This kickstand puck is always with your bike

It’s happened to all of us. You flick out your side stand and walk away from your bike only to come back later to find your bike on its side; your side stand has sunk into soft ground.

The first time it happened to me was with my first street bike — I didn’t know any better. One night I left it in the driveway at an old girlfriend’s parents’ house. I came back the sweltering-hot next day to find my bike on its side; gas had leaked out of the tank, eating an obviously deep blemish on the brand-new asphalt; my helmet, which had been hooked on the side helmet holder was broken under the weight of the bike; and, worst of all, there was a hole straight through the fresh pavement that hid my side stand. That little episode led to some very uncomfortable moments later on.

But we learn from our mistakes — most of the time. You don’t always have a kickstand puck in your jacket pocket or your tank bag — especially if it was muddy the last time you picked it up — and you can’t always find a flat stick or rock, or a pop can, so you walk away from your bike hoping for the best.

Well fear not: the Original Bike Buddy, a Canadian company, has you covered. With this ingenious little invention, your side stand plate is always with your bike. The Bike Buddy holder mounts behind your licence plate so it’s virtually invisible, and as long as you put the plate back in its holder, you always have it with you. Mud and dirt won’t affect its storage compartment; you simply hose out the holder when you get a chance.

The patented, premium quality housing is made in Canada and is created from military-grade fibre-filled resin with non-binding, rattle-free, spring-loaded stainless-steel components that keep the plate locked in place. The housing measures 125 mm tall x 180 mm wide and is 20 mm thick. The main body of the aluminum plate is 130 mm x 95 mm and 4.75 mm thick. There is the standard laser-cut plate and also a premium CNC machined plate from tempered aluminum. The standard Bike Buddy retails for just $49.95 and the premium Bike Buddy sells for $59.95. Replacement plates are just $9.95 or $15.95 respectively. The company’s website — theoriginalbikebuddy.com — shows U.S. pricing of $36.99 (standard) and $43.99 (premium).

Mounting is as easy as using it. The kit comes with the Bike Buddy plate and its holder, proprietary tamper-proof screws with lock nuts, a special screwdriver bit (for said tamper-proof screws), and a little padlock if you choose to use it.

Simply remove your licence plate and discard the old bolts, feed the new bolts through your licence plate and the Bike Buddy holder, and reattach to your bike with the locking nuts — it’s as simple as that.

The Bike Buddy plate itself is spring-loaded inside its holder and locks into place so it can’t fall out. Just push the plate in and a slight move backward releases the plate for you to pull it out and place under your side stand. Stowing it is the opposite — push the plate in, push forward slightly and release, and the plate is locked in until it’s needed next time. It’s that simple!

Bike Buddy is warranted against manufacturer defects for one year from date of purchase.