A bicycle or tricycle frame support

Abstract

A support 10 for a bicycle or tricycle frame comprises a rigid structure 11 with at least one contact face (12,13) engaging a surface 17; and at least one fastening arrangement 14 located on at least

Description

The invention relates to a bicycle or tricycle frame support. A requirement frequently arises to support the frame of a bicycle or tricycle from which one or more of the normally present wheels have been removed. This need can occur in a bicycle shop or showroom, where for example frames may be sold separately from wheels and ancillary components and hence there is a need to display wheel-less bicycle frames e.g. side by side; in a bicycle workshop, where it frequently is required to work on or store bicycle frames from which the wheels have been removed; in or on vehicles that transport bicycles; in sheds and garages; and in domestic situations where there is no dedicated space for storing or working on bicycles. A bicycle is vertically stable when being ridden. However when it is stationary, with no rider, the in-use correcting forces continuously applied via the handlebars to ensure balance during riding no longer arise and the bicycle naturally falls over by reason of its high centre of mass, eccentric left-right weight distribution and small tyre contact area. Hence a bicycle while a supremely efficient means of transport can be inconvenient to store when it is not being ridden since it then must lie on its side or lean against e.g. a wall. In either case the bicycle can occupy a significant volume. Moreover it can damage or make dirty a wall or other vertically extending feature against which it is leant; or such a feature may damage the bicycle, for example by scratching it. It is known to provide work stands, made e.g. from steel, for bicycle frames. These typically are workshop-quality products that are robustly engineered and support a bicycle frame e.g. from underneath its bottom bracket bearing or by clamping onto the top tube, in each case so the frame is supported approximately at eye level. Several designs of such stands are known which collapse when not in use. However even when collapsed the work stands occupy a substantial volume and in order to provide stable supporting of the bicycle frames are relatively heavy. Consequently the known work stands are not convenient for use in many domestic situations, and in particular are not well suited for keeping in small houses, apartments or flats (in which there often is little space for storing either workshop-quality equipment or indeed bicycles). Moreover the known work stands usually are intended to be long-lasting products that can withstand workshop use. Hence they typically are somewhat expensive to buy. Furthermore when work is carried out on a bicycle or tricycle using one of the stands dirt and debris removed from the bicycle / tricycle frame or ancillary parts tends to fall to the floor. Such waste matter often requires cleaning up from the floor adjacent the work stand, as a separate activity from any bicycle / tricycle cleaning or maintenance tasks. The generation of loose debris means it generally is inconvenient to use the work stands indoors in a domestic environment unless additional equipment, such as dirt trays or matting, is employed to assist with the necessary secondary cleaning activity after work on the bicycle is complete. Even when these measures are used it usually is impractical to clean a bicycle by washing it in a room of a domestic dwelling. Bicycles often are transported in or on vehicles. Professional cycle racing teams invest in specialised bicycle- and wheel-supporting racking that is installed inside or on top of motorised vehicles such as cars or vans. Such racking tends to be bespoke and suited only to a particular vehicle type. It usually is prohibitively expensive for amateur cyclists, cycling clubs and mobile bicycle repair businesses to acquire and install such racking. In many countries there has in recent years been significant growth in the numbers of active cyclists. Much of this growth has occurred in cities, where people tend to live in apartments, flats and small houses. In many city environments it is undesirable to store bicycles outdoors, meaning large numbers of cyclists seek to store their bicycles indoors. However as explained it is difficult to store bicycles in the limited space available in apartments, flats and small houses; and for the reasons outlined above it may be inconvenient to try and clean or carry out maintenance work on a bicycle indoors in such locations. The foregoing problems arise in the keeping of tricycles in similar ways to those described. Related problems also arise in the keeping of so-called “cargo bikes”, which can adopt bicycle or tricycle configurations and which are growing rapidly in popularity at present; and also when it is required to support (e.g. for maintenance purposes) a form of bicycle called a “recumbent bike”. The disclosure hereof relates to apparatus as disclosed herein when a requirement arises to support virtually all designs of bicycle or tricycle frame. As necessary the disclosed apparatus may undergo modification within the ability of the person of skill in the art in order to render it suitable for use with particular bicycle or tricycle frame types. Indoor cycling trainers, which support bicycle frames, are well-known. The simplest of these include a rotatable, horizontal roller that is mounted in a floor frame so as to be engageable by the tyre of a rear wheel of a bicycle the frame of which is temporarily fixed to the floor frame in an upright orientation. A resistance device imposes a rolling load on the roller such that when a rider rides the bicycle a training resistance effect is created. More complicated indoor trainers include mechanisms that replace the rear wheel of a bicycle such that the bicycle minus one (rear) wheel may be fixed in the floor frame. Regardless of its exact design an indoor trainer acts as a support for most or all of a bicycle, holding it in an upright configuration. However in order to be safe when ridden, all indoor trainers include floor-engaging legs or feet that protrude a distance laterally beyond at least the outer ends of the pedals of the bicycle. This ensures that the considerable forces generated when riding a bicycle fixed to an indoor trainer do not cause tipping over of the bicycle and trainer combination, and the combination instead feels stable and rigid. This in turn means that a bicycle (or part of a bicycle) mounted in an indoor trainer occupies a significant volume. This can render the indoor trainer entirely unsuitable to assist with storing of a bicycle when storage space is limited. A bicycle or part of a bicycle supported by an indoor trainer is semi-permanently installed. This is a requirement because the trainer floor frame in order safely to support the bicycle must prevent it from falling out of the frame. In turn this means that somewhat complicated and robust means of securing the bicycle in the floor frame must be employed. These can be time-consuming and inconvenient to operate, meaning that indoor trainers are frustrating to use merely as storage supports for the frames of bicycles that also are intended to be ridden outdoors. Moreover even the cheapest indoor trainers have a typical purchase cost when new of at least £50 or equivalent plus taxes; and the more expensive “smart trainers" of this general kind cost around £1000 (or equivalent) plus taxes when new. The indoor trainers include a number of engineered components that render them suitable for their intended purpose, and these increase both the cost and weight of the trainers. As mentioned, in bicycle shops and showrooms there often arises a need to display bicycles and / or bicycle frames side by side. Some retail display designs exist for this purpose, but typically they are somewhat expensive. In particular in bicycle shops selling second-hand bicycles; in charity bicycle shops where bicycles are made available as a community benefit; or in those such as are found in the Netherlands (where most commuter bicycles are sold at the same (subsidised, relatively low) price regardless of the design) it may be difficult to justify the cost of bespoke bicycle display equipment. In view of the foregoing factors there is a need to provide a practical, flexible, low-cost, compact, lightweight support for bicycle and tricycle frames when these are not being ridden. It is an aim of the invention to solve or at least ameliorate one or more problems associated with prior art ways of supporting of bicycle and tricycle frames. According to embodiments disclosed herein there is provided a bicycle or tricycle frame support comprising a rigid structure defining at least one contact face for directly or indirectly engaging a surface; and at least one fastening arrangement located at or near at least one lateral side of the rigid structure and that is releasably securable at or near at least the one lateral side of the rigid structure to a dropout at the front or rear of a bicycle or tricycle frame whereby when the fastening arrangement is secured the bicycle frame may be supported relative to the surface in an orientation normal thereto