# Chain Stay Protector or No Chain Stay Protector?



## 6guitars (Oct 10, 2010)

Got plastic on there now that came with the bike. About 6,000 miles give or take and no problems.

How about you?


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## marzjennings (Jan 3, 2008)

I use the ol' inner tube method of chain stay proctection. It's not pretty, but it saves the metal work from a beatin.


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## roxnroots (Aug 12, 2010)

Plastic started to peel off. Got a LizardSkin ziptied on there now but marzjennings' inner tube idea would work every bit as well and obviously cheaper too. :thumbsup:


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## LaLD (May 18, 2007)

I also use Ye Ol' innertube. looks good too, if you wrap it right.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

I've used various methods, but my MTB always gets its chainstay wrapped up.


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## gbosbiker (Mar 10, 2009)

i dont have anything now, but ive used some homemade ones before. i took some paper and lined it with duct tape, then wrapped that around the chainstay (so there wouldnt be glue residue on the frame) and put a small bit of duct taped on the ends to hold it in place. i rode that for about 5 months with no problems at all.


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## GR1822 (Jun 23, 2009)

I gots a innertube wrapped, held in place with some electrical tape.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I have a lizard skin thing on my FS bike. My SS bike ... well it's SS.


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

I use scrap road bar tape. It's nice and cushy, comes in a million different colors, and looks nice. If you by a whole roll, it will last you forever as you can get 5-6 chainstays worth out of it. When asked about it by other riders, claim it is for the weight savings =)


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

I recently switched to 3M TemFlex rubber splicing tape, which is a heavy duty, self-fusing electrical tape that "cures" to a very tough state. It doesn't have adhesive so you have to use normal electrical tape or your other hand to hold down the starting end. You stretch to ~3/4 of its normal width as you install it and wrap it like bar tape, overlapping 50%. Give it a couple hours and it fuses into a single solid piece of rubber. The finished protector has to be cut length-wise to remove it from the frame, but since it has no adhesive it isn't messy or frustrating

So far it beats the pants off everything else I've tried. Oh yeah, and it's at Lowes for ~$6 a roll that will do multiple bikes

The same thing is sold under the name "Frame Wrap" and they have good pictorial instructions here


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## nuck_chorris (Jun 6, 2008)

dont really need one with a single speed


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## Go! Ninja Go! (Apr 25, 2009)

I use the Santa Cruz one that came with my bike.


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## motopail (Jul 29, 2008)

I've had to use a Lizzard Skin on my RIP ever since....

I changed the chain


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## RBowles (Jun 1, 2010)

If you are bombing down a hill and are tired of hearing "chinka chinka chinka..

...plink......click.... 


Then put your chain on the big chainring.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

RBowles said:


> If you are bombing down a hill and are tired of hearing "chinka chinka chinka..
> 
> ...plink......click....
> 
> Then put your chain on the big chainring.


you mean the calf-eating saw blade? It's been a long time since I've had one of those


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## Brodino (Sep 15, 2008)

Needed one because i was tired of the noise and paint was being stripped off my shiny new steed.


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## Space Robot (Sep 13, 2008)

innertube with zip ties protects my precious scandium. I also like the look.


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## Bro (Dec 20, 2010)

Stock protector that came with the bike eventually got shredded to bits and pieces. Never gave a second thought to changing it; never found the reason to, my bike was still perfectly fine. And now I run singlespeed!


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

Neither plastic tape nor inner tube look neat. I use a thick strap, cut off an old waistbag. Secure it to the chainstay by zip-ties, going through holes in the strap and under (rather than around) the stay. So the zip-ties are virtually invisible, the whole thing looks good, holds in place tight and the stay is protected. On one of my bikes I somehow forgot to put a protector on, the result was metal (not just paint) scratched badly. 
By the way, sometimes the chainstay needs to be protected not only from the chain above, but also from the RD underneath. The RD can eat through the metal easily and the cut may go unnoticed until too late (I heard, it happens to Shimano RDs only, never with SRAM, but don't know for sure). Anyway, in this case a tube is not enough, let alone neoprene protectors. When I faced the problem, I had to use a piece of tyre, nothing else lasted.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

xenon said:


> Neither plastic tape nor inner tube look neat. I use a thick strap, cut off an old waistbag. Secure it to the chainstay by zip-ties, going through holes in the strap and under (rather than around) the stay. So the zip-ties are virtually invisible, the whole thing looks good, holds in place tight and the stay is protected. On one of my bikes I somehow forgot to put a protector on, the result was metal (not just paint) scratched badly.
> By the way, sometimes the chainstay needs to be protected not only from the chain above, but also from the RD underneath. The RD can eat through the metal easily and the cut may go unnoticed until too late (I heard, it happens to Shimano RDs only, never with SRAM, but don't know for sure). Anyway, in this case a tube is not enough, let alone neoprene protectors. When I faced the problem, I had to use a piece of tyre, nothing else lasted.


some of the older, non-Shadow Shimano models had a problem with the body pivoting forwards on bumps. Besides those I've never had a problem with derailleur contact.

