All About Chain Guards And Chain Cases And Why They're A Good Idea

Originally this post was going to be just about how I got black chain oil on 4 of my jogging bottoms, but I've since expanded it to cover what I think are important additions to any bike intended to be ridden in your everyday street clothes.

So, I bought a Brompton and it's the first of my bikes without a chainguard (amongst other town bike refinements). Unsurprising given the type of bike it is. it is built first and foremost with compactness in mind. Now, one of these is a chain guard which would detract from this compactness if it were fitted.

But you know when these things aren't there...because you start to notice your trousers have gained another colour - black - from chain oil! Now, thankfully, said trousers, of which there are 4 pairs...are dark blue joggers costing less  than £5 - including a new pair. But imagine if it had been business clothes or white chinos :-0. 3 pairs have elasticated bottoms whilst one doesn't - which is why it got caught in the chain...

My new £3.99 joggers...then again, could
have been a pair of cream/white £75 chinos...
or whatever from one of those fancy boutique
designer label fashion shops...

Now, I've noticed, chainguards are quite rare in the UK, probably because the industry and the majority of (serious) cyclists see cycling as something you dress up for, eg cycling shorts or somesuch. Because for many, cycling is seen as mainly a sports activity or something strenuous - commuting 12-20 miles to work, followed by a shower and change of clothes.

Also, I thought I could get away with just making sure I pedalled in a straight line, theory being my trouser leg didn't touch the chain. But you cannot cycle with your head down all the time looking at your right leg...

Roughly, there are 3 types of chain  coverings: the chainguard - by far the most common and easiest to fit, the chaincase, and the Hebie chainglider.

Chainguard on my first Kettler

Chaincase on my Gazelle Toer Populaire

The chainguard is easy to fit, but usually, the frame still needs holes in it to attach with the screws. As you can see from the photo, it is just a shield covering some of the chain, but does the job. A chaincase completely covers the chain. Aftermarket chaincases are a lot harder to fit - seem to be specific to the bike and made for the manufacturer eg Pashley and Gazelle, fitted when the bike's being made, but offer the most protection for the chain and your clothes...I bought one and found that if I wanted to fit it to my Kettler, extensive cutting was involved.

Caveats - if you buy something mail order, you could find it may not fit...a problem made worse when factoring a hefty postage and packing expense, especially from the European online shops. Could be a matter of trial and error ...and expense to even find one that fits...Also, some of the chaincases are made of plastic parts that clip together and come assembled so you need to take them apart to fit them...quite difficult with mine. Yours truly broke the plastic clips when taking said case apart...broken before even fitted! :(((

Hebie Chainglider - photo taken by Robert Thomson on Flickr
(Think I've satisfied the legal stuff for using other peoples'
photos on Flickr).

Next up in keeping our trousers (coats/skirts/dresses? - some Dutch bikes like my Gazelle come with dress/coat guards) and chain clean is the Hebie Chainglider. A unique German product, it's basically a plastic sleeve that fits round the chain. Not tried one, but plan to soon. Some might (I did) have reservations about something that looks like it's subject to friction from the chain, but given many German companies use them on their £2K + Rohloff trekking bikes, I'm sure it's fine. I suppose it depends if it's fitted correctly, but it looks easy to fit - just clips round the chain and sprocket - see the short film on the company's site per the link. Speaking from experience, make sure you allow enough time to do it right...;-) Also, make sure you get the right size...they are specific to the number of teeth on the chain ring, as you'll see from the link. The whole thing is £40-50 by the way, with individual fronts/backs costing £20 or so.

Where To Buy (Aftermarket In The UK):

Surprisingly, I couldn't find much even on the internet including ebay. This together with the effort needed to fit them means that it's probably best to buy a bike that already has one, especially a chaincase. With a few exceptions, odds are you won't find chainguards in a typical bikeshop and you'll be lucky to find a chaincase. The Hebie is difficult to find outside London too, so may as well start with the internet. Don't forget many bikeshops do ecommerce as well. You should be able to find something that meets your needs via the links below:

Dutch Bike Bits

Rose Bikes

Fietspunt

SJS Cycles