Originally Posted by OneTinSloth
the chainguards on both sides are there to keep the chain from falling off the 'ring, not to keep your precious pants from getting caught/torn/greasy. cyclocrossers use them because they often will use only one chainring in the front and gears in the back. a little extra insurance for when the road gets a little bumpy.
T.A. Specialties has been around longer than your mom.
edit the second: $299 for that crankset is ridiculous.
why is $299 ridiculous? a sugino 75 crankset runs about $200, and if you were to add a coupla guards, you're getting close to $300. quality seems comparable from what i can tell: TA gets high praise from sheldon brown, and as you note, the company has been around longer than your mom. i'm not following your logic...
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