I haven't been a fan of chainguides thus far. They rarely handle the riding we do on the Shore with aplomb. Guides have generally been designed for downhill use only, so it's tough to find one that will handle a chainring much smaller than 36 teeth, they often get banged out of shape during the ride and if someone is down on one knee doing some repairs it is - more often than not - the rider with the guide.

Enter Livid. By using materials that have been proven in other industries, the folks behind Livid components have managed to put together a package that addresses many of these issues. The boomerang (and the top cage) of the Livid guide is made of carbon fibre. This isn't some cheesy print applied to regular plastic but the real McCoy, straight out of Formula One.

The advantages of carbon fibre over aluminum in this application are numerous. Obviously it is very light but that isn't a concern for most of us. Where it really shines is in impact resistance. Despite being stiffer than aluminum, the carbon fibre will always spring back into its original position. Where most guides bend the Livid boomerang flexes and then gets back on the job.

A downside is that carbon fibre can fracture when exposed grains are subjected to impact. Livid addressed this issue by ensuring all edges are sealed in tough resin that protects the grains.

Another unique design component of the Livid guide is the independent rotation of the boomerang arms. Whether you are mounting the system on a bike with International Standard bolt holes (ISCG) or behind your bottom bracket, you can swing the arms to fit a range of 32-48 teeth. Because the rotation occurs around the centre point of the bottom bracket the distance of the top cage or pulley wheel from the rings is not affected.

Every component of a Livid chainguide is available separately or in small parts kits so you don't have to start from scratch if you want to change your set-up . There are 4 Livid systems ranging in price from CDN$195-$270 (US$125-$170)