Shark fins, why bother?

Mike Muz · Feb 8, 2016

Can someone please explain to me the theory behind using these?

Any mud taken up by the back wheel will get to the seatstays and cantis, as well as the front mech and top of the chain, before it scrapes any away. :?
If it's to protect U-brake design bikes, then why aren't they on both chainstays?

Enlighten this naive soul

Mike

xxnick1975 · Feb 8, 2016

Aerodynamics innit

ringo · Feb 8, 2016

Well Mike, I might be equally naive... but I thought their purpose was solely to protect the chain stay against chain slap? As for the fin, I thought that was just to make sure that if you lost the chain off the chain rings it stopped the chain disappearing down the inside of the chain stay?

That's the reason i fitted one back in the day anyway!

xerxes · Feb 8, 2016

Re:

I'm with ringo, it's to protect the chainstay from the chain.

kingbling · Feb 8, 2016

I thought it was an advance warning for swimmers to get out of the sea dun dun dun dun dun dun

Mike Muz · Feb 8, 2016

Re:

I see,

I normally use a length of insulating tape, or for winter months, some old inner tube cable tied to the chainstay

Mike Muz · Feb 8, 2016

kingbling":1becea0p said:
I thought it was an advance warning for swimmers to get out of the sea dun dun dun dun dun dun

You're a dun dun short of a full set!

I've got an XT one spare, don't know whether to bother with it or not

Wait for it! :roll:

Mike

k-rod · Feb 9, 2016

its for 'the look' nowadays ... nothing says 'retro' quite like a sharkfin!

T'boo Ted · Feb 9, 2016

Re: Re:

Mike Muz 67":28xvcp5i said:
I see,

I normally use a length of insulating tape, or for winter months, some old inner tube cable tied to the chainstay

Yes but back in ye oldie days, no one had invented that, we all used shark fins for the slap and derailment issues... then later someone invented chain stay wraps (probably lizard skins)...then we all realised you could just wrap it in elecrical tape/tubes...
One looks quite good but is fidly, and $, one cost $$$ and looks average, one cost $0 and looks crap...

skolioza · Feb 9, 2016

One guy explains me maaany years ago, that Shark Fin in cooperation with Shark Tooth (from the bottom side) protects u-brake from chain - thanks to them both You'll not loose braking possibilities because chain can't slip between wheel and brake arm

Shark fins, why bother?

Mike Muz

xxnick1975

Old School Grand Master

ringo

xerxes

Old School Grand Master

kingbling

Mike Muz

Mike Muz

k-rod

Senior Retro Guru

T'boo Ted

skolioza

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