Chainguard question

[KLizotte]

Tonight my chain guard was attacked by a wicked troll while parked at Union Station. As a result, three of the brackets that attach it to the ring are broken so I will now have to remove it.

My question is this: how much is this guard really protecting my pants/legs? I know most bikes don’t have chain guards but it’s been so many years since I’ve ridden an “unguarded” bike that I don’t remember if it was a problem or not. Most of the time I wear bike clothes but on occasion I do wear regular clothes and don’t usually wear a “cuff” on the right leg. I’m asking because I’m unsure whether I should get a replacement.

I’m annoyed Trek would attach such a cheap plastic component that was not built to last.

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Topic

[mstone]

now I’m starting to wonder if I’m confused–what the heck are we talking about?

[Arlingtonrider]

Chains, bondage – usual stuff. All in the name of safety, of course.

[dasgeh]

I’ve had my pants get caught in the chain and rip exactly once, but it was scary enough that I cuff every time that I wear non-biker pants on a naked-chained bike. Plus, they were the pants to my favorite suit, and they were beyond repair. And I had to show up to a meeting like that. Like I said, last time I chanced it.

I find the fold-and-cuff method to be more reliable than any ankle strap, though sometimes I’ll throw an ankle strap over a fold-and-cuff if I can find one…

[KLizotte]

I only had the chainguard off a week and the freakin’ ring chewed up a shoe cover the first time I wore it (before I went through the scary intersection fortunately). Grrrrrrrr. I’m clearly not fit to ride unguarded. The LBS is trying to order a replacement from Shimano (though I had to find the part number myself online to give them).

[FFX_Hinterlands]

Ugh. On the bright side you can apparently find some decent advice on this forum!

[KLizotte]

@Arlingtonrider 12282 wrote:

As Mark mentioned, there’s a real possibility of having a crash if your trouser leg or a shoe lace gets caught. I keep two kinds of leg bands handy – both the velcro kind and a coiled reflective band (which works better on some pants). The coiled one is kept on my seatpost as an extra reflector when I’m not using it otherwise. Although it’s a bit of a pain, I also double tie my shoelaces like little kids do and tuck all the ends securely underneath the lacings in the middle. I can understand why velcro closures are popular on cycling shoes!

I recommend these elastic laces if you want to get away from the hassle of always having to tie your shoes plus they are safer if you have an unguarded chain ring. They are typically used by tri-athletes.

http://www.locklaces.com/

[Author]

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