The Best Chainstay Protectors – 5 Choices

Why Use A Chainstay Protector 

Chains hit the chainstay all the time. Every hole, bump, jump or bounce on your bike will result in a chain slap on the chainstay.

Whether it’s the annoying rattle the chain makes when it hits the stay, or the paint that’s chipping away on your frame, it’s always good to have a chainstay protector.

If you have a mountain bike, in particular a hardtail, we recommend a chainstay protector. Hardtails have no rear suspension and this can cause the chain to slap against the stay much more often and harder than a bike with rear suspension. 

If a hardtail bike does not have a chainstay protector the stay will get extremely greasy and will slowly chip away at the frame and the chain will become frail and dry.

They say a quiet bike is a fast bike and chainstay protectors minimizes the rattling sound coming from your bike by cushioning and softly protecting the chain and the bike.

How To Choose The Right Bike Chain Guard

There are many different chain guards to choose from, it’s just a matter of finding the right one for your bike. The first step to finding the right chainstay protector is to find out what length the chain guard needs to be to fit onto your bike. 

It is important that your chainstay protector is long enough so it provides full coverage. Most are around 250mm long, but if this is still too short you can add another chainstay protector and cut it down, making it fit fully.

This method means you won’t have any gaps available for your chain to hit the stay. Some protectors will come with an extra piece if the chainstay protector is too, short but not all brands do this.

The next step you need to look for is the size of the chainstay protector. Chainstays come in many thicknesses, shapes, looks and sizes. 

The best way to find out which one’s for you is to simply measure the width or round of the chainstay. 

For example, if you are wanting to use a neoprene sleeve to protect the chainstay, you can measure it by wrapping a piece of paper around the outside to measure the circumference. 

If you are considering using a stick-on protector, you need to measure the width and length of the stay to make sure you stick the right sized protector to the stay.

5 Best Chainstay Protectors

All Mountain Style AMS High Impact Chain Guard

This chain guard is a very durable and long lasting. It is a one size fits all, stick-on chain stay strip, which is made from the same material that is used on frame protection kits.

It is extremely high quality and will protect your bike from any scratches and dings. This chainstay protector offers a high impact and rub resistant honeycomb PVC.

You can use this chain guard on a hardtail bike or a mountain bike and will fit any size of bike. This specific protector comes in lots of different styles including a clear protector or a black maze pattern protector.

Pros: 

• Fits all bike sizes
• Rub resistant
• High impact protection
• Different styles and colors to choose from
• Top quality materials

Cons: 

• Adhesive is tricky to fit

Lizard Skins Large Neoprene Chainstay Protector Bike

This neoprene chainstay protector will protect against dents, bumps, and scratches on the frame. There are different colors to choose from for this chain guard and it comes in 3 different sizes (small, medium and large). This chain guard is one of the lightest and most durable.

Pros: 

• Tightly sewn together
• Good quality material
• Very light
• Stong protection
• Comes in different sizes
• Different colors to choose from

Cons: 

• Installation can be difficult

Pro Carbon Chainstay Protector

This neoprene chainstay protector is different to others because it is carbon coated. This chain guard has tough neoprene material with carbon PU-coating, this will protect your chainstay and dampen the noise.

You can use this chainstay protector on a hardtail bike or a mountain bike. It has special tapered shape for a perfect fit to your bike.

Pros: 

• Tough neoprene material
• Carbon coated
• Offers good protection
• Damps the noise
• Special tapered shape for perfect fit

Cons: 

• Only comes in 1 color/style
• Only comes in 1 size

NICEDACK Bike Chainstay Protector

This chainstay protector is very light and simple. Compared to other chain guards it is a quick and easy install, and there’s not much to worry about when dealing with this protector.

This chain guard comes in a multiple pack, so it is ideal if you want to put some protectors on your forks or above and below your chainstay. It is a very nice quality and has a good-looking style.

Pros:

• Comes in a multiple pack
• Good looking design on the decal
• Very light
• Very easy to install

Cons: 

• Only has one style

BESPORTBLE 4 Pcs Bike Chainstay Protector

The Besportable Chainstay protector uses a different style to protect your chain. It comes in 4 separate pieces; this makes it much lighter and can protect the chain without damaging the paint in any way although this makes the cleaning process slightly longer.

This protector can fit most mountain bikes and most road bikes too. It comes in 5 different colors, so you can match your chainstay protector to your bike.

This chain guard is very durable and has a delicate texture and has good impact resistance. Overall, the Besportable is an affordable and good quality chainstay protector for what you pay.

Pros: 

• Good impact resistance
• Affordable
• Will fit most bikes
• Made from high quality material
• Long lasting

Cons: 

• Builds up dirt quickly

Overview

When purchasing a chainstay protector you need to look at the different features of the product to make sure it is the right one for you. Firstly, you should always look at the price, some products are more expensive than others, this is because that specific item could have more or better features.

Next it is always good to look at the ratings the item gets, so you can see what’s good about the product and what’s not good about it, this is also a good way to see if anybody discovers any problems with the product.

Also consider the best recurring features about the item, for example you need to look out for the length of the chainstay and how secure it will be. 

If the length of the chainstay is not fixed then you need to buy a protector that will be long enough to cover the whole length of the stay. 

Sometimes, chainstay protectors come with a spare piece if the guard is too short. Double check the length, if the protector is not long enough you may have to double up on protectors and cut one down slightly to fit your stay. 

Finally, you need to make sure that the chainstay protector you buy is good enough quality to really protect your bike from any dents or scratches. It should also keep dirt away from the frame to prevent any paint damage.