I have a commuter bike set up with a 1x9 drive with a 34t ring up front. Until recently I had a Velo-Orange chainguard keeping my pants out of the chain.
That chainguard was always problematic and over the weekend I had to take it off. So now I'm looking for a new chainguard or chainring guard.
The problem I'm having is that my 34t chainring is much smaller than what most people use. The chainguards and chainring guards I've been look at all seem too big.
So my questions are:
1. I really liked the look of a classic, shiny chainguard. Can anyone recommend a guard that would work with my small front ring and with a 1x9 chain line?
2. I've been looking at the Sugino Chainring Guard for 40-42t. Would that work with my 34t ring? Is that guard so big that it would interfere with the chain line going to the 9 speed cassette in the back? (I experienced something similar using a too-big bashguard with a medium-sized chainring——there was chain rub when I used the highest gear on the cassette.)
3. Does anyone use something they like that I might not have thought of?
My pants and I thank you.
Extra details: The crank is a five-hole, 110 BCD triple with the inner and outer chainrings removed. So there's room for a new outer ring.
Problems with the VO Alloy Chainguard included; the rear attachment bracket and bolt interfered with chain path. (I ended up bolting the back of the guard to a p-clamp on the seat stay.) The line of the chain guard from the bottom bracket to the seat stay interfered with the crank. The guard had to be bent in an ugly way to keep from being hit and scraped by the crank. And even then, it never fit right. Finally, the front installation of the guard was a flat piece of metal with a hole in it that fit between the frame and the fixed cup in the bottom bracket. There wasn't a tight enough seal so eventually water leaked into the bottom bracket and fouled the grease. This was a problem too far and when I repacked the bottom bracket the guard came off for good.