# Taping Chain Stays



## missingno (Jan 27, 2012)

Noob here,
I've seen this on occasion and have always wondered why.


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## drblauston (Aug 27, 2011)

Hey there, chainstays are often sleeved or wrapped to keep them from getting overly scratched/torn up due to chain slap.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

yep, chainslap. tape is less effective than old tubes, FYI.


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

NateHawk said:


> yep, chainslap. tape is less effective than old tubes, FYI.


I had a bad experience with old tubes. Once I used a tube, covered for better looks with 2-3 layers of insulation tape. Couple of months later I found out, that all the layers were cut through and the chain had already gnawed dents in the chainstay metal - not to mention paint. Ever since I have used only pieces of thick tarpauline belt (cut from some old waistbag) - no problems so far. Before the tubes I had a neoprene sleeve - which proved even less durable.


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## Live 2 Ride (Nov 4, 2011)

I like 3M waterproof electrical tape on my chain stay. I just put one piece on the top where the chain slaps and it has stayed there for over 2 months now. It doesn't look like it'll come off any time soon.


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## mestapho (Sep 3, 2011)

Live 2 Ride said:


> I like 3M waterproof electrical tape on my chain stay. I just put one piece on the top where the chain slaps and it has stayed there for over 2 months now. It doesn't look like it'll come off any time soon.


+1

Scotch 2228 waterproof electrical tape.

$5.00 at Lowes


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## hahnvin (Jan 31, 2012)

i just bought a neoprene guard and will see how it will work out.


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## freebie_10 (Jan 31, 2012)

I used a plastic cable organizer for the Chain stay and locked it firmly with cable ties.


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## missingno (Jan 27, 2012)

Any thoughts on grip tape? The type you see for re-taping racket handles that is, NOT the one used for skateboarding


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

Lizardskins chainstay protector here. 


Sent from my mountain bike while crashing


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## drblauston (Aug 27, 2011)

yeah grip tape would work - I used to restring and wrap tennis racquets so I found grip tape worked for me on bars as well as hockey tape.. probably would be fine wrapped on the chainstays it's just about durability


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

CCMTB said:


> Lizardskins chainstay protector here.
> 
> Sent from my mountain bike while crashing


I've been using one of those made to fit my particular frame (Stumpy FSR) since sometime in 03. It looks pretty beat up, but it does the job.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Using old tubes here. No problem in term of durability and it's easy to clean, install and you don't have to clean a glue mess if you need to change your chain stay protector.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

The best stuff to use is self amalgamating tape (AKA self fusing tape) available in the electrical aisle at your local hardware store. It only sticks to itself, and then fuses into a solid piece of rubber. It works extremely well, is durable, cheap, and you can wrap complex shapes with it.


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## mestapho (Sep 3, 2011)

bad mechanic said:


> The best stuff to use is self amalgamating tape (AKA self fusing tape) available in the electrical aisle at your local hardware store. It only sticks to itself, and then fuses into a solid piece of rubber. It works extremely well, is durable, cheap, and you can wrap complex shapes with it.


That's what the scotch tape I posted above is. 
It's awesome. Super durable and it molds to the shape of the curves perfectly. 
It won't leave any residue behind of you need to remove it.


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## lightjunction (May 17, 2011)

I've been using the old tube trick for years as well. It's cheap, durable and easy to trim to an exact fit. One downside I've noticed is that it's difficult to keep clean underneath the tube without cutting it off, cleaning it and re-wrapping it. A small detail, sure, but the Lizard Skinz wraps make cleaning much more simple.


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

You don't need to clean with the self amalgamating tape...


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## skinnedshin (Feb 1, 2012)

Is the chain slap only expected when riding really aggressive trails and such? Is it a concern for smooth trails and the occasional bumpy road/trail/small jumps? The 3M tape looks like the way to go.


