What my customers are going to expect is for my kickstand specially designed for Silvio will cost hardly anything more and yet be just as reliable and dependent as all other kickstands. Now that, friends, is an impossibility.

So, try the click stand technique (search click stand in the search box above).

We don't have those rubber trims in stock. They are no longer used on Silvio; and on other bikes come preassembled with the seats from our supplier.

 

[Andrew 1973]

Rubber Strips and Kickstands

Keeping in mind that the rear end of the Silvio is quite light, a typical kickstand mounting position would not work anyway. The preferred method of parking the Silvio is to pivot the front end so that the bike is essentially folded in half. Use an elastic band, section of innertube, LiveSTRONG bracelet, etc. to secure the front brake lever, in effect turning it into a parking brake. The bike will be very steady and can be leaned against a stationary object with no worries of it falling over.

As for the rubber stripping, just buy a roll of automotive door edge guard from your local auto supply store. I bought a roll for the same purpose for less than $15.00.

 

[chrisblessing]

Kickstand

Like Andrew says - I don't even bother with the parking brake any longer. Off the bike, flip the front around, locking cable trough the frame and wheel, and go get your coffee.

 

[Bikealounger]

I stretched electrical tape

I stretched electrical tape around the seat edges. It looks ok, barely noticeable. I would pay for a kickstand that worked. I envision something like a double legged thing that goes up and on the sides of the back tire. I bought a click-stand for about $40. The guy knows the dimentions for Silvio. It still falls. Sometimes there simply is nowhere to lean it and it still moves. I love my bike and it irritates me to see it getting scratch up because it slides against a tree or falls.

 

[Bikealounger]

Chrisblessing: do you still

Chrisblessing: do you still have to lean the bike against something after you have flipped the front end around?

 

[Ian Smith]

Stand

I don't know if the Silvio is the same, however I have a standard locking kick stand attached to the rear wheel spindle of my conversion where it would go on a 'normal' bike. The locking mechanism means the stand won't give way. To make it stay upright you simply turn the handlebars almost 180 from the riding position to place the heavy bits nearer to the centre of the bike. I've even had a wriggling 2 year old in the kiddy seat that I've mounted and the bike doesn't fall over at all.

 

[Romagjack]

With all the enterprising

With all the enterprising gearheads on this forum, someone might design a sturdier, portable version of the clickstand idea that tucks under the seatback for storage and slides into a mounting bracket under the seat pan? There must be a way to protect such a beautiful bike other than the lean method. We could make it a contest!

 

[BentBierz]

Are You All Using the "Max" Click-Stand?

I haven't personally used a Click-stand but I just got on their website and this is what I found regarding their "Max" version of the Click-Stand:

The Max is made from 11mm aluminum tubing, and comes in four, five or six segments. The Max is intended for tandems, loaded touring bikes, bikes with trailers, long wheel-base recumbents, and utility bikes. If you intend to use panniers, or load your bike, get a Max. There is no tested weight limit; I think that if you are willing to pedal it down the road, a Max will hold it up!

I could be wrong, but if the above is to be believed, I find it hard to understand how the Max would be able to hold up a loaded for touring tandem but not a race bike like the Silvio?!?

 

[1happyreader]

Kickstand for Silvio suggestions.

Bikelounger,

1. drill holes in your silvio and maybe in the mounting plate of the stand ( included hardware won't work for your frame)
2. replace the dinky metal rods with estimated 65cm or so rods.

wonder how much it weighs.
http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_stokemonkey.php

 

[John Tolhurst]

Here's a possible

Here's a possible formula:

1/2 inch aluminium tube, measured to go from the join in the seats to the ground at a comfortable bike angle.
1/2 inch diameter rubber sleeve that you can put over al tube, 4 inches long
extra 1 inch of al tube.

Insert each al tube 1 inch into the rubber sleeve
Lay the rubber sleeve over the frame where the seat join occurs, with the long al tube on the side you want to have the stand and refit the seat
Lift the tube up towards the head rest and invent a way to secure it there. (velcro loop)
Have to find some kind of foot to put on the end of the tube

Must turn bars fully right, and must lock on brakes to use this drop stand.

 

[chrisblessing]

Kickstand

Hi ?Bikealounger,

I don't lean bike against anything. I also replaced the crankset with a Patterson-Metropolis CVT, so I'm not resting the weight on the big gear. The bike leans in toward the fold and then simply stays.

 

[Ivan]

I use a rubber band or a

I use a rubber band or a velcro strap to hold the front brake. Once that is on, it is very easy to lean the bike against a wall, table, tree or lamp-post and it is quite stable.

I tried turning the front end around, and while that technique works, my poor Silvio looks strangely contorted and she is much more graceful stretched out!