Olympianrider

Hello all,


I’m in the process of acquiring parts to build up a vintage bike, and I’ve got a question regarding chainstay protectors.


The bike is a 1972 Swiss-made Clio with an all-chrome frame, and my plan is to build it with parts of that era. I’ve got the full set of Campy Nuovo Record parts (though I’ll be using SunTour bar-end shifters – I grew up using them and can’t imagine going without them). The idea is to build a ‘70s-style bike – something that just screams, this is out of the past. And phooey to you weenies on your carbon-fiber whatsits.


So what about chainstay protectors? What did they use in those days?


I’ve seen some sellers online have a chrome-finish protector with the Campagnolo logo, which looks pretty cool – a product that was discontinued some time in the past -- but I have no idea when these were made and I fear they come from the wrong era.


Honestly, I was riding bikes back then, and I don’t remember anyone using chainstay protectors of any type. So of course the chainstays always got thrashed.


What’s the right type to use? And just as important – where do I find something that has the right look?


Erik Smith
Olympia, WA

Salamandrine 

I think you are right, they were not used. As I remember it, people started using chainstay protectors when cable stops moved to the bottom of the chainstay (80s). Before that, the RD cable on top acted as a kind of chain slap protector, albeit a lousy one. If you were really worried about it, bikes with chrome socks were available.

There were touring bikes from that era with spoke holders and rubber strap holders that served the same function.

1972 was before my time though, IDK. Perhaps someone was using chain protectors on racing bikes.

palincss

You could use a strip of helicopter tape and it would look invisible.

oddjob2

Clear mylar tape or a clear prtector,strip available on ebay.

repechage

40 years ago, a section of cloth handlebar tape was the ticket. Rounded at the ends if you were a worthy mechanic. Replaced when the handlebars got re wrapped. Often if you worked at a bike shop, tape was cheap and you wanted to be like Eddy who almost always in the cycling press was on a bike with Fresh white tape. So Pro.

Minoura and Specialized marketed a formed stainless steel piece with double stick backing. When mtb's took hold, black foam tape caught on.

Velocals sells a machine cut heavy vinyl stick on protector today.

merziac

I can't for the life of me understand why no one makes the formed stainless ones today. I would have thought one of the industrious lads on here would be all over this. We have excellent remake leather saddles, repop Mafac bushings, platings and touchups of all kinds as well as numerous other bits and bobs, but no stainless protectors.

jimmuller 

What's a carbon-fiber whatsit? (This is C&V. We've never heard of it.)

What helicopter tape? (This is C&V. We've never heard of it.)

I have one bike which came to me with trashed-paint and an aluminum stay protector stuck on with some sort of adhesive. The outer edge was curled up in places so I hammered lightly back down. But my shoe must frequently catch the outer edge of the protector because it is always curled up in places, which makes it easier for my shoe to catch in places. Were it my choice I would not use one like that. Maybe steel would be better.

southpier

who thrashes their chainstay?

vtchuck

VeloCals has a variety of protectors in different colors and designs.

Trsnrtr

Used to wrap the chain stay with bar tape. Not permanent so you can take it off on Sunday rides to the vintage cafe when showing off your museum piece.

The Golden Boy 

Those damned bicycle riders.

smontanaro 

I somehow got on Velocals' mailing list recently. The latest was about semi-custom chainstay protectors. I deleted the email, but just fished it out of the trash. Here's the relevant link:

Chain Guard Decals--Choice of Names and Color (sku 823) - VeloCals

If you're so inclined...

markk900

Might be a bit cheap if me but even in the late 60s and to this day I use electrical tape (rounding the ends as mentioned above). i consider that period correct!

3speedslow

I know Schwinn and Univegas had clear hard plastic tubes for the chainstay. Worked great.

The Golden Boy 

I did a twine chain stay wrap on my Trek 620.




When you look at it, you can see how many times the chain has struck the twine, but I haven't done the shellac on it.

I'm not sure whether I like it a lot- it's a lot on the "precious" side for me, however it does it's job and it definitely adds that character to the bike.

