Have you ever rode your bike to a place only to find that the parking lot is sand, mud, grass, or anything soft enough that when you park your bike and drop the kickstand down you can see it start to sink into the ground? You start to look for anything to put under the kickstand like a soda can, piece of wood, a big rock, even your riding gloves to help keep the kickstand from sinking into the earth. There is a lot resting on the kickstand, the last thing you want to do is come out and see your bike on its side.

We came across the STO Plate System by Tenasko ($39.95). It allows you to carry a kickstand pad with you on every trip. The STO System is wide and sturdy enough to support the weight of your bike but small enough to be hidden in between the license plate and the mounting bracket. Once you get to your destination there’s no need to dig through your saddlebag or back pocket; just pull out the pad from the plate mount and toss it under your kickstand.