# Which way to lay bike down?



## yungster (May 11, 2011)

Is there an accepted direction to lay a bike down on the ground?
On my old bike I used to always lay it chain side up so as lessen the risk of damage to the derailleur... but now with disc brakes I'd worry about warping a rotor. 

So which way? Rotors down or derailleur down?


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## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Usually lean the back wheel on something so it stands up but if nothings around on the rotor side for sure.


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## Tim-H (Mar 20, 2010)

rotor side but make sure it rests on the seatstay instead of the rotor.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

You're going to warp a rotor sooner or later if you ride hard. Don't sweat it.

(And yeah - still the left side. Things don't stick out as much as the derailleur cage.)


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## DiRt DeViL (Dec 24, 2003)

Standing is the best way but if you have to lay it down make sure is laying on the non drive (left) side.


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

Left side down. Lay mine that way all the time. Nary a problem. Often the pedal holds the back end off the ground. The chainstay should be enough to protect the rotor, if you're at all careful.

Tweaked hangers end up being the source of many shifting problems that I see. You're doing the right thing in not wanting to slam your derailleur into the dirt.


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## rlouder (Jun 26, 2007)

Either way if I'm taking a downhill hairpin curve too fast and have to lay it down to avoid a tree or going over a cliff.


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## Boyonabyke (Sep 5, 2007)

Rotors are cheaper than derailleurs, so I lay it left side down, if at all. Given a choice, I prefer to lean it up against something instead, keeping it upright.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

If it cannot be stood up, non drive side.


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## square (Jun 5, 2010)

why are you laying it down? is your kickstand broken?


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## Eckstream1 (Jul 27, 2011)

square said:


> why are you laying it down? is your kickstand broken?


Bwahahaha!!!!

Thats funny right there! :thumbsup:


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## jmitchell13 (Nov 20, 2005)

To me it doesn't really matter. I don't let it fall to the ground, so placing it gently down on the rear derailleur isn't a big deal for me. My rear der gets way more abuse from just riding. It's not like they are made of glass.


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## gemini9 (Mar 23, 2011)

Get a Walmart bike. They have kickstands. Problem solved.:thumbsup:


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## DozerAZ (Jul 29, 2011)

I want to get a double kickstand, unsure of correct ter. I've seen them on carego bikes, big dummies, etc. Keeps the bike more upright which is useful for loading and unloading. More stable than just 1 leg.


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## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

my sister, whom I haven't seen in a long, long time was recently in the area and she saw my bike and asked why I have a rack for storage and wondered where the kickstand was


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

I always lay my bike down on its left side, on the pedal with the crank arm at 12 o clock and on the end of the left grip. On clean dry ground, preferably dirt or grass not covered in snow or whatever.


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## robdeanhove (Dec 8, 2005)

Either is just fine, if you lay it down gently, the pedal generally takes most of the weight. I fall off on both sides and, in 15 years of mountain biking have only ever bent/broken two rear mechs or hangers both during big crashes, normally the mech is pretty well protected by cranks, pedals etc.

This is particularly true for the newer shimano "shadow" rear mechs

Try placing your bike gently in the ground on both sides and hopefully you'll see what I mean and you can put your mind at rest. But, yes, generally, leaving the bike leaning against something and on two wheels is best where possible


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## thricenotrice (Sep 17, 2010)

Just don't throw it down, it'll be fine.


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## konetiks (Aug 9, 2011)

What about upside down? Is that bad?


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## B42 (Oct 27, 2010)

konetiks said:


> What about upside down? Is that bad?


When I wrecked earlier today it was perfectly upside down on the handlebars and seat when it came to a rest. I'm assuming it wanted to be that way, so it should be fine. :thumbsup:


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Upside down can have some undesired consequences, like scuffing on the top of the saddle or damage to the controls.

I used to work on my bike this way all the time. Just pay attention to where it's contacting the ground. A friend of mine gave me back a road bike with some very annoying scratches on the tops of the shifters because she did this (probably a lot) in a cement-surfaced garage.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

B42 said:


> When I wrecked earlier today it was perfectly upside down on the handlebars and seat when it came to a rest. I'm assuming it wanted to be that way, so it should be fine. :thumbsup:


I think your bike is telling you something, considering that's the "emergency maintenance position".


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## konetiks (Aug 9, 2011)

Well, I live in a apt. Complex. We keep our bikes in a giant closet. AKA the spare bedroom that we Swore would be the entertainment room but a year and a half later still remains entertainment-less. It's carpeted so I don't have worry about scratches.


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## CarolinaLL6 (Apr 12, 2010)

B42 said:


> When I wrecked earlier today it was perfectly upside down on the handlebars and seat when it came to a rest. I'm assuming it wanted to be that way, so it should be fine. :thumbsup:


It just wanted its belly rubbed.


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## Bungholio (Jul 21, 2011)

I don't know if there is any truth to this, but a bike repair guy told me that storing bikes upside down over a period of time was not good because it could cause problems with the hydraulics in the brakes as well as problems with forks that have oil dampening systems.


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## womble (Sep 8, 2006)

Preferably the bike stands up against a wall or tree. But after riding for a couple of decades, I have never paid any attention to which side the bike lays down. Never damaged a rotor or a derailleur out of it either.


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## snowpunk (Apr 17, 2007)

Iv'e heard of less expensive forks leaking but I don't see how it would affect hydro brakes.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

Bungholio said:


> I don't know if there is any truth to this, but a bike repair guy told me that storing bikes upside down over a period of time was not good because it could cause problems with the hydraulics in the brakes as well as problems with forks that have oil dampening systems.


The only way I see that being bad is if the seals went bad and developed a leak and all the fluid drained out over time. Storing it upside down isn't the cause, but it simply accelerates how bad the performance degrades due to the fluids leaking out of the bad seals. Riding a fork with no oil in it can cause some serious permanent damage to the fork.

In some cases, storing it upside down for a while can help improve performance. Just under the seal where the fork lowers meets the stanchion tubes is a foam ring which helps keep the bushings, the inner part of the lowers which contact and slide on the stanchions, lubed. The bushings are slotted to let oil get above it to the foam ring, but sometimes the oil just splashing around doesn't keep the foam ring saturated. Turning the fork upside will do it though.

As for hydraulic brakes, if you have air in it and turn the bike upside down, sometimes the air gets to the caliper and causes excess dead stroke (pull the lever and the brakes don't work or you don't feel pressure or weak pressure until late in the stroke) until the air's pumped back out into the levers. It doesn't dmg the calipers... just just causes you to have no brakes until the air gets pushed back into the little pocket in the lever where air can safely exist and not affect braking performance. Old DOT fluid tends to draw moisture from the air which turns into air when your brakes and brake fluid heats up and turns it into steam (AKA air). Usually performance is affected right away when your bike is turned over and doesn't need to be kept like that over a long period of time. Just a few pumps of the brake lever and maybe bouncing the bike will get it to work better again, until you can get it properly bled to offer a better long term solution to this particular issue.


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## Bungholio (Jul 21, 2011)

Varaxis,
Thanks for the detailed explanation of what happens when a bike is stored upside down. It sounds like nothing much happens unless there is a pre-existing problem.


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