I'm curious to see a pic of your setup because a fanny-pack strap and zip ties just doesn't sound too clean, not compared to a nice tape job like this (not mine, but same tape I was recommending)


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## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

marzjennings said:


> I use the ol' inner tube method of chain stay proctection. It's not pretty, but it saves the metal work from a beatin.


With some care and superglue it can look factory and be light:








Makes the bike a lot quieter.


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## rdaled (May 19, 2010)

I used parachute cord, light and cheap...


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## Ötzi (Sep 20, 2004)

My singlespeed has a Shimano XT Shark Fin, definitely fashion before function with that thing. My geared bikes have have inner tube on them.


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## JSumner13 (Apr 26, 2006)

rdaled said:


> I used parachute cord, light and cheap...


Great idea:thumbsup: Looks good too.


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## insanitylevel9 (Sep 23, 2009)

i use a old dh tube.... look in my sig to see it
P.S. its the one on my ridge
P.S.S. ill get a better pic later


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## scuver (Nov 5, 2009)

I use a clear vinyl stick-on protector. The original protector on my bike was the same thing but black and I think it looks ugly.


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## blog hogs (Feb 13, 2010)

A strip of Crafstman tool box liner and four zip ties.
Ghetto fab.


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## Moozh (Jan 20, 2010)

got a few of those neoprene velcro protectors on my bikes, goes on fast and no issues yet. Like the idea of innertube but I've never done it before and it looks to take too long (more than 10-seconds) to put on. Maybe one day when I have the bike apart I'll try it.

Electrical tape used liberally looks to be another okay idea.


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## asphaltdude (Sep 17, 2008)

Don't need one cuz I ride SS.


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## nate. (Oct 10, 2010)

i use an old tube wrapped real tight and zip tied at the ends. i like the way it looks.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

CatEye Cotton bar tape - looks nice IMO


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

highdelll said:


> CatEye Cotton bar tape - looks nice IMO


shellac that tape to give it the proper touch of retro road bike classiness :thumbsup:

It's not like you're too busy riding right now


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

boomn said:


> shellac that tape to give it the proper touch of retro road bike classiness :thumbsup:
> 
> *It's not like you're too busy riding right now*


no doubt - I'm sick as a dog today and the skies have cleared :madman:


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

highdelll said:


> no doubt - I'm sick as a dog today and the skies have cleared :madman:


looks like we might actually have a entire week without rain, so you still have some time:thumbsup:


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## 007 (Jun 16, 2005)

3M Heavy Duty Electrical Tape

One roll will wrap 2-3 chainstays and man so far, this ISH is bombproof. $10 a roll at Home Depot. Slices off with a razorblade (do this carefully on the inside of the stay) when you want/need to replace it. So far I have not yet had to replace it.


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## fixbikeguy (Aug 28, 2008)

Fuzzy adhesive velcro.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

The Lizard Skin that came on my old Trance worked fine, but given the cheap alternatives, I doubt I would have spent the money to purchase one. I have also used just about every other type of chain stay protectors over the past 25 years, but a piece of an old tire + zip ties works fine for me.

Looks are pretty low priority. Running 2 x 8 with no granny ring up front and a short cage derailleur, so I can run a tighter chain and not have much chain slap. Chain stay protector is holding up well, even after over 5000 miles since I put it on this bike a couple of years ago.


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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

GrapeNutsRobot said:


> My singlespeed has a Shimano XT Shark Fin, definitely fashion before function with that thing. My geared bikes have have inner tube on them.


Hah! I remember those things, I had a Shark Fin on my bike in the early 90's, the fin part snapped off during the winter but the rest of the device stayed on my bike for a few more years as a chain stay protector.

These days I go with a piece of inner tube stuck to the chain stay with double sided tape. When I first started doing this I'd just cut a large rectangle and stick it on, kinda crude but quite effective. When I got better bikes I took more care in shaping the rubber before sticking it down, now I round off the corners, taper it to match the stay, and even match the curve of the tube to the stay to get a cleaner slicker looking fit.