with the rigid structure spacing the bicycle frame from the surface and the contact face through interaction with the surface reacting forces tending to deflect the frame from its normal orientation. Such a support advantageously may be made as a lightweight, low cost, compact item and may be made predominantly from plastics materials or other low-cost materials including but not limited to metal alloys, and wood. A particularly desirable material from which the support may be made is a recycled waste plastics material such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE). A single example of the frame support may usefully support one end of a bicycle or tricycle frame from which a wheel has been removed, in a manner acting as a stable stand for the frame. In this usage mode the other wheel of the bicycle may be retained in situ. Two examples of the frame support may in the case of a bicycle be provided as a pair of supports that can be employed in replacement of the wheels at both the front and rear of the bicycle and permit the bicycle frame further to be stably self-supporting when it stands on a flat surface. The height at which the frame is supported may be determined by the dimensions of the support, for example such that the chainwheel, cranks, chain and any derailleur or other downwardly depending component may be held clear of the surface on which the frame supports stand. The support according to embodiments permits storing of a bicycle frame, minus the wheels of the bicycle, in for example a bathtub with the bicycle secured at its front and rear dropouts to the respective frame supports and with the contact faces of the frame supports resting on the bottom of the inside of the bathtub. This converts the bathtub, which in a typical situation is unused for much of the time, into a storage space for the major part of the bicycle, without adding to the space used up in e.g. a compact apartment for such a purpose, without running a risk of parts of the bicycle scratching the bathtub and without requiring the purchasing of heavy, bulky and / or bespoke storage equipment. When supported using two of the frame supports as aforesaid a bicycle or tricycle frame is shorter than a complete bicycle or tricycle by approximately the diameter of one of the wheels of the machine, since removal of both wheels results in shortening of the frame by two times the wheel radius. This is a significant advantage of the frame support disclosed herein, since the length of a bathtub might be approximately 1,2m - 1,5m at its lowermost part, whereas the front to back length of an adult-size road bicycle including e.g. 736.6 mm (29-inch) diameter wheel rims plus tyres usually exceeds 1.7m. This means a bicycle including its wheels simply is too long to fit into most bathtubs. Minus its wheels and when supported on two of the frame supports however the length of a road bicycle is likely to be no more than 1.2m, meaning it would fit when so supported inside a bathtub. Furthermore as implied the frame supports disclosed herein typically would be designed to support the frame in a raised position relative to the bottom of the bathtub. Aside from the benefit of this in protecting the bathtub against scratching that might otherwise be caused by contact of the frame, cranks, derailleur or chainring with the material of the bathtub, this means the longest part of the frame is supported higher in the upwardly widening taper that exists in most bathtubs than would be the case if the frame was supported directly on the bathtub floor. This in turn means a greater length of the bathtub is available to accommodate the length of the frame. Even a single example of the frame support as disclosed herein, fitted in replacement of solely the front or rear wheel of a bicycle, is very likely to permit the remainder of the bicycle to be stored extending lengthwise in a bathtub. In this regard in a typical downwardly tapering bathtub design its length near the top of the bathtub exceeds 1.5m, which is more than the length required to accommodate an adult-size road bicycle that is missing one wheel and supported at its front or rear forks on a frame support as described herein. Stably supporting the frame and ancillary parts of a bicycle in a bathtub moreover makes it easy to wash most of the parts of a bicycle using e.g. a shower head, or a hose attached to a bath tap or faucet, and (subject to any local regulations prohibiting this) with dirt and debris thereby removed from the frame, etc., readily being conveyed away with the washing water via the drain of the bathtub. Hence the frame support of the disclosure hereof simultaneously addresses the issues of providing bicycle storage at low cost, using lightweight equipment, while making use of a space (i.e. the interior of the bathtub) that most of the time does not perform a useful function and while permitting easy cleaning of the bicycle frame and ancillary parts when these are dirty. When it is required to use the bathtub for its normal purpose of bathing it is an easy matter to lift the bicycle frame out of it, with the supports attached to the dropouts, and stand the frame stably supported on the supports e.g. next to the bathtub until the latter is again empty and available for storage purposes. The wheels of modern bicycles readily may be removed from the bicycle frame and subsequently replaced, especially if they are of the so-called “quick release” type. The thus removed wheels are relatively slim components that readily may be stored even in a small apartment once they are separated from a bicycle frame. As noted, in one mode of use of the apparatus disclosed herein only one wheel needs to be removed from the bicycle in any event, thereby minimising any requirement for separate wheel storage. The at least one fastening arrangement may take a variety of forms and may for example consist of selectively tightenable and releasable clips or cam fasteners that are permanently secured to the rigid structure at a location that in use of the frame support coincide with the positions of the dropouts at the front or rear of a bicycle frame. However in a preferred embodiment the at least one fastening arrangement may include a bore extending through and supported by the rigid structure and that is spaced from the contact face in a direction normal thereto, the at least one bore being dimensioned to receive a bicycle or tricycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt such that the spindle, skewer or bolt extends inside the rigid structure and protrudes on at least one side thereof, and such that the spindle, skewer or bolt is securable to a said dropout. This arrangement is beneficial because it allows the spindle, skewer or bolt that normally secures a bicycle or tricycle wheel in its associated frame to be used to secure the bicycle or tricycle frame to the frame support. This in turn means that a basic version of the frame support may be supplied as a simple, and hence low-cost, item that has no intrinsic moving parts. Alternatively the frame support of embodiments may be supplied with a spindle, skewer or bolt that is provided specifically for the purpose of securing a bicycle or tricycle frame at a dropout to the frame support. In either of the foregoing cases the spindle, skewer or bolt is removable from the frame support. This means the spindle, skewer or bolt may be employed away from the frame support if desired. Preferably the rigid structure tapers from a transversely relatively broad form at or adjacent the contact face to a transversely relatively narrow form at or adjacent the fastening arrangement. When the frame support is used in an upright orientation, i.e. with the contact surface horizontal and the fastening arrangement lying above the contact surface, such tapering assures good stability of the frame support and attached bicycle or tricycle frame. The frame support according to embodiments may be made in a form in which a spindle, skewer or bolt as mentioned protrudes and is secured on one side of the rigid structure. In practice however easier securing of the bicycle / tricycle frame to the rigid structure, and better supporting of a bicycle / tricycle frame, may be achieved if the arrangement is symmetrical, with weight forces distributed evenly throughout the rigid structure. To this end preferably the at least one bore is dimensioned such that a bicycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt received therein extends through the rigid structure and protrudes on each of two opposite sides thereof such that the spindle, skewer or bolt is securable at opposite ends to respective left and right dropouts at the front or rear of a bicycle frame. The disclosure hereof extends to a frame support as defined when including a bicycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt received in the at least one bore and protruding from each of two opposite sides of the rigid structure. Such a spindle, skewer or bolt may be of e.g. the aforesaid quick release type, or may be of the “bolt through” type, these terms being familiar to the person of skill in the art. Although a bolt through wheel bolt extends through the fork or chain stay eyes on both sides of a bicycle frame, such a bolt secures in a form-locking