I’ve Been Thinking About Chainguards

Most modern bikes just don’t bother.  The racing crowd uses tights, commuters use leg clips or velcro straps, and riding in the summer means wearing shorts, so the issue is moot.  And then there is the whole matter of dealing with a front derailleur.

But there are many times when I just want to jump on the bike without changing my clothes, without looking for the rubber band that I used last time, and without worrying about catching my cuff on the chainring.  So I’m looking around at what is available in the world of chainguards.

Right now, there are two on my list:  This one from Soma

and this one from SKS at Velo Orange:

Click to enlarge

The SKS model is about $10 less; both are available via mail order.  It looks like the SKS will require pulling the crank, and there are concerns about it interfering with the large ring.  I can’t find anything reviewing the Soma.

Any thoughts?

3 responses to “I’ve Been Thinking About Chainguards

  1. Just keep a leg band in your seat bag. I bought a few of them so that there’s always one nearby. Last year I ruined a pair of fairly new khakis riding a bike with a chainguard. Ironically, my pants got caught and pulled up underneath the guard. Go figure. They are now a fairly nice pair of shorts.

  2. doesn’t the company that makes the wood fenders that you have make chainguards too? That would be a real nice combo.

  3. Cody does make chainguards, but he seems to be limited to single chainring styles and for retro-fits where there are already mounts. On top of that, they’re pretty pricey and not subject to the good discounts that I managed with his fenders. I’ll probably just end up getting a leg band and keeping it handy until someone comes out with a design that seems to work.

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