Bash Guard / Chain ring question

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
So i am considering getting a bash guard. I have not used the largest ring since......so long i cant even remember. So i am willing to sacrifice those gears for a little protection. Even if its just the mental aspect of knowing i wont get caught up on any huge logs, rocks, or whatever, i want to try it.

So here is the question. I was debating replacing the stock 34 tooth ring in the middle with a 36 tooth to give me a little higher of a gear just in case i find myself flying down a hill looking for a higher gear...
Is this a bad idea? Am i missing something here?
Also, the ring i am looking at is 104mm - And all the bash guards i am seeing are only 104mm. So here is a dumb question. Will they fit with each other or do i need a bash guard bigger then the 104mm that is the chainring?
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
thats why i love this forum...

Quick answers to dumb questions...:)


Thanks JDG -
 

RacerChick

Hudson Valley Girl
So i am considering getting a bash guard. I have not used the largest ring since......so long i cant even remember. So i am willing to sacrifice those gears for a little protection. Even if its just the mental aspect of knowing i wont get caught up on any huge logs, rocks, or whatever, i want to try it.

So here is the question. I was debating replacing the stock 34 tooth ring in the middle with a 36 tooth to give me a little higher of a gear just in case i find myself flying down a hill looking for a higher gear...
Is this a bad idea? Am i missing something here?
Also, the ring i am looking at is 104mm - And all the bash guards i am seeing are only 104mm. So here is a dumb question. Will they fit with each other or do i need a bash guard bigger then the 104mm that is the chainring?

Riding in the big ring will make you faster, learn to hop over obstacles or find faster lines around them. Just my opinion.
RC
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
i've got a bash guard - i dig it. helps out in the real technical areas as far as saving your gear teeth.

my thought is this:

if you have a large ring on the outside instead of a bash guard, and if you do bang up your outer chainring, you could bend a tooth, and when you shift to to that outer ring with the bent tooth, you could screw up your chain.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yea, all of my riding is done at the Rock, A bash guard will get used more then the large ring.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
The large chainring is the bash guard. Save your money.

If you break a tooth, who cares. If you bend a tooth, bend it back with pliers.
 

warcricket

Like a Jerk
The large chainring is the bash guard. Save your money.

If you break a tooth, who cares. If you bend a tooth, bend it back with pliers.

thats how i used to roll on my old bike until the largest ring bent so bad that it bent the middle ring with it. straightening it just makes it weaker.
 

NJ-XC-Justin

KY-DH-Freddy
I'm all for trashing the big ring in favor of a bash guard. Clearance, weight, simplicity, noise -- win win baby. If you're concerned about looking like you're wimping out, drop the granny as well and go 1x9. My legs are stronger since I went to 9 speeds 9 months ago. Then you get to take off the front der., shifter and cable. I'm a much better climber now.
 

UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I have a chainring related question. Last night I hit a pretty big rock and bent my top ring into a pretzel. It uses a 104mm bolt circle, so will another brand ring with that same bolt circle work?
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Utah Joe said:
Last night I hit a pretty big rock and bent my top ring into a pretzel. It uses a 104mm bolt circle, so will another brand ring with that same bolt circle work?

As long as the bolt circle diameter is the same, you should be fine.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
warcricket said:
that's how i used to roll on my old bike until the largest ring bent so bad that it bent the middle ring with it. straightening it just makes it weaker.

Do you think a bash guard would have prevented the damage? It is just a thicker chainring without teeth. If you are hitting something hard enough to bend two chainrings I think you should expect that something is going to need replacing.

My point earlier is that I don't think it is wise to spend money to replace a large chainring with a bashguard. Keep the big ring in place. If you damage it then replace it with a bashguard. Don't spend the money until you have to.

I have a bashguard only because the bike came with it.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Opinions are like...

So here's another side to this that I see all day long at the shop. When you get a bashguard and start smashing logs with it, where does that force transfer? The cranks, spider, bottom bracket, frame, all things that are much more expensive to replace than an outer chainring. I know it's been said already, but the easiest and most cost effective way to solve this is to just learn how to clear obstacles without hitting anything. It will be smoother, better for the trails, and much faster anyways:hmmm:

-Jim.
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
Take off the big ring and waste your money on a bashguard;)....If you don't like it put it back on...My only gripe with using the big ring as a bash is that it bites hard on some logs
 

warcricket

Like a Jerk
I know it's been said already, but the easiest and most cost effective way to solve this is to just learn how to clear obstacles without hitting anything.

the best way being by practicing, which is based off learning from mistakes. and mistakes=bent chain rings.

i've never used a bash gaurd so i don't know how strong they are but i can't remember the last time i hit my chain ring on something with my new bike.
 

Engignar

New Member
warcricket;80404 i've never used a bash gaurd so i don't know how strong they are but i can't remember the last time i hit my chain ring on something with my new bike.[/QUOTE said:
I can - my ankle this past Sunday. I've got two nice cuts from the teeth, maybe this is what bashrings are intended to prevent.
 

idbrian

Crotch Rot
Do you think a bash guard would have prevented the damage? It is just a thicker chainring without teeth. If you are hitting something hard enough to bend two chainrings I think you should expect that something is going to need replacing.

My point earlier is that I don't think it is wise to spend money to replace a large chainring with a bashguard. Keep the big ring in place. If you damage it then replace it with a bashguard. Don't spend the money until you have to.

I have a bashguard only because the bike came with it.

Same thing happened to me that happened to warcricket, maybe even bent all three. It was the last thing that happened before getting a bashguard. It happened on a large rock garden along the pond right across the fireroad from the bottom of Rattlesnake. The bashguard can take way more of a beating. I know this well because i found the exact same rock the next time i was on that trail and nailed my bike on it again, just as hard.

Even in the few moments i have where i realize the big chain ring would help me i don't give it second thought, because the benefits of the bashguard completely outweigh it.
 

lawndart

Shop: Campmor
Shop Keep
more clearance

Also think of it this way.....If you replace your large chainring with a 'bash guard' that matches your middle ring you will gain more clearance hence allowing you to clear more logs and obsticals.
You can also get a medium length rear der therfore smaller chain therefore tighter drivetrain.
And if you get a plastic bashguard its less prone to hanging up on rocks....it'll grind over them.
 

alex_k

Well-Known Member
Last edited:
Top Bottom