Hebie Chainglider Pics
 

The way I build up my bikes is to purchase a piece at a time and put it in a bin, when the bin is full, I have a new bike. My current build is going to be an upright touring bike, and I believe in minimal maintenance so I ordered an Hebie Chainglider from Urbane Cyclist out of Toronto.
It arrived today and here is a very limited review. I have one hand in a cast so the pics are a little shaky, sorry.

The Chainglider is made of a flexible plastic, and is intended to ride atop the chain. This one is for use with the Rohloff Speedhub with a cog that has with 15-17 teeth and a 42 tooth ring in the front. It's going on a bicycle that is still incomplete and I have not installed it as yet. Since I banged up my Giant, I'm in need of a heavy hauler, so in the meantime I'm going to temporarily turn my SS mountain bike into an aberration, and make it more street compliant. I'll give installing the chainglider on it a go and let you know how it performs in a few days.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictur...glider/Box.jpg
As it came once I took it out of its packing box.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictur...ider/Apart.jpg
It peels apart into four parts.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictur...ider/Peel2.jpg
Peeling apart the 2 main halves and showing the flexibility of the plastic.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictur...lider/Aft3.jpg
The aft end has grooves so its overall length can be adjusted.
It also has markings telling you what side faces inward so you don't misassemble it.

I asked Urbane about this. When I asked my LBS about it, he commented that he thought it would make a racket because it indeed rides on the chain

the (very helpful) lady at Urbane said it "floats" on the chain more than drags. She promised silence. Can't wait to hear what you think. It'll be a month before I have my bike together.

Wow, it doesn't attach to the frame at all?

Great advice. :beer:

Simple and effective. :)

I take it you have some Bin Elves that put it all together for you, right? ;) Let us know your thoughts on the Chainglider when they've finished assembling your bike. I'm curious to know how well that thing works.

^^^
The Bin Elf is quite a bit larger and harrier than your average cobbler type elf, and lives in the back of the LBS instead of a tree. But he does have lace wings and has been know to wear a tutu.

Well, it's finally all together. I love the Nexus 8 Hub. The gear range is perfect for me with a 38t x 18t setup. Shifting while stopped rocks.

this thread is about the chainglider. The chainglider DOES make some noise. It is tolerable but if a silent bicycle is your goal, look elsewhere. It is a faint but audible dragging sound

When I got it back from the bike shop, the chainglider added noticeable drag/friction to the drivetrain. It was a deal breaker. Once I got it home, I lubed the heck out of the chain. Now it is much more acceptable. You have to have a lot of lube to keep the chainglider from robbing your efficiency.

I like it overall, but it isn't perfect. A bit of noise, and a tiny bit of drag once it is properly lubed

Thanks for the review.

Would you mind telling us what kind of chain you're using? 3/32" or 1/8" internal width? Does it have a master link? Hebie's specifications say not to use a master link that measures more than 9mm externally (my master link measures about 10.5mm externally....so I would have to replace it if I wanted to use a Hebie).

Thanks to all for posting the great info and pics here. Jeffbeerman2, nice job. I just bought a Surly Crosscheck frame and am gathering up parts to put it together. I'm going to install a Nexus with 38x20, with moustache bars instead of drops. I just ordered the hub, will build up the wheels after it arrives. I'll have to think about the chain cover, doesn't rain much in my area but it would be nice to keep the sand out of the chain.

I have no idea. that is why I hired my LBS to do it. I don't want to deal with the mechanical aspects of it. Now you have me wondering if the LBS knew this. That thing had a LOT of drag before I oiled the !@#$ out of it. I'll ask them next time I'm at the shop.

Yeah, I know how you feel. Unfortunately it's often the case that if you want something done right then you have to do it yourself.

Please post back when you get the answer from your LBS. Remember, chain master links like these, http://www.jensonusa.com/product/fea...h/CH409Z20.jpg, are out of spec (too wide). Both 1/8" and 3/32" internal width chains are supposed to be ok, but I wonder if a 3/32" chain would have less drag (since it would also be externally narrower).

In all likelihood I'm guessing you probably have a 1/8" chain without a master link.

Updates on these reviews?

I'm interested, but I am too cheap to pay $46! http://www.bikefront.com/products/chainguards/701/

yeah, $46 is stiff...I started thinking about this after the unfolding precipitation this week. We had a snow, then sun, then snow/rain. The snow/rain got all over my bike, despite fenders with big flaps, and froze. I actually had to attack it with a screwdriver and break ice off on Wed. and Thur. morning!

Well, yesterday I looked at my chain since the weather turned back good, and it was messed up...covered in salt, grime, just nastee! I cleaned it like a champ, but it sure got me thinkin'. I think $46 is cheap compared to never having to touch your chain...that is, if the friction on the Hebie is negligible!

So, Allen, Jeff, is it negligible?

It's ok (lower case). You can feel it, you can hear it, the drag is more than my dyno hub, less than the old bottle generator I had on my Wester Flyer. I keep it on my beach cruiser, which actually gets used at the beach.

Here's the trick, lube the hell out of your chain, pour lube in the case before you install it, and then after you put it on pour more lube in the small fill hole.

It does a very good job at keeping your chain clean. If you live on a dirt road, use your bike on the beach, or live in snow country, it is advantageous to have.

I like it on my beach cruiser, and since I live on a dirt road like it around here.

Good info, AllenG. That's what I was looking for. Since spring is upon us I might just wait until next season. Thanks.

One more question: Is there a chance of the lube leaking and finding its way to your pants?

No, not really. Right after you lube it up, the chain ring and cog will have lube leak on them. Ride it around the block once and wipe off the excess, after that you are good for a month or better. But no, I don't have oil stains on my pants leg.

lube doesn't leak (except for when ya first put it on). I lube it just as much as before the chainglider (probably more than I need to). It keeps pants clean and free of rips. The back piece of mine fell off somewhere, but it still works fine. This winter, I rode my MTB with spikes and an open drivetrain quite a few days. I have torn pants to show for it. The chainglider is a great product. Once you have a chainguard, you wonder why any bike would be sold without one. A bike sans chainguard is like a car sans door. If I had to do it again and could find another product that would fit, I would buy a traditional chainguard instead of the chainglider. $46 is almost half of what I paid incl shipping. Its worth the $$$ to have a chainguard that fits my bike

Quick question for you...kind of a dumb one actually...but i see a lot of fixed gear bikes with large rear hubs (as opposed to bikes with gears with small hubs). What does that large rear hub allow for?

^^^
You may be seeing internal gear hub bikes. They look like swollen single speed hubs.
They have the same chain line as FG/SS bikes.