Plastic Spoke Protector Guard.

[DragonWriter]

During cleaning on my bike, I've discovered that this guard has been damaged.

Do you really need this? Or would it be fine without it?

[cny-man]

Neither - it's your choice. These are the factors to consider:

Negative:
They can rattle, some consider them "uncool."

Positive:
They protect your spokes, derailleur and even your frame (dropout/hanger) from damage due to shifting into the wheel. Weight is not worth worrying about

If you choose to go without it you need to be conscientious about checking the inner adjustment regularly, and ALWAYS after the bike falls over or is in an accident. Bending of the hanger is the primary cause of shifting into the spokes, but it can also occur if something gets caught in the chain or derailleur (brush, branches, etc.)

The fact that it is damaged may mean it's already protected your bike at least once.

[DragonWriter]

Thanks, its needs to come off, so I'll see what happens, but will buy the part just in case.

My bike has been outside in the elements for several months, so it may have been damaged during that time.

(07-16-2014, 02:37 PM)cny-man Wrote:  Neither - it's your choice. These are the factors to consider:

Negative:
They can rattle, some consider them "uncool."

Positive:
They protect your spokes, derailleur and even your frame (dropout/hanger) from damage due to shifting into the wheel. Weight is not worth worrying about

If you choose to go without it you need to be conscientious about checking the inner adjustment regularly, and ALWAYS after the bike falls over or is in an accident. Bending of the hanger is the primary cause of shifting into the spokes, but it can also occur if something gets caught in the chain or derailleur (brush, branches, etc.)

The fact that it is damaged may mean it's already protected your bike at least once.