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I get a lot of slow punctures in my rear wheel (I think mainly from glass), so have been looking into installing a cheap tyre saver there. They are meant to catch the debris before it gets pushed into the inner tube in the course of several revolutions.

They seem to throw off a lot of spray in wet weather (see Andrew R Stewart's post on https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1102564-flint-catchers-diy.html ), and to avoid spray/mud going into my chain (positioning illustrated in image 1 - not my bike) I want to fix the tyre saver at the trailing edge of my fixed rear mudguard (also for easy access to remove any larger debris which gets stuck; image 2 illustrates positioning).

A wire tyre saver fixed to the rear mudguard seems likely to struggle maintaining contact with the tyre as it vibrates with the mudguard (see Andrew R Stewart's post on https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1102564-flint-catchers-diy.html ), so I want to try a flexible tyre saver made of chain instead (see image 3). (To give the tyre saver enough clearance that it won't bang against the rear mudguard, I would bend the rear mudguard upwards and let the tyre saver hang downwards).

However, first I want to check whether there are any disadvantages of a flexible tyre saver made of a chain vs made of a wire in your experience. Does a chain tyre saver make any irritating rattling sound compared to a wire tyre saver? Does a chain tyre saver pick debris of a tyre as effectively as one made of wire? If rattling is an issue, what is the best (non-rattly) material from which to make a flexible tyre-saver?

(NB I am considering alternative solutions to frequent punctures as well, but treat puncture-resistant tyres, injecting tubes with sealant etc as off-topic for the purpose of this question. They have already been discussed a lot on this site and are not without their disadvantages, eg increased weight/inertia/cost, so I want this page to be focussed on tyre savers in their own right. Do share tips on any installations which might shield the drivetrain from tyre saver spray in image 1 though.)

A wire tyre saver mounted near the drivetrain, seems likely to throw spray into the chain

A wire tire saver mounted at the trailing edge of the rear mudguard, seems likely to struggle to maintain contact with the tire as it vibrates

Cheap tyre savers made of chains

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    If you want a worry free life with respect to punctures, invest some money into serious puncture proof tires. Yes, the top models cost quite a bit (around 35 Euros per tire for me), but they turn punctures into a once-in-10000-km affair. They are worth every penny, imho. I highly doubt that those wires even play in the same league as they cannot stop punctures that form on the first contact between tire and shard.
    – cmaster - reinstate monica
    Feb 7, 2021 at 17:56
  • @cmaster-reinstatemonica 35 euros a tire is a bargain compared the hassle of dealing with flats and the cost of patch kits and new tubes.
    – Kibbee
    Feb 7, 2021 at 20:37
  • Tire savers were rather more warmly received in this community in 2014 judging by the number of upvotes Moz received for suggesting them in his answer back then ¯_(ツ)_/¯ bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/21886/…
    – novice
    Feb 7, 2021 at 20:58
  • @Kibbee That's why I said they are worth every penny :-)
    – cmaster - reinstate monica
    Feb 7, 2021 at 21:04
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    All right fine, I have gone off tyre savers. I get the feeling that they were always more for pulling out goatheads than glass (see DannoXYZ's post at bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/… ), and that while they give their advocates a nostalgia-trip they are unloved and unmissed by plenty of sensible people (see Andrew R Stewart's somewhat exasperated post at bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/… ).
    – novice
    Feb 9, 2021 at 8:28

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Just by looking at these, my first guess is that that the main difference between the chains and traditional wire ones is that the chain will bounce against the tire and not touch it for the most of the time. It will make a rattling or tingling sound, and add much less rolling resistance than the type that constantly drags against tires. I'm not sure if it makes any difference in puncture protection, because the effectiveness of the wire contraption is questionable to begin with.

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