Originally Posted by
claulo
Good afternoon..., I have a naive question. I have had my carbon frame since 2021, and I have never used a chainstay protector.I have noticed that in that part of the pod, there are paint splashes. I'm scared that the frame will break. I use it on the road, never other terrain. Is it possible for the frame to break if I don't use a chainstay? Is it too late?
It's unlikely that chain slap will do worse than cause cosmetic damage to the top of the stay, that's what a protector guards against. Chain suck OTOH can gouge chunks out of the chainstay, as seems to have happened very slightly on the outside of yours. There's not much you can do about that, in the worst case the chain will go straight through helo tape; just keep your transmission in good condition and well adjusted. I sometimes wrap a chainstay in rubber (old inner-tube cut into ribbon) as much to quieten the chain slap as to protect the frame, but I don't care much about paint chips, because I don't own carbon bikes.