Bash guards work wonders. It is a crime that all bikes don't come equipped with them. I won't buy a Surly bike for this very reason.

I rode a mountain bike that came with a bash guard for a few years as my primary transportation vehicle. I never had to worry about my pants getting caught in the big chain ring. However, when I didn't strap or roll up my pant legs, my pants would still get noticeably dirtied by the chain. My solution? I showed a family member who works with steel the problem. Within 60 seconds he made a cardboard cutout of the chain guard he planned to make. Then he built it in no time. If you talk to people from Europe their jaws drop and eyebrows skyrocket when they hear that our bikes require rolling up of pant legs or using straps. It is simply asinine. No two ways about it.



I've since given up on derailleur bikes and gone with an internal gear hub bike (IGH) with a full chain case. No more wrapping up of pant leg. Zero maintenance required of chain or cogs. Care-free biking. The others don't know what they're missing.