my husband and i toured for 2 months last summer from barcelona to rome and slept on the beach every night and i never once had a problem. we would just re-grease our chains in the morning and wipe off any grime, but i never noticed a ton of sand or anything in the grime. the worst part of sand is it gets in between your toes when you try to put your shoes back on. enjoy your trip! where are you headed?