A chainstay protector can be an easily overlooked bicycle accessory, but its function is one that most of can’t go without. Especially if you ride mountain bikes, a chainstay protector almost becomes a necessity to help protect your bike from chips and scratches.

Why do you need a chainstay protector? Well, when you are riding over rough terrain the rear derailleur will jump up and down causing slack in your chain. The slack chain will then tend to hit the chainstay causing damage to your bikes finish over time. This is where the chainstay protector comes into play. A chainstay protector is a sleeve, stick on tab or tape that covers the chainstay and makes a barrier between the stay and chain. This barrier keeps the chain from chipping off pieces of your bikes finish. Not only does it protect the finish, but it also helps to dampen the noise caused by a slapping chain.

The most popular chainstay protector is probably the one made by Lizard Skins. This particular chainstay protector is made of neoprene that wraps around the stay and fastens to itself using Velcro. It comes in different sizes so finding the right one to fit your bike shouldn’t be a problem. Other brands such as Race Face, Lezyne and Velo also use a similar method of protection.

You can also use tape like the one made by ESI. This style utilizes a thick silicone tape that you wind around the chainstay. This works great if you have oversized or oddly shaped stays because the tape will conform to the shape of the stays.

If the tape or the sleeves doesn’t work for you, there are other stick on options available that will hopefully fulfill your needs. These options usually don’t offer as good of protection as the others, but it is efficient for road cycling since you’re not encountering the rough terrain that you see when mountain biking. If you need assistance with making the right purchase, please give one of our expert Gear Advisors a call today at 888-880-3811