# Chain Guide vs. Front Derailleur



## IonicRipper (Oct 26, 2006)

Heres the deal: i have a 04 Norco Sasquatch with front alivio derailleur (rear deore... not really important) but im always and i mean *always* on the 2nd plate and the chain rarely falls. I thought about buying a chain guide but i find them very expensive and im on a very tight budget (no job, just $15/week allocation from my parents for the moment.) I still need to bleed my front brake and buy a new shifter for my rear derailleur (broken shell.) So my question: Ss it worth spending all that money on a chain-guide or should i keep the front derailleur? And if i do buy a chain guide, is it possible to install it with my current bash guard installed?


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## the_godfather (Jan 19, 2007)

depends what bash guard you have and which chain guide you get.
if the chain rarely drops then i would say no to the chainguide. I mainly use the 2nd ring, ocassionally the third for road riding to college but only cos the chain will run against the front derailier as it is designed to run with a 9 speed chain while i'm running 8. If you are gonna start doing fakies and spin moves then i would suggest a chain guide but otherwise no and get the rear shifter and front brake bled. I'm in pretty much the same situation except i've got a job, but that moneys goin towaords my car and i get £18 a week for a paperound - which is basically my bike fund


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## pavement_hurts (May 13, 2006)

keep the front derailleur, ghetto rig it so it doesn't move at all, and line the inside with some electrical tape. use it until it breaks.


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## jimage (Dec 22, 2006)

one of these

how it works

heres the thread i got it from

   :thumbsup:


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## paintballeerXC (Jun 9, 2005)

jimage said:


> one of these
> 
> how it works
> 
> ...


im riding one of those right now, very good if u want Downhill and climibing, also work for urban and trail riding


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## Joules (Oct 12, 2005)

if the budget is tight, just stay with the derailleur, you can dial in the limit screws so it can't move, then toss the shifter and cable if you like - I've got a couple bikes rolling that way. Most top guide plates look a lot like derailleurs anyway. 
Biggest thing IME is use a SS ring and make sure the chain is as short as possible.


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