manner at only one of the sides, which typically is the right hand side. This is threaded for receiving the threaded end of the bolt. The opposite end of the bolt includes a bolt head having an Allen socket by means of which the threaded end of the bolt may be tightened into the threaded eye; and a plain shank which is freely rotatable in the unthreaded eye at the left hand side of the bicycle frame. The disclosure hereof extends to a support as defined including a spindle, skewer or bolt as explained, when at least one part of the spindle, skewer or bolt that protrudes from the rigid structure is received in and secured to at least one dropout or equivalent (such as a threaded eye) of a bicycle or tricycle frame. In some embodiments the rigid structure is formed (or chiefly formed) as a block of a material such as a plastics material, metal, wood, stone, concrete, so-called “carbon fibre”, or mixtures of such materials. In such embodiments, and in other embodiments as described herein, the rigid structure may include a hollow interior. This helps to minimise the amount of material required to manufacture the frame support and also to minimise its weight When the frame support includes a hollow interior this may be capable of being filled with a ballast material in order to enhance the stability of the frame support while it is in use. Example embodiments of how this may be achieved are described herein. As an alternative to including a block of material the rigid structure may be formed as a framework of interconnected struts or similar elongate, rigid members. Such a form of the rigid structure inherently includes a hollow interior as specified. The rigid members may be formed from a wide range of materials including but not limited to metals, plastics, carbon fibre, wood or mixtures of materials. Interconnection of the rigid members may be achieved through any of a wide range of methods, including but not limited to the use of fasteners, welding, gluing, press fitting and the forming of e.g. screw threads or other form-locking features. It is desirable that in any such embodiments the connections between joined rigid members are themselves rigid, although in some embodiments relative moveability of the parts may be desirable at least some of the time. In such embodiments the frame support may be made to be selectively collapsible, thereby causing it to be particularly compact when it is not in use. If this is the case it is desirable for the interconnections between joined rigid members to be selectively lockable and unlockable so as to allow conversion of the rigid structure between collapsed and use configurations. Various ways of achieving this effect will occur to the person of skill in the art. Conveniently the frame support includes at each end of the bore a boss protruding from the rigid structure. Such bosses may be sized and located to replicate the features of a bicycle wheel at each end of its axle. Consequently the frame support of embodiments may readily be fitted to a bicycle or tricycle frame without any need for modification of the latter. Preferably the frame support includes a sprocket or jockey wheel member defining at least part of an arcuate or circular chain support and secured spaced from the rigid structure adjacent the location at which a said fastening arrangement protrudes from one side of the rigid structure, the sprocket or jockey wheel member being located and dimensioned to bear the chain of a bicycle or tricycle frame at least one pair of rear dropouts of which are secured using the fastening arrangement to the support. The inclusion of such a sprocket or jockey wheel member is suitable when the frame support is to be used in replacement of the rear wheel of a bicycle. The sprocket or jockey wheel member may be inserted into the rearmost curve of the chain of the bicycle / tricycle as the fastening arrangement is manoeuvred into engagement with the dropouts at the rear of the bicycle or tricycle frame. This supports the chain and ensures it does not drag on the floor when the bicycle / tricycle frame support is in use. Also the sprocket or jockey wheel member may tension the chain in the same way as a sprocket attached to a rear bicycle wheel, so that any rear derailleur attached to the bicycle / tricycle frame is moved to an in-use (somewhat extended) orientation. It is easier to clean a derailleur when it is in its in-use position than when in the orientation effected by an un-tensioned chain of the bicycle or tricycle. In certain embodiments at least part of the outer periphery of the sprocket or jockey wheel member, in the region engaged by the chain, is toothed in the manner of a bicycle / tricycle wheel sprocket. This ensures reliable supporting of the chain. However it is not essential that the sprocket or jockey wheel is toothed. Instead the periphery may be smooth or it may include other features that assist in the supporting and / or cleaning of a bicycle / tricycle chain. A sprocket including brush bristles secured thereto, or bristles secured adjacent such a sprocket or jockey wheel, may be of utility in cleaning the chain of the bicycle or tricycle the frame of which is supported at its rear end in a frame support as described herein. The bristles when secured directly to the sprocket / jockey wheel may be provided as an alternative to sprocket teeth, or in addition to them. The sprocket or jockey wheel may be perforated so as to permit extension therethrough of a spindle, skewer or bolt. This feature is useful when the sprocket or jockey wheel member defines a complete disc that, but for the perforation, would cover the opening of the bore (when this is provided) and prevent protrusion of the spindle, skewer or bolt. In embodiments the sprocket or jockey wheel member is fixed so as to be immovable relative to the rigid structure. This construction is advantageous since it ensures that no attempt would be made, by attempting to ride the bicycle or tricycle when supported, to use the frame support of embodiments in the manner of an indoor trainer. Also it helps to minimise the cost of the frame support. In some embodiments the sprocket or jockey wheel member defines an arcuate, partial circumference that is located relative to the remainder of the support such as to bear from underneath the chain of a said bicycle or tricycle frame at least one pair of rear dropouts of which are secured via the fastening arrangement to the support. The use of such a partcircular sprocket or jockey wheel member reduces the cost of the frame support and may be arranged to avoid any need to perforate the sprocket or jockey wheel member to accommodate a spindle, skewer or bolt. Alternatively the sprocket or jockey wheel member may be rotatable relative to the rigid structure. When this is the case the sprocket or jockey wheel almost certainly would be provided as a complete circle. As a result it would be possible to cause movement of the chain of the bicycle or tricycle by rotating its chainwheel. This in turn facilitates cleaning of the chain. The sprocket or jockey wheel member may be removably secured to the rigid structure, or it may be permanently attached. When the sprocket or jockey wheel is removably attached the frame support as disclosed herein may readily be converted between a version, including the sprocket or jockey wheel member, that is suitable for supporting the rear of a bicycle or tricycle frame including a chain; and a version, omitting the sprocket or jockey wheel member, that is suitable for supporting the front of a bicycle or tricycle frame. The dimensions of the frame support moreover may be adjustable e.g. through the insertion of shims or other spacers on an inserted spindle, skewer or bolt so that the sprocket or jockey wheel member may be positioned appropriately when it is required for it to engage a chain; and retracted clear of the bicycle or tricycle frame e.g. when the frame support is used in replacement of a front wheel thereof. The rigid structure may define or include secured thereto a tank or reservoir that is perforated and is arranged such that part of the chain of a supported bicycle or tricycle frame may be caused to lie inside it. The interior of the tank or reservoir may contain a cleaning medium such as a liquid detergent. As a result the frame support may serve an additional purpose as a chain cleaner. The tank or reservoir may further include, at or near an upper region thereof, a filling aperture by means of which filling of the tank with a cleaning medium may be effected. The tank or reservoir also may include at or near its bottom a drain, that is normally closed by a removable drain plug or functionally similar closure, by means of which contaminated cleaning medium may be drained from the tank or reservoir following cleaning of a chain. It further is preferable that the tank or reservoir is removably secured to the rigid structure. This facilitates filling and emptying of it, and supply of the tank as an optional feature of the frame support. Optionally the at least one contact face includes fixed thereto one or more engagement members for engaging a said surface. Such engagement members may include e.g. one or more elastomeric feet or pads, such as but not limited to rubber or