There was a nice young man here who did a twine chain stay wrap- he wrapped electrical tape, then put on some Elmers glue then did the chain stay wrap. It turned out nice- if that's your thing.

Charles Wahl

The problem with "wrap" solutions IMO is that they can harbor moisture and foster rust developing beneath them, unseen. The chain stays are exposed to more spray than most other parts of the bike.

I like the old wire braze-ons meant to hold a rubber strap suspended tautly between them (above the chain stay); seen on French constructeur bikes and the like. Suntour made a chromed band-on rear derailleur cable stop with a sort of wing above it that would (or were intended to) deter chain slap to some extent.

Olympianrider

Who thrashes their chainstay? Me!

My "other" bike is the one I've been riding these last 37 years, since high school. (It's a Centurion Super Le Mans, heavier than anyone rides nowadays.) How many miles I have on it, I can only guess. 30,000? 40,000? More? No abuse, but certainly heavy use -- I put 40 miles on it just last night.

And the chainstay looks like someone has been using it for target practice. Flecks of paint missing here and there. Call it two-tone -- metallic blue and rust.

If the cable running atop the chainstay was supposed to offer protection, it certainly didn't work.

Which makes me a little nervous about this nice new 45-year-old frame. It's the nicest I've ever owned, plated with gleaming chrome throughout and not a scratch or blemish on it -- so nice I worry about actually riding it. With vintage Campy parts, it's going to look like jewelry. I hate to think what it's going to look like 37 years from now.

On something like this, I suspect the black-electrical-tape solution isn't much better than the problem.

Hence my interest in some sort of chainstay protector. I actually ordered up a clear vinyl-tape protector from eBay, but found myself thinking, wait a sec -- did anyone actually use these, back in the day? Is this going to look as out of place as a spoiler on a Model A?

Well, maybe that doesn't matter as much as avoiding scratching and gouging. I'll check out Velocals. Thanks!

Erik

steelbikeguy

my old 1980 Bike Warehouse catalog shows only the clear plastic slip-on tubes as a way to protect the chainstay. Only 55 cents!

I recall using these, which 3speedslow also mentioned. My memory says they would eventually get brittle and crack.

Personally, I've still got one bike (built in 1989) equipped with its original stainless steel adhesive protector, which I think works wonderfully. On older bikes, I've used the heavy vinyl tape (a.k.a. helicopter tape) with good results, and it doesn't stand out as weird looking.


Steve in Peoria

Vintage_Cyclist

I did this on my 85 Centurion Ironman. Threw a few coats of shellac on it, so it's nice and tough.

Hardrock23

I love the one Schwinn used...only problem is it tapers too much in the back and that's exactly where the chain has hit and messed up the paint! They should have slid it back and over just a smidge...
Here are some. The last one looks just like mine...not sure what mine is made of though.
https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/collec...ame-protection

palincss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_protection_film

If it was used during the Vietnam War it's definitely in scope here & at CR.

merziac

I think that therein lies the "rub", the adhesive needs to be very robust and the piece needs to be well formed and hold its shape under use. Many seem not to do this well over time. I have the old Specialized one on 2 of my Merz's as he was a big fan of them, they look great and seem to be holding up very well after 40 years. Wish I could get my hands on a dozen of them.

Salamandrine 

The polished stainless things came out in the mid 80s, I remember because I had to put a lot of them on. IIRC at the time, you would have been considered a wuss to use one by the racer crowd, but they were pretty quick to call stuff wussy. Probably depends on location. Now that someone mentions them, I remember those clear plastic sleeves too.

It seems that it's been established that the only authentic 70s chainstay protector was a strip of cotton tape. (?) There were also the hoops and rubber strap things, but those seem to have only been on high end touring bikes.

southpier

I had tried rigging tape but "hockey stick wrapped" it. made the chainstay look too bulky so I cut it off the next day. I still have a 1" section on my top tube about 4 wraps thick in the event the bars collide.

comes in black or white and does work well for a variety of things (except chain stay protection - needs to be stretched & sticks to itself only): https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...10?recordNum=1

southpier

I think that might look good on a certain style bike IF it were part of a theme carried through other parts. maybe handlebar wrap and some other areas.