chaincase

BTW, I ended up getting the Hebie 350 Chainglider Chaincase because it was the most accessible. I had a hard time finding good information about it, so maybe the information below will help someone.

Installation of the chaincase itself was a snap (literally snaps together in under a minute without tools once you figure out where the pieces go). Overall, everything took 30 minutes only because I had to replace the master chain link with a regular link due to it exceeding the width requirement (<9mm wide). Regardless, since the chain was off the bike, it was a good opportunity to clean and degrease it before oiling it and putting the chaincase on.

My initial concern about noise and rubbing turned out to be unfounded. While riding, it's quiet enough that I can't hear it even if it's quiet out. The only time I can hear the rubbing noise is if I'm sitting next to the chaincase while turning the peddles with my hands. There is probably some loss of efficiency, but it's not noticeable from cruising around town.

My original motivation for getting a fully enclosed chaincase (and internally geared hub) was because I take my bike down to the beach all the time. And either dirt and sand gets blown or kicked onto the chain and gears, or my bike gets inadvertently knocked over while parked on the sand. Of course, the added benefit now is that I also no longer have to worry about my pant legs or shoe laces getting caught. It hasn't been knocked over into the sand since I've put the guard on, so I don't know much effective it'll be at keeping the sand out when that happens.

My only complaint so far is that the snaps don't seem to stay together very well if I jump the bike off curbs or hit tough potholes. If you look at the attached photo, you'll notice red bands at the front and back of the chaincase. Those are rubber (actually polyurethane) bands that I've tied around it to keep it from coming apart. Seems to work well so far.