Derailleur Guard

[AndyK]

While ordering some ball bearings (to repair a freewheel) from the same seller I noticed they also sell these. Does anyone else use such an item? Are they worth having? Or are they just extra weight? Not that I'm bothered by a little more weight.

[Russell]

They are generally fitted to children's bikes as the little rotters have a tendency to drop their bikes to the ground on the right hand side.

Not sure that they be particularly useful to an adult.

R

[LittleWheelsandBig]

They are a pain in the neck with QR axles, not too bad with nutted axles.

[Cudzoziemiec]

You sometimes see them on MTBs. I can imagine they could also be useful on a bike that's often parked around town in crowded bike racks. For a more 'roadie' bike I can't see much point.

[henshaw11]

If you've a replaceable mech hanger (or steel frame), probably not worth bothering on an mtb either. One alternative - but meant more to save the frame/hanger than the mech is a replacement for the driveside QR nut, which reaches around (ooer) into the inside of the mech bolt to support it. I've put one on my '03 Spesh Enduro 'cos the dropout design is absolute pants - the frame bends before the hanger does . Spesh fit (or used to fit) their own version to their newer freeridier Enduros, and on-one do a cheap knock-off version too..mine's the original CNC'd Hanger Banger, the on-one version's arguable better with bolts for sram or shimano and a bit more reach inside the bolt

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FSOOBH/on_one_banger_hanger
(hmm, reduced to 2.99 and out of stock...mebbe discontinued..?)

A little more of a faff getting yer back wheel out, still doesn't protect your mech tho'.

[phantasmagoriana]

My hybrid (early 90s vintage) had one originally.  I just saw it as an extra "thing" I didn't really need, and so got rid of it. I can see why they might be useful on children's bikes, though.

[tatanab]

I have one that gets used to protect the rear mech when flying.  It gets taken off and pushed into the bags for the rest of a trip.

[fuzzy]

Always had them fitted to my patrol bikes. Bad folk do nasty things to mechs.

It also provided a bit of stability when standing up to get a better view over the heads of crowds. I have biggish feet so when slow rolling and peering over heads, I would stand with cranks level, driveside crank to the rear and rest my heel on the mech cage, which allowed me to gain an extra inch in eye level altitude.

Not that this answers the original question, just shows they do have a use

[Cudzoziemiec]

I've been told, by an ex-policeman, that the traditional policeman's bikes had extra-wide, sprung Brooks saddles so that bobbies could stand on them to peer over walls. Not that this answers the original question either.