polyurethane feet or pads, that may be employed to ensure that the frame support does not damage a surface against which it bears. Additionally or alternatively the at least one said engagement member may be or may include a fastener for securing the frame support to a said surface. In particular the fastener may take the form of a flexible suction cup by means of which the frame support may be temporarily fixed in position on a said surface using suction. Further additionally or alternatively the one or more fasteners may include e.g. one or more keyhole apertures by means of which the frame support may be hung from a protruding member such as a screw that is screwed into the said surface. The fastener when present optionally may be removably secured to the at least one contact face. The fastener whether removably or permanently attached permits the frame support to support a bicycle or tricycle frame, minus one or more wheel, in an upright orientation inside a shower cubicle or a cupboard, with the frame support as disclosed herein adhering to a wall of the shower cubicle / cupboard. If keyhole apertures are provided in the contact face the fastener may easily be added to and removed from the contact face as desired or the keyhole aperture may connect to a screw or similar feature secured in the wall. When stored in a shower cubicle using the frame support a bicycle minus one or more wheels may be cleaned using the shower water, with cleaned-off debris being washed away via the shower drain. In preferred embodiments the width of the bicycle or tricycle frame support measured in the left-right (or right-left) direction of a bicycle frame supported by the frame support is no greater than the width of the bicycle or tricycle frame in the said left-right (or right-left) direction. This aspect ensures the lateral compactness of the frame support, and is a distinction over for example conventional cycling trainers that as noted must be wide enough to provide a stable support when the bicycle frame is in use for cycle training. In contrast to this the frame support of the disclosure is not intended to be used in the manner of a trainer, and therefore may be made significantly narrower than a trainer device. This in turn enhances the space-efficiency of the frame support of the disclosure, and helps to reduce costs. Further preferably the contact face may include a recess of generally the same shape and size as the upper surface, whereby two or more of the frame supports may stably be stacked one on top of another. Hence a plurality of the frame supports as disclosed may be stacked in order to provide a support of greater height than when only a single such frame support is used. This in turn increases the utility of the frame support, for example when the laterally extending space in which it is required to store a bicycle is limited. In such a case the use of stacked frame supports according to the disclosure hereof may permit the bicycle or tricycle frame to be supported clear of any obstructions that otherwise might make storage of the bicycle or tricycle frame difficult in the available space. The ability to stack the frame supports as explained additionally may allow raising of the supported bicycle or tricycle frame to a height at which work comfortably may be carried out on it. Hence a plurality of the frame supports may be assembled together in order to provide a low-cost, and in nearly all embodiments lightweight and dismantleable, work stand. Conveniently the rigid structure may define at or adjacent an in-use lower end of the frame support a hollow chamber that is closed at least at the lower end by a plurality of interconnected, fluid-proof walls; and an in-use upper part of the hollow chamber may include a filling aperture via which the hollow chamber may be filled with a fluid that acts as a ballast inside the hollow chamber. By such means the stability of the frame support may be enhanced through the simple act of adding a dense, flowable medium such as water or sand into the hollow chamber via the filling aperture. The filling aperture may be closeable using one or more releasable, sealing caps, plugs, bungs or functionally similar devices in order to avoid spillage of the ballast in use. Emptying of the hollow chamber when required may occur via the filling aperture that may be opened as desired. Additionally or alternatively one or more normally closed, openable drain apertures may be provided. One or more taps or valves, or caps or other closures may be provided in conjunction with the one or more drain apertures to assist with sealing and opening thereof as required. For the avoidance of doubt the frame support hereof may be appropriately dimensioned to support particular styles of frame. Hence in addition to the ability to support bicycles and tricycles as described the design of the frame support may readily be adapted as required for the supporting of e.g. tandem frames; track bicycle frames; folding bicycle frames; frames of mountain bikes (which often are referred to as MTBs); frames of so-called “gravel bikes”’, frames of various forms of electric bicycle (which usually are referred to as “e-bikesy or even frames of relatively rare bicycle designs such as penny farthings (which also are referred to as “ordinary cycles”). The disclosure hereof further extends to (a) a kit of parts comprising a pair of bicycle or tricycle frame supports each according to the disclosure hereof; and to (b) a kit of parts comprising three or more bicycle or tricycle frame supports each according to the disclosure hereof. In either of these cases optionally the kit may include a plurality of bicycle wheel spindles and / or bolts. There now follows a description of preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective, partly phantom view of a bicycle or tricycle frame support in accordance with the disclosure hereof; Figure 2 is a perspective, simplified view showing two examples of the frame support of Figure 1 in use to support the frame of a bicycle on a horizontal floor such as the bottom of a bathtub; Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2, in this instance with the bicycle frame extending vertically and with the frame supports secured to a vertically extending surface such as the wall of a shower enclosure; and Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing how in some embodiments a plurality of frame supports may be stacked vertically one on top of another in order to create a taller frame support than would result from the use of a single such support. Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figure 1, there is shown in perspective view an embodiment of a bicycle or tricycle frame support 10 in accordance with the disclosure hereof. Figure 1 shows the frame support 10 partly in phantom, in order to show internal features which are illustrated using dotted lines. Practical embodiments of the frame support may be transparent as implied by Figure 1, they may be opaque or they may give rise as desired to any of a range of optical effects such as chosen light reflection characteristics, translucency, colour, patterning, surface texture and so on. The precise appearance of the frame support 10 is largely immaterial to its functioning. The frame support 10 of Figure 1 comprises a rigid structure 11. In the illustrated embodiment the rigid structure 11 is formed as a block of a rigid material. Numerous materials are suitable for this purpose, including various plastics, metals, composite materials and naturally occurring materials such as wood, settable materials such as resin derivatives or even concrete or stone, although the last-mentioned materials are unlikely to result in particularly lightweight versions of the frame support 10. A particularly suitable material is high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which may be moulded and formed into a desired shape and may be supplied as a recycled material through recycling of plastics containers such as milk bottles. HDPE is cheap and light in weight and yet may be formed with sufficient rigidity to create the frame support. In an alternative construction the frame support 10 need not adopt the block-like form shown. Instead for example a series of rigid struts may be interconnected one to another in order to define a framework of elements that in use bear and distribute loads resulting from attachment thereto of a bicycle frame. In such a construction the elements may be interconnected only at their ends or at discrete points along their lengths, with the frame support adopting an essentially open construction in the remainder of its structure. A further variant is one in which parts of the rigid structure adopt the block-like construction illustrated; and other parts are formed as interconnected struts. Not all the parts of the rigid structure necessarily are themselves rigid, it being sufficient essentially that the structure 11 as a whole is rigid. Individual parts may be flexible and / or moveable in order to achieve particular functions and / or design effects. In Figure 1 the frame support 10 is substantially solid but even when formed essentially in the manner shown in Figure 1 it is possible as desired to include one or more recesses and / or hollow portions, for example in order to minimise the amount of material required in order to make the frame support 10 and / or to achieve particular functions some non-limiting examples of which are described herein. