Patent ID: 8235849

Claim:
A combination bicycle chain ring protector and protected chain guide, the combination comprising: (a) a mounting bracket adapted to be secured non-rotatably adjacent a lower bracket sleeve of a bicycle frame, the mounting bracket having an aperture sized to permit a spindle to extend therethrough and a lower extension extending rearwardly from the aperture; (b) a guard detachably secured to the mounting bracket using at least one removable connector to allow the guard to be replaced without removing the mounting bracket from adjacent the lower bracket sleeve, wherein a rear portion of the guard mounts to the lower extension of the mounting bracket and wherein a semi-circumferential front portion of the guard extends forward of the aperture beyond an outer radius of an outermost chain ring on the bicycle, thereby protecting a portion of the outermost chain ring extending forward of and below the lower bracket sleeve from inadvertent impacts; and (c) at least one of the guard and the mounting bracket defining a substantially elongated slot, a lower chain guide pulley rotatably mounted to and outboard of the at least one of the guard and the mounting bracket by a fastener engaging the pulley and the slot, thereby allowing adjustment of the pulley along the slot, the lower chain guide pulley adapted to be disposed along a path of a drive chain extending around the chain ring, wherein the rear portion of the guard extends below the lower chain guide pulley and the lower extension, thereby protecting the lower chain guide pulley and the lower extension from inadvertent impacts.