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## camoguy1 (Apr 17, 2010)

Big chunk of self adhering velcro on my stay. Works perfect. you can also cut smaller chunks for where your cables rub on the frame.


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## RBowles (Jun 1, 2010)

boomn said:


> you mean the calf-eating saw blade? It's been a long time since I've had one of those


Gotta' have my big chainring. It's worn in real nice, and the teeth are nice and sharp.


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## claydough001 (Apr 30, 2010)

I know im going to get hung on the cross for asking but what exactly do chain stay protectors do?


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

claydough001 said:


> I know im going to get hung on the cross for asking but what exactly do chain stay protectors do?


they protect...

the chainstay.:thumbsup:


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## claydough001 (Apr 30, 2010)

How do they stop noise? Is It protection for when the chain comes off or the chain slapping?


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## Stupendous Man (Jan 12, 2004)

I use baby seal skin.
Well, not really, just an old inner tube.
But I find most of the noise still comes from the chain rattling around in the front derailler.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

claydough001 said:


> How do they stop noise? Is It protection for when the chain comes off or the chain slapping?


chain slapping. They don't stop the noise completely but eliminating the metal to metal contact certainly makes it quieter. They also stop the chain from chipping the paint off and eventually digging into the metal of the frame (and I've seen some really terrible examples of that!)


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

boomn said:


> some of the older, non-Shadow Shimano models had a problem with the body pivoting forwards on bumps. Besides those I've never had a problem with derailleur contact.
> 
> I'm curious to see a pic of your setup because a fanny-pack strap and zip ties just doesn't sound too clean, not compared to a nice tape job like this (not mine, but same tape I was recommending)


On my previous bike I had a cut 3-4 mm. deep (there was kind of gusset with thicker metal in that place, still didn't look good at all). It was Shimano Deore RD, probably, production year 2005. 
I tried tape in the past - it was nice while new, then the tape got torn by the chain slapping and the adhesive layer dried up. 
I will take a photo as soon as I get to my storage room - if I don't forget to take the cam with me .


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

xenon said:


> On my previous bike I had a cut 3-4 mm. deep (there was kind of gusset with thicker metal in that place, still didn't look good at all). It was Shimano Deore RD, probably, production year 2005.
> I tried tape in the past - it was nice while new, then the tape got torn by the chain slapping and the adhesive layer dried up.
> I will take a photo as soon as I get to my storage room - if I don't forget to take the cam with me .


yep, those previous generation Deore's were terrible for that. I've never had any other derailleur do what those do. My wife's had the same problem but I solved it completely by upgrading her RD to an SLX:thumbsup:


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## Bhodie (Nov 8, 2010)

Damn.. I must have more money than time.. I use a lizard skin on my Niner. They cost about 8 bucks, look good, go on/off easily for cleaning grit out from underneath so it doesn't turn into sandpaper, last nearly forever.. but then I don't have those big box frame chain stays to deal with either.


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## skewe (Sep 30, 2010)

Try the ISC Helicopter tape. It was and is used on helicopter blades.

I bought a pack and I can't be happier. Light and does not cover the paint as it is transparent.

I also have a lizard skin but i am not using that @ all. Also have one from cannondale but it is heavier.

Taken a lot of chain whipping to the tape and it looks good still 

Helicopter tape link on Amazon


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

My old foreskin, along with a couple o' zip ties.


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## AZG23 (Jan 20, 2008)

Ive done the tube wrap...but the LS looks alot cleaner...I cant believe some will spend $2300 on a bike and have issues with a $7 protector for it...


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

Finch Platte said:


> My old foreskin, along with a couple o' zip ties.


you ride one of those tiny circus-monkey bikes?


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## skaterqwertyuiop (Jul 22, 2010)

*Chainstay?!*

Chain stay! We don't need no stinkin' chain stay!


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## Brace1 (Jan 12, 2004)

*The best defense...*

The best defense is a good offense, I just take my chain off and coast 

Here's my telephone cord setup...


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

Here goes. The stay is round-to-oval, on the oval section the zip tie around the stay holds well enough, on the round part I needed zip ties placed closer to one another.


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

I tried Lizard skins too, it didn't last a month. I had to ride my commuter bike offroad for couple of months, and didn't bother to put any protection on the chainstay. The chain ate into the metal very quickly, so no wonder, neoprene is not a solution for me.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

xenon said:


> Here goes. The stay is round-to-oval, on the oval section the zip tie around the stay holds well enough, on the round part I needed zip ties placed closer to one another.


no offense, but's definitely not what I was expecting when you said you had a solution that looked neater than tape or inner tubes and that the zip-ties were "virtually invisible"


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

They were - on my previous black frame . Actually, the wider the strap, the less visible the zip ties are. 
No offence taken - I know, it was in part my author's pride. Just an idea, still lighter, than wrapping the whole stay with a tube and holds on better, than a tape. I had problems with the chain slapping the stay, tried Lizard skins, tape, tube and combination of the latter two - so far the strap is the best in my opinion.