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the rigid structure 11 tapers from a relatively broad transverse dimension at the lower end of the frame support 10 to a relatively narrow transverse lateral dimension at the illustrated upper end. Hence the transverse crosssection of the rigid structure shown in Figure 1 is a trapezium. Other cross-sectional shapes are possible however, as will occur to the person of skill in the art. When the frame support is used in a first operational mode as described hereinbelow this tapering shape ensures lateral stability of a bicycle or tricycle frame secured to it in a manner described below. However the tapering shape is not an essential feature and may be omitted in variants of the invention. Overall there is scope for a large amount of variation in the construction, and in particular the shape, of the frame support 10. Regardless of its exact design the frame support 10 defines at least one contact face for directly or indirectly engaging a surface. In the embodiment of Figure 1 two contact faces 12, 13 are provided. These are defined as elongate, flat, in-use lowermost surfaces formed in the manner of skids from the material of the block defining the rigid structure 11. The contact faces 12, 13 extend in the preferred embodiment parallel to one another along the underside of the frame support 10. The contact faces 12, 13 in the illustrated embodiment extend each at the same level relative to the remainder of the rigid structure 11. They are spaced apart from one another in the lateral direction of the underside of the rigid structure 11 and are of the same length as each other. As will be apparent from the description of the rigid structure 11 however the at least one contact face may adopt a wide variety of forms other than that illustrated. Hence discontinuous, non-parallel, non-flatand differently shaped / orientated or differing length versions of the contact face(s) are possible. More or fewer than the two contact faces 12, 13 may be provided, and when provided in plural numbers they need not extend parallel to one another or indeed have a recognisable elongate dimension. When the rigid structure is formed at least in part from a plurality of rigid struts they may define the one or more contact face only in outline, with the illustrated flat, continuous surfaces of Figure 1 being optional features of embodiments as disclosed herein. Examples of surfaces that may be engaged by the contact faces 12, 13 are further described below. The rigid structure 11 defines and supports a bore 14 which when the frame support is orientated as illustrated is spaced vertically from the level of the contact faces 12, 13. Since in Figure 1 the rigid structure 11 is formed as a block of material the bore 14 extends longitudinally along the rigid structure 11 from one end of the upper end of the rigid structure 11 to the other, with the ends 14a, 14b of the bore opening on the in-use upright end faces 11a, 11b of the rigid structure 11. The bore 14 defines a straight bore axis extending along the length of the rigid structure 11. In other embodiments the bore 14 may be of a variety of different forms as would occur to the person of skill in the art. Hence for example the bore 14 may be defined by a pair of longitudinally spaced bushes each defining a respective bore portion and that are supported in a rigid structure 11 that is formed from a plurality of interconnected struts as described. In the majority of embodiments the bore 14 extends along the inside of the rigid structure 11, but conceivably it may be defined so as to extend along an external surface, such as but not limited to a top surface, or other external feature of the rigid structure 11. The bore 14 is dimensioned to receive in use of the frame support a bicycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt (referred to herein chiefly as a “spindle” for brevity) extending therethrough so as to be supported and retained by the rigid structure. The length of the bore 14 is slightly shorter than the length of a spindle intended to be received in it. Consequently such a spindle may be arranged to protrude from at least one end of the bore 14. In practical embodiments it is expected that the spindle would extend from both the open ends 14a, 14b of the bore 14. As is well known, bicycle wheel spindles are intended to secure the axle of a bicycle wheel relative to a pair of so-called “dropouts” which are eyes (which may be threaded) or open sided hook-like features defined (in the case of a front bicycle wheel) at the ends of the front forks of the bicycles; or (in the case of a rear bicycle wheel) at lower portions of elements of the bicycle frame called chain stays (and with comparable features existing in for example tricycle frames). A spindle received in the bore 14 with a length protruding on at least one side of the frame support 10 may readily be engaged with and secured to at least one frame dropout at the front or rear of a bicycle or tricycle frame, following removal of the front or rear wheel (as appropriate) that normally would be secured to the dropouts in question. It will readily be apparent to the person of skill in the art how this may be achieved. In practical embodiments it is expected that the spindle will protrude on both sides of the rigid structure 11. Consequently the dropouts on both the left and right sides of the front and / or rear of the bicycle or tricycle frame may be engaged by the spindle, which then operates in a similar way to how it is effective in a bicycle wheel. Hence if the spindle is a quick release skewer its cam lever may straightforwardly be closed when the protruding ends of the spindle are correctly aligned in the dropouts, thereby securing the bicycle frame to the frame support. The use of a lockable spindle however is not essential. Hence in a simple embodiment the necessary support of bicycle or tricycle frame may be achieved by way of the mass of the frame acting downwardly onto the spindle (or another protruding feature of the frame support 10) without any locking action occurring. This form of support may be adequate in many bicycle frame storage applications; and has the advantage of allowing the frame very quickly to be removed from the frame support when required. If the dropouts on one side of the bicycle frame are threaded circular eyes of the kind intended to receive the bolt of a so-called “bolt through" bicycle wheel axle the spindle instead of being a quick release skewer may be an axle bolt that readily may be passed through a non-threaded eye at the dropout on the opposite side of the bicycle frame and be threadedly received in the threaded eye to secure the frame support 10 and the bicycle frame together. In other words in such an arrangement the bolt acts in the same way as if a bolt-through bicycle wheel was present, but with the frame support 10 occupying the space between the dropouts instead of the wheel hub. As will be apparent to those of skill in the art tightening of the bolt in this situation causes the bicycle frame to be stably secured to the frame support 10. The latter then may be placed onto a horizontal surface 17 as illustrated in Figure 2, or attached to a vertical wall [x] as shown in Figure 3. In another embodiment the frame support 10 may be formed with protruding wedge-like features that are receivable in the bicycle frame dropouts and make use of friction between the wedge-like features and the dropouts in order temporarily to secure the frame and the frame support together. The foregoing aspects, which as explained may be varied extensively within the scope of the disclosure, amount to at least one fastening arrangement located, preferably as a protrusion, on at least one lateral side of the rigid structure 11. However in other embodiments it is not necessary for the fastening arrangement to protrude as described or to be at a side perse of the rigid structure 11. On the contrary the fastening arrangement may be embodied for instance by way of one or more recesses formed e.g. in the top surface of the rigid structure 11 and into which at least the front forks of a bicycle or tricycle frame may be inserted. Such an arrangement, which is within the scope of the disclosure hereof, may provide for stable supporting of a bicycle frame from which the front wheel is removed, without requiring any protruding fastening arrangement. When a spindle is so secured the bicycle frame may readily be supported in an upright orientation on a horizontal surface 17 with which at least one contact face such as faces 12, 13 is in contact. The shape of the frame support ensures that the bicycle (minus at least one wheel) is stable in this position, since the contact face through interaction with the surface tends to react forces that might otherwise cause the frame to tip over under the gravitational action of its self-weight. When the surface extends horizontally, as is the case at the bottom of a bathtub, the frame of the bicycle is spaced from the surface by the height of the bore 14 