Question about a part I broke

"Fred" wrote: That's a really good point. I learnt the hard way and only
wear velcro shoes on my bike.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's an interesting idea. Do they hold as well as clipless pedals? ;-)

"Richard B" wrote in message
Since you don't wear pants (I presume you do wear shorts, but we won,t go
there),

Maybe a kilt, like this cyclist?
http://www.kiltguy.com/

Is there any reason I need to replace this piece of plastic? I don't wear
pants while riding.

I had a stock chainring guard on my bike until I upgraded my rings (and
never replaced the guard). I figured that it was just a waste of
plastic. However, without the guard, you are more likely to get a nice
chainring 'tattoo' on the inside of your calf. Also, I discovered that
(on my first ride sans guard) chainring teeth do bite you sometimes,
particularly on technical sections. I've got the ankle scars and
bloody socks to prove it. A chainring guard will generally prevent
your chain from dropping off the outside of your rings (not that this
should be a problem, but if your front derailleur becomes misaligned
for some reason...)

Of course, there are some benefits to not having the plastic guard.
With your big chainring exposed, it becomes much easier to simply wipe
down after a ride. Easier maintenance and extended chainring/chain
life. On the flipside, I tend to get more messy doing maintenance with
no guard in place. Some might argue for weight reduction and
aerodynamics, but that's a pretty weak argument IMHO. Some cyclists
sneer at those who still have a chainguard, so if you want to fit in
with these guys, go ahead and remove it.

If I had a guard that fit my big ring, I would probably install it. I
don't have one, and I probably won't go looking for one.. Despite all
the reasons I point out above, I just don't feel strongly enough about
it to go searching for a guard.

Is there any reason I need to replace this piece of plastic? I don't wear
pants while riding.

I had a stock chainring guard on my bike until I upgraded my rings (and
never replaced the guard). I figured that it was just a waste of
plastic. However, without the guard, you are more likely to get a nice
chainring 'tattoo' on the inside of your calf. Also, I discovered that
(on my first ride sans guard) chainring teeth do bite you sometimes,
particularly on technical sections. I've got the ankle scars and
bloody socks to prove it. A chainring guard will generally prevent
your chain from dropping off the outside of your rings (not that this
should be a problem, but if your front derailleur becomes misaligned
for some reason...)

Of course, there are some benefits to not having the plastic guard.
With your big chainring exposed, it becomes much easier to simply wipe
down after a ride. Easier maintenance and extended chainring/chain
life. On the flipside, I tend to get more messy doing maintenance with
no guard in place. Some might argue for weight reduction and
aerodynamics, but that's a pretty weak argument IMHO. Some cyclists
sneer at those who still have a chainguard, so if you want to fit in
with these guys, go ahead and remove it.

If I had a guard that fit my big ring, I would probably install it. I
don't have one, and I probably won't go looking for one.. Despite all
the reasons I point out above, I just don't feel strongly enough about
it to go searching for a guard.