Thursday, November 16, 2006

In praise of chainguards

Image of Specialized Globe commuting bike with chainguard highlighted
Today I received an email from a visitor to my bike commuting tips webpage. "I go to college by cycling over 5 miles every single day. One thing that has annoyed me is protecting the side of my trousers from getting totally ruined by oil."

I replied with suggestions that this young bike commuter 1) roll up pant leg; 2) wear shorts and change; or 3) use an ankle strap, such as my favorite, the Jandd Reflective Ankle Strap.

A better solution for commuters is a chainguard, which once was standard equipment on most bikes. But then bikes became toys and recreational devices rather than utilitarian vehicles, and the chainguard disappeared, along with fenders, lights, bells, and kickstands. Fortunately, the trend in the bike industry looks better. Breezer Bikes was the first bike manufacturer to dedicate their entire line to commuting. Many other companies, such as Specialized and Trek have introduced commuting model bikes.

Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If anybody knows of a retail source for new after-market, that is, non-OEM, plastic chain guards, please post it. Thanks!

Sasquatch said...

Pimp your ride with a metal chain guard:

http://www.megalowrider.com/

Anonymous said...

Be smart; use a plain old binder clip from office supply.

Anonymous said...

SKS makes an aftermarket chain guard: http://www.sks-germany.com/sks.php?l=en&a=range&r=chainguards