above the contact face 12, 13. The frame extends in a direction essentially normal to the surface. The disclosure hereof extends to the combination of a frame support 10 in accordance with embodiments as described and including a spindle received in the at least one bore 14 and protruding from each of two opposite sides of the rigid structure 11. The disclosure further extends to such a combination when a protruding part of the spindle is received in and secured to at least one dropout of a bicycle or tricycle frame. This situation is illustrated in a simplified form in Figure 2, in which a bicycle frame 16 is supported using two of the frame supports 10a and 10b. These are secured to dropouts 20a, 20b respectively at the front and rear of the bicycle frame 16. In order to accommodate this the wheels normally secured at the dropouts have been removed, so that the protruding spindles may instead be secured to the dropouts and tightened. Following such securing of the spindles the frame 16 then stably may be stood on an essentially horizontal surface 17 which may be for instance the floor of a room, cupboard or garage; or may as explained above be the floor of a bathtub. When used in the last- mentioned fashion the frame support(s) 10 allow storing of the major part of a bicycle in a space (i.e. the interior of the bathtub) that for most of the time is unused in a house or apartment. In Figure 2 two of the frame supports 10a and 10b are employed to support and stabilise the front and rear ends of the bicycle frame 16 on a surface 17. However the frame support 10 may successfully be used as an individual support secured at either the front or the rear of the bicycle frame 16. In Figure 2 the rear frame support 10a is shown as having a greater height than the front frame support 10b. This provides an advantage, explained below, in terms of ensuring that the chain and (when present) rear derailleur of the bicycle frame are supported vertically spaced from the surface 17. However the use of relatively tall and short frame supports 10a and 10b is entirely optional; and successful results can be achieved using two such supports each of the same height or, as mentioned, a single such support. Moreover it is possible for the front support 10b to be taller than the rear support 10a. When two frame supports 10a and 10b are employed to support a bicycle frame they may differ in other respects than solely their heights. In particular the width of the rear frame support 10a at its lowermost point (i.e. at the level of its contact face(s)) may be greater in the lateral (left-right when looking along the bicycle frame from back to front) direction than that of the front frame support 10b. Figure 1 shows that at each open end the bore 14 terminates in a respective boss 18a, 18b. The bosses 18a, 18b, which are optional features, assist to ensure that there is no play between the frame support 10 and the dropouts when the fastening arrangement is tightened. To this end the bosses 18a, 18b may be removably securable at the ends 14a, 14b of the bore 14. This feature allows the fitting of various thicknesses of the bosses 18a, 18b (or, as indicated, no bosses at all) in order to accommodate differing designs of bicycle frames. In this regard for example the spacings between the dropouts of for example a so-called “gravel bike” frame may be greater than the counterpart dropout spacings of a time trial or track bicycle frame. In embodiments the frame support may be supplied with a selection of differently sized bosses that may as desired be fitted to the frame to accommodate different dropout spacings. The bosses 18a, 18b may in some embodiments be constituted as a stack of washers the number of which in each stack may be varied in order to vary the boss width. The illustrated bosses 18a, 18b are cylindrical but as will occur to the person of skill in the art considerable variation of the shapes of these is possible. An optional feature that is visible in Figure 1 is a sprocket or jockey wheel member 19. This is secured on the vertical, exterior face presented by the boss 18a. The purpose of the sprocket / jockey wheel member 19 is to support the drive chain 21 of a bicycle or tricycle in a manner preventing it from dragging on the surface 17 when a bicycle frame 16 is supported by the frame support 10. In this regard when the rear wheel is removed from a bicycle the chain 21 of the bicycle remains loosely attached to the bicycle frame 17, as a loop passing through the triangular space defined by the right-hand chain stay 22 (Figure 2) and seat stay 23. Removal of the rear wheel of the bicycle de-tensions the chain 21. Since the chain 21 is flexible at such a time it adopts a slack loop form, in which configuration it is likely to contact any adjacent horizontal surface such as surface 17. The chain of a bicycle if properly lubricated is a source of grease, which is adherent to many materials; and nearly all bicycle chains are contaminated by dust, grit particles and sometimes water and mud. In view of this clearly it is undesirable for the chain to contact the surface 17. The sprocket / jockey wheel member prevents such contact by, on securing of a frame support 10a at the rear of the bicycle frame, re-establishing the chain tensioning effect normally provided by the rear bicycle wheel and preventing the chain 21 from dangling loosely. Consequently as illustrated in Figure 2 the lower run 21a of the loop of the chain is held by the frame support above any surface on which the frame support is stood for the purpose of supporting the bicycle frame 16. The sprocket / jockey wheel member 19 is of particular assistance when the bicycle includes a rear derailleur (chain-shifting transmission changing device). A typical derailleur includes a pair of mutually laterally spaced, downwardly depending cage plates between which the chain 21 passes. A pair of toothed upper jockey and lower idler pulleys guide the chain in a sinuous line through the cage plates, which are spring-biased to cause the jockey and idler pulleys to tension the chain. When the rear wheel is removed from a bicycle the spring biasing of the cage plates causes significant de-tensioning of the chain 21, to a greater degree than would occur in a bicycle omitting a derailleur (and in which the chain 21 is significantly shorter). Consequently in a derailleur-equipped bicycle the risk of dragging of a de-tensioned chain 21 is high. Use of the sprocket / jockey wheel member 19 prevents this inconvenient phenomenon. The sprocket / jockey wheel 19 may take a variety of forms. Hence it may be secured to the frame support in an immovable fashion (for example in a particularly low-cost version of the frame support 10) or it may be rotatable. In the latter case cleaning of the chain 21 is facilitated; and the frame support 10 may include further optional features, as described below, to assist with chain cleaning. The sprocket / jockey wheel member 19 shown in Figure 1 is formed as a complete circle, including sprocket teeth distributed about its outer periphery in the same way as a drive sprocket of a rear bicycle or tricycle wheel. However when the sprocket / jockey wheel member 19 is fixed relative to the frame support 10 it need not adopt a completely circular shape. On the contrary, an approximately semicircular sprocket member having peripheral teeth extending only from approximately sprocket tooth 24 to sprocket tooth 26 in the direction of arrow T in Figure may adequately support the chain 21 when the sprocket member 19 is not rotatable relative to the frame support. When on the other hand the sprocket / jockey wheel member 19 is rotatable it is expected to adopt the fully circular shape shown. When this is the case the frame support 10 may include a plurality of brush bristles secured to or adjacent the sprocket / jockey wheel 19. On causing of the loop of the chain to run through the bristles, as readily may be achieved when the sprocket / jockey wheel 19 is rotatable, the chain may efficiently be cleaned by the brush bristles. Further optionally the frame support 10 may include secured thereto a tank or reservoir 27 located suitably to receive extending therethrough the chain 21 of the bicycle, so that the chain 21 readily may be cleaned. To this end the tank 27 is in the preferred embodiment illustrated located below the sprocket / jockey wheel 19 and includes a pair of top wall perforations 28, 29 by means of which the chain 21 may be caused to lie inside the hollow interior of the tank 27, which may be filled with a cleaning medium such as a liquid detergent. In particular in the embodiment shown the top wall 31 of the tank 27 is removable and each of the top wall perforations 28, 29 includes a respective perforation extension 32, 33 by means of which each perforation 28, 29 extends to and intersects the edge of the top wall 31. It will be clear from this that on removal of the top wall 31 from the tank 27 the chain 21 may be looped into the interior of the tank 27. Then the top wall 31 may be replaced, in order to close the top of the tank 27 with the chain 21 retained underneath the top wall 31 and passing through the perforations 28, 29. In this configuration the chain 21 may be moved (by rotating the chainwheel 33 of the