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## BritOnTour (Feb 17, 2011)

Harbor Freight sells the Self Sealing tape too. $3.50


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## bad mechanic (Jun 21, 2006)

skinnedshin said:


> Is the chain slap only expected when riding really aggressive trails and such? Is it a concern for smooth trails and the occasional bumpy road/trail/small jumps? The 3M tape looks like the way to go.


Nope. Any cross country riding will bounce the chain around enough to hit the chainstay.


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## nmanchin (Oct 30, 2009)

automotive clearbra from ebay. best. sh!t. ever. for protecting bike frames.


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## presslab (Jan 5, 2007)

For round chainstays, I use a piece of heater hose and a couple zip ties. Nice and quiet.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

How does the soft side of velcro work? I've seen it done and may do it myself depending. Anyone who's done it want to chime in please?


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## Cormac (Aug 6, 2011)

Old tube split down the middle and secured with a few zip ties and electrical tape on the ends for cosmetic purposes. Looks nice!


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## freebie_10 (Jan 31, 2012)

missingno said:


> Any thoughts on grip tape? The type you see for re-taping racket handles that is, NOT the one used for skateboarding


Might work.


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## shenny88 (Sep 24, 2009)

Easton baseball bat tape worked phenomenally for me. I've been using it for a couple years now. It's been used on two different bikes and i dont think i've worn more than 10-20% through it.
Try it, $5 at Dunhams.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

skinnedshin said:


> Is the chain slap only expected when riding really aggressive trails and such? Is it a concern for smooth trails and the occasional bumpy road/trail/small jumps? The 3M tape looks like the way to go.


Chain slap is expected when riding smoother trails as well.

On my one bike, I use a layer of thin foam, wrapped in electrical tape. Since my frame and the tape are black, this looks really clean.

On another bike, I used an old tube cut, and wrapped, with the ends held by electrical tape. This has also worked very well, and conveniently, the chainstays on that bike are black as well.

To me, the Lizard Skins products always end up looking dirty, as they hold onto the dirt and grime.


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## mestapho (Sep 3, 2011)

mtbnozpikr said:


> How does the soft side of velcro work? I've seen it done and may do it myself depending. Anyone who's done it want to chime in please?


Seems like a bad idea to me. 
It's sticky and will leave a residue. 
It will collect dirt, weeds and burrs like crazy.


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## KonaCalderaXC (Jan 29, 2012)

CCMTB said:


> Lizardskins chainstay protector here.
> 
> Sent from my mountain bike while crashing


im with you there, got mine on ebay 9 bucks each, they look good and last for years.


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## kid_dynamite (Jan 20, 2008)

I've always used leftover road bar tape. It's thick enough to prevent chips, does not hold moisture against the frame, is quiet, and comes in a thousand colors. Also, make sure your chain isn't to long and that you shift into your front big ring on decents to take out slack. An ounce of prevention, as they say.


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## 3In2Out (Feb 1, 2012)

shenny88 said:


> Easton baseball bat tape worked phenomenally for me. I've been using it for a couple years now. It's been used on two different bikes and i dont think i've worn more than 10-20% through it.
> Try it, $5 at Dunhams.


Ive used this before also with pretty good results. :thumbsup:


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## missingno (Jan 27, 2012)

Grip tape on, testing soon!


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## eclone (Jan 16, 2012)

rkj__ said:


> On my one bike, I use a layer of thin foam, wrapped in electrical tape. Since my frame and the tape are black, this looks really clean.


I do the foam thing to my CF hardtail and works like a charm. My buddy has a roll of CF vinyl I used instead of electrical tape (I find this picks up dirt) to add some bling factor.

No pic, noob poster


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## KonaCalderaXC (Jan 29, 2012)

rkj__ said:


> Chain slap is expected when riding smoother trails as well.
> 
> On my one bike, I use a layer of thin foam, wrapped in electrical tape. Since my frame and the tape are black, this looks really clean.
> 
> ...


wash it....


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