Dull topic, but as the title says, I’m looking for ideas on what people use as a chainstay protector. I need to replace the neoprene guard on 3 bikes at the moment. With a Lizard Skins guard starting around £7 that will be too much for a tight-fisted Scotsman to shell out on some small pieces of rubbery fabric.

I’m considering self-amalgamating tape, or an old inner tube. I’ve not used the SA tape before – is it any good / fit for this purpose?

Any other alternative ideas?

Inner tube. Job done

Self amalgamating tape.

I use a chainstay protector

Inner tube, wrapped nice and tight with a couple of zip-ties at either end for security.

an old Joe’s/Stans rim strip.

I’ve found them much better than inner tubes as they are thicker and have a proper ‘edge’ on them.

Inner tube.

Strip of inner tube + zip ties. Can’t think why you’d want anything thicker. Edge depends on how you cut it too?

Black cloth bar tape (or many colours to suit), couple of quid for a roll on planet-x. Use it on my mtb and it looks neat and does a good job. Dries quite well so I don’t think it holds water to the frame too much, avoiding hidden corrosion.

Inner tube covered with leccy tape.

raceface cordura ones are ace, much better lasting than crappy neoprene ones and look nicer than innertube and zipties

I’ve had my Lizardskin one for over 3 years… that’s pretty reasonable for £7.

I’m another fan of Self amalgamating tape, it’s perfect for protecting your chainstays.

I get mine from here.

Inner tube plus leccy tape. You can normally find leccy tape in a close colour to the frame so it looks neater.

Jamie – Member
Self amalgamating tape.

Hear, hear!

Personally think it looks neater than an old inner tube.

The tough tape/sticker things that comes with bar tape.

The fluffy side of velcro simple.

Am on v4.0 of the inner tube & cable ties solution on the Cannondale. Have spent some time trying to make it look like it’s not an inner tube & cable ties

IME self amalgamating tape isn’t that durable. It was B&Q stuff though. Still using neoprene here.

Squash/Tennis racket tape

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/181227772726?lpid=83&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=83&ff19=0

Or similar. You can get it the same colour of your frame.

I mostly use inner tube. Take an old one, split along it’s length and then take about a 1/3 lengthways strip of this to use. 1 tube = 3 bikes worth and they look much neater than using a full tube.

I found self amalgamating tape and inner tube wraps just don’t last that long. 3 or 4 rides in and they are cut through somewhere. Going to try one of those RaceFace ones kimbers mentioned.

Spongey grips from an old chin up bar….well its not as if I was ever going to do a chin up.

Clutch mech + narrow/wide chainring = no slap

Just some heli-tape on there now (just in case..)

Inner tube held down with black leccy tape FTW. Does the job.

Inner tubes, slice down one fold/seam, wrap around half overlapping on each run. Cable tie at each end.

A neoprene chainstay protector, mine has done over 5 years, is a bit oily but perfect besides, you can remove it quickly, wash it, dry it, cost about a fiver, I don’t know why people bother bodging anything else when there’s a readily available, relatively cheap product designed specifically for the purpose on the market.

Of the above, I’m only vaguely tempted to think the squash/tennis racket handle tape might be good, as it tends to be quite thick/spongy but with a pretty resilient/water resistant outer. Lots of colours available too.

http://www.newitts.com/product/SR-26/Karakal_Racket_Grip.htm?utm_source=Google+Base&utm_medium=Price+Comparison&utm_campaign=Google+Product+Search&utm_content=SR-26&LGWCODE=IT055297;49145;3037&gclid=CM6_0O_BlroCFVLJtAodIA4ApQ

Carbon fibre effect vinyl wrap self-adhesive stuff.
I bought a sheet of it from Amazon to tidy up some bits on my track day car and keep finding new uses for it. I’ve got patches of it protecting the paintwork on the other car where the bike rack fits, and anywhere that gets scratched on my son’s bike tends to get a patch as well. £4.95 for 1.5m x 0.5m

The chainstay paint.

I found self amalgamating tape and inner tube wraps just don’t last that long. 3 or 4 rides in and they are cut through somewhere

WTF are you doing??? Strip of inner tube does the job for me nicely and lasts a while (2 years so far) too.

When my dear old Nan died, she left me her leg in her will.. (her left one, obviously, before anyone asks)

Unsure as to what to do with it, I gave it to my pet fish, who stripped it clean after a couple of weeks..
The left over bones were put to a variety of uses.. I used the foot bones to build a miniature replica of stonehenge inside a bottle garden..
The tibia was utilised as a beater by a 9 foot tall Nova Scotian bodhrán player, the fibula was carved into a delicate flute for a tiny elfin lady called Joan the wad, who I met whilst she was passing through on her way to Treworgy..
And so on to the femur.. which was split in half lengthways and carved to make two chainstay protectors.. one for each of my bikes..

So there’s your answer.. be nice to your Nan..

Haha I have no idea Coyote, although this is on my Bottlerocket which I take on uplift days and for general hooning. 1×10 with (fully functioning) clutch mech and chain device as well.

A big piece of heat shrink from work that says “danger live” on it! Only works as I’ve got a Horst link pivot.

On the other bike I’m using self amalgamating tape.

My fsr came with one.

Inner tube for me, wound really tight so it stays in place

I removed the oem Trek plastic one and replaced it with Sa tape. You get full protection from cassette to bb. Unlike the oem one and it’s nice and tight against the frame.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

xc-steve – Member
The fluffy side of velcro simple.

I did have a THE branded one a few years ago and it was made out of that material. Worked really well.

I’ve got some old inner tubes in the garage, so I guess I’ll go with that tried and tested (and free) method. Nice to recycle stuff too 😀