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## insanitylevel9 (Sep 23, 2009)

heres my chain stay wrap 

From Untitled Album


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

boomn said:


> no offense, but's definitely not what I was expecting when you said you had a solution that looked neater than tape or inner tubes and that the zip-ties were "virtually invisible"


I'll offend...

It looks ugly as $hit!


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

Edit: Happy New Year!


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

highdelll said:


> I'll offend...
> 
> It looks ugly as $hit!


Remind me, please, to offend you back when my New Year hangover passes. Right now I can offer nothing but a full set of Russian expletives.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

xenon said:


> Remind me, please, to offend you back when my New Year hangover passes. Right now I can offer nothing but a full set of Russian expletives.


It's after New Years


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## Trilancing (Feb 4, 2013)

rdaled said:


> I used parachute cord, light and cheap...


I love paracord, if you went for coating the entire thing with epoxy, it would be permanent and hardcore.

I'm thinking of doing a Japanese Tsuka-Maki wrap, using stingray-skin and coating the works with epoxy, like a custom wakizashi sword. That would be pretty intense.

Like this:











Brace1 said:


> Here's my telephone cord setup...


I like this. Similar looking to the paracord wrap, but inherently more water resistant, and it comes pre-coiled, cheap, and in a variety of colors.

EDIT: I ended up following rdaled's example and laced up a cobra weave with a continuous length of about 100 feet of black paracord. I might have to paint some epoxy all over it, if it ends up working out. This weave gives extra beef at the top and bottom of the stay. No glue, just melted the ends and squished them down into a button. It's wrapped tight and it's not even very noticeable from far away, it blends into the frame nicely:


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## ElDuderino2412 (Oct 24, 2012)

use an intertube. Looks good if you know how to wrap. It's easy and cheap as hell too.


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## 007 (Jun 16, 2005)

I've been using 3M heavy duty waterproof electrical tape. it has held up very well for almost 3 years now. Self-sealing and adhesive, so zero zipties.

However, since adding a c.guide and a clutched rear der, there is no more need for chainstay wrap.


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## wmac (Sep 29, 2010)

Shelter bike protection for carbon frames.


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## Shibby (Jan 13, 2004)

Used a lizard skin for years on my old bike. No problems and I could remove it easily if necessary. New bike came with a pretty nifty protector from the factory.

Gotta say, pretty impressed with some of the innovative protectors here. I thought inner tubes were the go-to homemade solution. Telephone cord? awesome!

People wrapping paracord over their stays have WAY more time and/or patience than me. Looks good though!

In any case, I rode very briefly without one. Chain slap is super annoying, and like others said, I've seen some pretty beat up chainstays from years of riding without a protector.


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## ironsinker (Oct 19, 2012)

Got one that says fox on it for $1.99. Looks OK I guess. Probably don't need it now that I got a shadow + derailleur and went 1x. Not really anything going on with the chain now. Really quiet and no chain slap with the new derailleur.


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## CarolinaLL6 (Apr 12, 2010)

LizardSkin


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## Ltdan12a (Jun 15, 2012)

I use rescue tape... Good seal, lots of protection, and it comes in different colors!!

Rescue Tape - World's #1 Brand of Silicone Tape!


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## BrunoJunqueira (May 18, 2012)

I roll up old tubes on chainstay. Works pretty good.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

i got the stock spec one on my bike, works fine.


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## 007 (Jun 16, 2005)

Ltdan12a said:


> I use rescue tape... Good seal, lots of protection, and it comes in different colors!!
> 
> Rescue Tape - World's #1 Brand of Silicone Tape!


So the 3M heavy duty stuff I use is the same stuff . . . EXCEPT that the 3M stuff is 2mm thick.


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## pizon (Jul 7, 2009)

i use a tube. looks real ugly, but dont care. I had to do a run without mine on, holy crap I though my bike was gonna fall apart until i realized it was just the chain slapping around


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## hooterreh (Feb 3, 2013)

old tube for me but looking at all the fancy pieces of work in this thread has me hankering for something a little more bling!!!


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## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

I have one in all my bikes and I have many, many bikes..

I mostly use "mister tuffy's" that I get from friends at bike shops for free since they suck inside tires.









Some are even translucent.









Here you can *Find many MORE*


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