bicycle and causing the sprocket 19 also to rotate while supporting the chain at the rear of the bicycle frame 16) and caused to feed through the tank 27. As this occurs the chain 21 may become immersed in any cleaning medium contained in the tank 27, thereby cleaning the chain 21. Any debris removed from the chain 21 during this process will fall to the bottom of the tank 27 and may subsequently be disposed of. The tank 27 and top wall 31 may include interacting retention means, such as but not limited to form-locking, releasable detents, that ensure the top wall 31 is retained in a closed position resisting any forces transferred to it as a result of tension in the chain 21. The tank 27 further may include internal features such as but not limited to a plurality of brush bristles for assisting in cleaning of the chain 21; and / or one or more chain guide features that ensure correct and smooth passage of the chain 21 on rotation of the chainwheel 33. Such features may be secured to or formed integrally with any suitable part of the interior of the tank 27, in ways that will be familiar to the person of skill in the art. The tank 27 furthermore may include a filling aperture 34, via which a cleaning medium may be added; and a drain aperture 36 via which contaminated cleaning medium and debris may be drained. These apertures may readily be envisaged. The filling aperture 34 typically would be located at or near the top of the tank 27; and the drain aperture 36 at a lower part. Plugs, bungs or caps may be included for the purpose of temporarily sealing the apertures 34, 36 in order to prevent egress of e.g. a liquid or otherwise flowable cleaning medium. The tank 27 preferably is removably secured to the rigid structure 11, since this permits cleaning of the tank 27 when significant amounts of debris have accumulated inside it. Various means of attaching the tank 27 in this manner will occur to the person of skill in the art. However in some embodiments the tank 27 may be permanently attached to the rigid structure 11. The contact face(s) 12, 13 of the rigid structure may include one or more engagement members that in use lie between the contact face(s) 12,13 and a surface against which the contact face(s) otherwise would bear. In some embodiments the one or more engagement members may include for example one or more elastomeric pads secured to the contact face(s) 12, 13 and that cushion the rigid structure when it presses against a surface such as surface 17. Such pads may on their exposed faces be coated with for example an adhesive compound that semi-permanently secures the rigid structure 11 to the surface 17. Additionally or alternatively the one or more engagement member may include one or more fasteners such as but not limited to one or more flexible suction cups 37, 38 that are visible in Figure 1; and / or one or more keyhole apertures 39, 41 formed in the material of the rigid structure. The keyhole apertures 39, 41 if present may be used to secure one or more fasteners such as the suction cups 37, 38 (or other designs of fastener) to the rigid structure. Equally the keyhole apertures may attach directly to one or more securing features of the in use adjacent surface, such as surface 17. As a non-limiting example of a securing feature of this kind one may consider a protruding nail or screw secured in the material of the surface 17. Features of this kind are useful when it is intended to support a bicycle or tricycle frame 16 on a horizontal surface such as surface 17; but they are not essential in this mode of use of the apparatus of the disclosure. The various fastening options as exemplified herein are of particular use when it is desired to support a bicycle or tricycle frame relative to a vertical surface such as an interior wall of a shower cubicle or a cupboard. An example of this mode of use of the frame support of the disclosure is illustrated in Figure 3 hereof. In Figure 3 the reference numerals essentially correspond to the counterpart numerals in Figure 2, with the exception that numeral 17a designates a vertical surface to which the frame supports 10a and 10b are secured, such that the bicycle frame extends essentially vertically as shown. Clearly in such a situation an ability to secure the frame support(s) 10 to the surface 17a is important in stably supporting the frame 16. As a non-limiting example surface 17a may be a vertical wall of a shower, inside the cubicle of which it is desired to store the bicycle frame 16. Reverting now to the situation of the frame support(s) 10 standing on a horizontal surface, Figure 4 illustrates another optional aspect. This is that the contact face(s) of the frame support 10 may be formed with one or more recesses or equivalent features 42 permitting stacking of a plurality of the frame supports. As is apparent in Figure 4 the recesses 42 are formed to match the size and shape of the uppermost part of the rigid structure 11 whereby stable stacking of a plurality 10c, 10d of the frame supports one upon another is possible. By this means it is possible to use a plurality of frame supports according to the disclosure hereof to create a low-cost, light weight work stand using which the frame 16 of a bicycle may be raised to a working height Figure 4 shows two identical frame supports 10c, 10d stacked one on the other; but it is not mandatory for the stacked frame supports 10 to be identical with one another. Also a larger number of the frame supports than the two illustrated may, depending on certain aspects of their design, be so stacked. Furthermore if desired the frame supports 10c, 10d may include retention means using which it is possible to secure the frame supports 10c, 10d in the stacked condition illustrated. Aside from the benefit this brings of improving stability of the frame supports 10c, 10d when they stand on a horizontal surface, such retention means may permit the stacked frame supports 10c, 10d to be secured to a vertical surface such as surface 17a of Figure 3. Although the use of the frame supports disclosed herein is described with reference to horizontal and vertical surfaces 17, 17a, the frame supports 10 may also be used on inclined or non-flat surfaces. Some minor modification of the design of the frame supports 10 may be desirable in order to achieve this. It will readily occur to the person of skill in the art how to achieve this, for example by providing inclined or recessed parts of the frame supports 10. However it is anticipated that in the majority of instances when it is required to stand the frame supports 10 on an inclined surface the designs illustrated herein may be used without modification. Indeed the use of two of the frame supports 10 which readily may pivotingly engage the dropouts of a bicycle frame gives rise to an arrangement that is superior to for example a prior art workstand when it is required to support a bicycle frame on an inclined surface. Consequently the frame support as disclosed herein may be used to create attractive display effects in a bicycle showroom. As noted the rigid structure 11 may include a hollow interior and may be defined by a plurality of walls that form a closed structure at least in a lower part of the rigid structure 11. The interior of the closed structure may in such embodiments be filled as desired with a ballast material such as water or sand, in order to improve stability of the frame support 10 in use. To this end when so configured the hollow interior may be defined by a plurality of interconnected, fluid-proof walls; and an in-use upper part of the hollow interior may include a filling aperture via which the hollow interior may be filled with a fluid that acts as a ballast inside the hollow interior. Such a filling aperture optionally may be closeable by way of one or more plugs, bungs or similar features. As is apparent from the figures, the width of the frame support 10 measured in the left-right direction of a bicycle or tricycle frame 16 that it supports in use is no greater than the width of the bicycle or tricycle frame 16 in the said left-right direction. This assures the stability of the frame support 10 while discouraging any attempt to use it in the manner of an indoor trainer of the kind described above. As mentioned the disclosure hereof extends to a number of kits of parts, which may include combinations of the various elements as disclosed. Overall the frame support as described herein provides a light weight, low cost means of storing bicycles and tricycle (or, in some modes of use, the major parts of these vehicles) in a manner that if desired may make use of e.g. a confined space in an apartment. The frame support of the disclosure moreover can be used as a low cost retail display and a support for use inside a vehicle. Furthermore the frame support may serve as a low cost, light weight bicycle frame work stand. The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the 5 state of the art or is common general knowledge. Preferences and options for a given aspect, feature or parameter of the invention should, unless the context indicates otherwise, be regarded as having been disclosed in combination with any and all preferences and options for all other aspects, features and parameters of the invention.

