Utility Cycling - hebie chainglider as bashguard?

I have a question for you hebie chainglider owners? Do you suppose the chainglider offers bash protection?

In other words, do you think a bare chainring can be easily damaged by impact than a chainring covered with the chainglider's plastic?

I saw it in person last week and though I didn't throw it under a bus to test durability I would say it's strong enough to protect the chain from minor road debris as you would encounter on a city commute throughout the year and also prevent your trouser leg from getting stuck in the chain, but it will fail against impact from a machete or baseball bat or nunchucks or flame thrower.

The concern I have is whether the plastic will retain it's shape over time, after months of winter, summer, as well as internal heat from chain friction, because if it starts to curl or buckle as plastics do then the chainglider might become a noisy little chaingrinder.

But a heat gun could probably fix that.

Got one that I'm going to use on my new build.
They are kind of flexy, they may help as a bash guard, but......

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Chainglider/Box.jpg
In the box

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Chainglider/Apart.jpg
Apart

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Chainglider/Peel.jpg
Peeling it apart for disassembly.

are these universal i would like one on my bike

The plastic is quite durable for its low weight and I think it would protect your chainrings pretty well. I wouldn't put full confidence in it for mountain biking but for road riding, what it was intended for, I would put 100% confidence behind it

I currently have stock of Hebie Chaingliders for sale at Bikefront.com
http://www.bikefront.com/products/chainguards


are these universal i would like one on my bike
The short answer is no
The Chainglider comes in 3 models that support either 38 tooth, 42 tooth or 44 tooth front chainrings. The 38 tooth model supports 18-22 tooth rear cogs, the 44 tooth model supports 19-20 tooth rear cogs and the 42 tooth model supports 15-17 tooth cogs. There is some compromise involved but I can tell you whole heartedly its worth it to never have to worry about your pant leg being or having to lube and clean your chain nearly as often

There is some compromise involved but I can tell you whole heartedly its worth it to never have to worry about your pant leg being or having to lube and clean your chain nearly as often

You still have to lube and clean your chain on occasion?

The plastic is quite durable for its low weight and I think it would protect your chainrings pretty well. I wouldn't put full confidence in it for mountain biking but for road riding, what it was intended for, I would put 100% confidence behind it

I currently have stock of Hebie Chaingliders for sale at Bikefront.com
http://www.bikefront.com/products/chainguards


The short answer is no
The Chainglider comes in 3 models that support either 38 tooth, 42 tooth or 44 tooth front chainrings. The 38 tooth model supports 18-22 tooth rear cogs, the 44 tooth model supports 19-20 tooth rear cogs and the 42 tooth model supports 15-17 tooth cogs. There is some compromise involved but I can tell you whole heartedly its worth it to never have to worry about your pant leg being or having to lube and clean your chain nearly as often

Can you tell me which one would be suitable for my bike
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=21917

You still have to lube and clean your chain on occasion?

I wouldn't necessarily go into full on chain neglect mode once you have a Chainglider on. Depending on your riding conditions, water and dust still may get in. How often you need to worry about this is drastically decreased however.


Can you tell me which one would be suitable for my bike
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=21917

That bike is a derailleur geared bike. Chaingliders will only work with singlespeed or hub gear equipped bikes.

oh! gotcha