I am thinking about going to a 52T chain ring from a 48T ring. Are the chain guards a good idea? The current one has duals.

If you ride in pants or shoes with long shoe strings they are a good idea. If you do not you wouldn't need them. Roger

This depends on a person. Some people ride only in fair weather in shorts and find them redundant. Others always carry a strap to put around the leg of their pants. Others ride in all kinds of weather and circumstances and will get their clothes stained without a guard. I belong to the last group and have a chainguard on every bike. I also put a chainguard on any bike I outfit for somebody as I fear that they may get put off from biking if they get stained. Obviously the chainguards come in different forms. Some are minimal but effective enough. Other are bulky.

No chainguard here, but I use wax instead of greasy lube and I ride in narrow legged pants. No problems =). Unnecessary extra weight on the bike.

Huh. I thought the purpose of a chain guard was to keep the chain from falling off when you don't have a front derailleur to keep it on track.

If it's mainly to keep the pants clean, then I can deal with adding a single.

Thank you for your time/replies/

Chains will still jump off even with a chainring protector. There ARE devices which keep them from doing that, though. Chain guides.

Linberl, I'm talking about the plastic (sometimes aluminum) ring alongside the gear. My two folders have them on both sides of the gear.

​​​​​​​dork disc?

​​​​​​​A dork disk is in the rear wheel, behind the cogset. A chain guard is attached the the chainring, between the crank arm and chainring. Occasionally there's 2 chain guards, and they do act as a chain guide. The chain guard is mostly a pant protector imo.

You're talking about a chainring protector, right? Big circle around the chanring up front? Yes, on a single the chain still can jump off and, no, it doesn't stop the chain from jumping, just makes it harder to get it out when it does, lol. But if you're worried about chain jump, I was just saying you can attach a chain guide (a small part that the chain runs through so it can't derail). There are also protectors that go on the back of the cassette to keep the chain from jumping into the wheel, but it your derailleur is set up properly and the stops are correct, that won't happen. I don't use either on my Bike Friday. It came with the front chain ring protector and I ended up taking it off. Chain guide pic::

When you shift in the rear, a wave propagates on the chain up to the chainring that can cause a chain drop when the chainring is rotating. A front derailleur cage limits the lateral movement of the chain and so does a chainguard attached in a close vicinity of the chain. This is also the purpose of the chain guide on Bike Friday.

Friday's don't come with a chain guide (just a chain protector/bashguard). The sell one as an option or there is the problem-solver one I pictured above or, if you like spending money, Paul Components makes a lovely one. I dropped my chain once after I removed the protector and then I learned how to shift and it hasn't happened again =).

I have a chain minder/jump stop on the inside, disc chain/ trouser guard on the outside..

So it stays on Fine..

I have a chain minder/jump stop on the inside, disc chain/ trouser guard on the outside..

So it stays on Fine.. now, Chain tensioner & IGH on back ,
spinning the crank backwards to oil the chain was when it came off

don't actually, fold the bike that often..

Adding, no 19, below, shows a bike where the chain is tensioned at the dropout,
rather than spring wound 2 pulley tensioner..





...

It was no issue going forward , but due to the rear fold hinge location, the bike needs chain tensioner .

It Takes up the slack when rear wheel folded , but still can come off in front Then,

so I made the modest change...

the one on the back, to keep the chain on the cog was also a clever DIY solution..




...

The chainring guard keeps pants from getting dirty and torn by rubbing against the chainring and chain. I prefer to just use a velcro strap around my pant leg if I'm riding somewhere in plain clothes. I think the strap is more reliable, but possibly less convenient. It's a good solution for someone who rides in cycling kit most of the time, but uses street clothes occasionally.

A chainring guard is more useful for someone who rides in street clothes most of the time and doesn't want to bother with a strap. But it doesn't absolve you of the need for keeping your chainring, chain, and the chain guard clean -- your pants can still get grimy riding even with a guard in place. ...so you might just end up using a strap anyway.

Black is my favorite pants color, hiding any incidental chain contact.

here is an image of the trouser guard, on what is now my bike friday Tikit .

Getting cooler, so I put on some long pants and went biking. This particular bike has dual guards. Caught my pants in the chain anyway. Ha ha.

Get some good reflective straps and ditch the guard. I have a friend who had a pretty bad accident when his pants caught the chain, he went down in traffic. If my pants aren't narrow, I wear straps; looking dorky is better than being broken.

Leave the bike as is, buy trouser clips ...


Or just tuck your Trouser cuff into your Sock..




....

Look, the Leg Shield is what I use, along with reflective ankle straps. The Leg Shield provides the most protection, but it also makes you lower leg a bit hot - plus you'll look like a kickboxer! LoL!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006J...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use one of those $20 Driveline chain ring guards off Ebay, and roll up my right pants leg.if I wear dress pants. Not necessary with jeans.