Claims

1. A bicycle or tricycle frame support comprising a rigid structure defining at least one contact face for directly or indirectly engaging a surface; and at least one fastening arrangement located at or near at least one lateral side of the rigid structure and that is releasably securable at or near at least the one lateral side of the rigid structure to a dropout at the front or rear of a bicycle or tricycle frame whereby when the fastening arrangement is secured the bicycle frame may be supported relative to the surface in an orientation normal thereto with the rigid structure spacing the bicycle frame from the surface and the contact face through interaction with the surface reacting forces tending to deflect the frame from its normal orientation.

2. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 1 wherein the at least one fastening arrangement includes a bore extending through and supported by the rigid structure and that is spaced from the contact face in a direction normal thereto, the at least one bore being dimensioned to receive a bicycle or tricycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt such that the spindle, skewer or bolt extends inside the rigid structure and protrudes on at least one side thereof, and such that the spindle, skewer or bolt is securable to a said dropout3. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 the rigid structure of which tapers from a transversely relatively broad form at or adjacent the contact face to a transversely relatively narrow form at or adjacent the fastening arrangement.

4. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 when depending from Claim 2 wherein the at least one bore is dimensioned such that a bicycle or tricycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt received therein extends through the rigid structure and protrudes on each of two opposite sides thereof such that the spindle, skewer or bolt is securable at opposite ends to respective left and right dropouts at the front or rear of a bicycle frame.

5. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 2 or any preceding claim depending from Claim 2 including a bicycle or tricycle wheel spindle, skewer or bolt received in the at least one bore and protruding from each of two opposite sides of the rigid structure.

6. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 5 wherein the spindle, skewer or bolt is, at at least one said protruding part, received in and secured to a dropout of a bicycle or tricycle frame.

7. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any preceding claim wherein the rigid structure is formed as a block of material.

8. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any preceding claim wherein the rigid structure includes a hollow interior.

9. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any preceding claim wherein the rigid structure is defined by a framework comprising a plurality of interconnected, rigid members.

10. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 2 or any preceding claim depending from Claim 2 including at each end of the bore a respective boss protruding from the rigid structure.

11. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any preceding claim including a sprocket or jockey wheel member defining at least part of a circular chain support and secured spaced from the rigid structure adjacent the location at which a said fastening arrangement protrudes from one side of the rigid structure, the sprocket or jockey wheel member being located and dimensioned to bear the chain of a bicycle or tricycle frame at least one rear dropout of which is secured using the fastening arrangement to the support.

12. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 11 wherein the sprocket or jockey wheel member is fixed so as to be immovable relative to the rigid structure.

13. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any of Claims 11 to 13 wherein the sprocket or jockey wheel member defines an arcuate, partial circumference that is located relative to the remainder of the support such as to bear the chain of a said bicycle or tricycle frame at least one rear dropout of which is secured using the fastening arrangement to the frame support.

14. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any of Claims 11 to 13 wherein the sprocket or jockey wheel is rotatably secured to the rigid structure.

15. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 11 including a plurality of brush bristles secured to or adjacent the sprocket or jockey wheel member.

16. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 15 wherein the rigid structure defines or includes secured thereto a tank or reservoir that is perforated to permit a length of chain to extend through and lie inside the tank or reservoir.

17. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 16 wherein the tank or reservoir includes one or more of:a. at or near an upper region thereof, a filling aperture by means of which filling of the tank with a flowable medium may be effected; and / orb. at or near its bottom a drain, that is normally closed by a removable drain plug, by means of which flowable medium may be drained from the tank or reservoir.

18. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 16 or Claim 17 wherein the tank or reservoir is removably secured to the rigid structure.

19. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any preceding claim wherein the at least one contact face includes fixed thereto one or more engagement members for engaging a said surface.

20. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 19 wherein at least one said engagement member is or includes one or more fastener for securing the frame support to a said surface.

21. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 20 wherein the one or more fastener includes a) a flexible suction cup that is securable to the at least one contact face and / or b) at least one keyhole aperture formed in the material of the support.

22. A bicycle or tricycle frame support, according to any preceding claim, the width of which measured in the left-right direction of a bicycle or tricycle frame that it supports in use is no greater than the width of the bicycle or tricycle frame in the said left-right direction.

23. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to Claim 25 wherein the contact face includes a recess of generally the same shape and size as the upper surface, whereby two or more of the frame supports may stably be stacked one on top of another.

24. A bicycle or tricycle frame support according to any preceding claim wherein the rigid structure defines at or adjacent an in-use lower end of the frame support a hollow interior that is closed at least at an in-use lower end by a plurality of interconnected, fluid-proof walls; and wherein an in-use upper part of the hollow interior includes a filling aperture via which the hollow interior may be filled with a fluid that acts as a ballast inside the hollow interior.

25. A kit of parts comprising a pair of bicycle or tricycle frame supports each according to any preceding claim.

26. A kit of parts comprising three bicycle or tricycle frame supports each according to any preceding claim.

27. A kit of parts according to Claim 29 when depending from Claim 2 or a kit of parts according to Claim 29 when depending from Claim 2 including a plurality of bicycle wheel spindles and / or bolts.

Images