Should I put a downtube guard on my aluminium enduro bike? I am about to purchase a new Whyte G170s mountain bike. It does not come with a downtube protector to protect from rock strikes. Although the frame is not carbon I am wondering whether I should buy a guard or not. My last bike (a Trek Fuel) was also AL and came with a downtube guard included.

So should I get one or should my frame be OK with rock strikes?

Cheers.
Carbon frames are strong, but when struck hard, they can crack, which is quite nasty. Aluminium frames just dent and rarely crack. Depending on how you ride and where you ride, a downtube protector may be something to consider. It's not necessarily for protecting the structural integrity of your frame since, you would probably need a rock the size of a small boulder to really ireversibly damage your frame. However, a downtube protector may be benificial for you to protect your paint from rock chips and scratches as a result of trail debris. Hope this helped!