Chain idler guard?

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Hi,

Just been out for a ride in ordinary shorts rather than my usual Lycra. Sat down on our cream leather settee to watch the cricket and soon noticed oily marks on the leather - fortunately the wife's out. Came off with a bit of Cif.

Not so the greasy streak down the back of my leg and the bottom of my shorts - I knew that my leg can ouch the power idler at times but not had this problem wearing Lycra - presumably because of the tighter fit of the Lyrca.
The chain is mickled frequently and the idler kept clean, but chains will be chains - so I can do no more.

The solution has to be some sort of guard over the top of the idler (see below) to keep shorts and chain from coming into contact. I've not seen any on the 'net - does anyone know if they exist or do I have to call on my aeromodelling ingenuity to fabricate something from ally or GRP?

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raleighnut

Legendary Member
Modified shorty mudguard (Crudguard sort of thing) on a custom mount?
 
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andytheflyer
Location
South Cheshire
Modified shorty mudguard (Crudguard sort of thing) on a custom mount?

Hmmmm. Wandered into the workshop to do a bit of tidying up and spotted a short length of the scrap 700c Defy guards. I wonder?

An hour later, with a short length of 25mm wide ali strip, suitably drilled and bent, a couple of 3mm bolts and nyloc nuts from my model aeroplane spares, and I have a 150mm long 25mm wide chainguard. And it works! The radius needs to be smaller, maybe 300mm rather than the 700c radius - but it's a working prototype. Thanks raleighnut (and Paul).
 
Andy, I don't know if it is of any help but on my trike, the chain runs through that tubing for virtually all of its run thus removing this issue. So the tubing that you have around the seat area, goes all the way to the chain pulley thingy in the middle, then starts again and runs virtually all the way to the front derailleur top and bottom. Would that be any easier? It just called ties to the frame when it is close enough or has a guide loop of Velcro further away from the frame.
 
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andytheflyer
Location
South Cheshire
Andy, I don't know if it is of any help but on my trike, the chain runs through that tubing for virtually all of its run thus removing this issue. So the tubing that you have around the seat area, goes all the way to the chain pulley thingy in the middle, then starts again and runs virtually all the way to the front derailleur top and bottom. Would that be any easier? It just called ties to the frame when it is close enough or has a guide loop of Velcro further away from the frame.

Hi Emma,

The chain run between the idler at the front of the seat and the chainwheel is quite a distance from the boom - so arranging mounts for a chain tube in that area would not be easy. As it happens, I had the chain off last night for a full degrease and clean, and then the tubes, so it's now spotless.

I could do with some longer chain tubes, but all I can find is standard industrial plastic (PTFE/Teflon) tubes in white (in reality uncoloured). These will look a mess once they are dirty inside, so reluctant to go with these. Black tube is available as irrigation tube - but reluctant to buy a 50m coil just to get 2 x 1m lengths.

Longer tubes won't help the mucky leg problem, but they will help with a mucky chain problem. I tried running without tubes, but there's too much chain interference with the frame, cables etc.

The prototype guard is fine for now - I just need to find a smaller radius guard, or a plastic moulding of the right dimensions that I can modify.

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Recumbents eh? Always something to fettle, tweak, modify to get them just right! Must tidy up the black tape covering the foam wedge at the front of the seat......and clean off the grease marks off the fork.....

Good luck with whatever it is is going to sideline you for a few weeks - you've been making good progress on the trike. Must have been a relief to get off the Whitegate Way!

Andy
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Try an agricultural supplier, if you want the tubing in black.
Standard lengths are stocked by some. Others may be willing to supply the required length.
 
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