Bicycle Mechanics - Rotor Chain Catcher anyone?

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View Full Version : Rotor Chain Catcher anyone?

xfimpg
12-17-09, 06:10 AM
Quite new on the market, has anyone demo'd or had any experience with the Rotor Chain Catcher?
Your thoughts?


http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2009/09/09/2/rotor_chain_keeper_600.jpg

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/12/bikes-tech/tech-updates-first-endurance-rotor-and-more_101944

HillRider
12-17-09, 06:24 AM
It looks like a clever enough gadget. It is limited to use with braze-on front derailleurs as I assume it is held in place by the bolt that fastens the fd to the braze-on tab or the clamp-on adapter and. It's weight (6 gm claimed) is certainly low enough and the price ($25) is not too bad even if higher than it's competitors like the Third Eye and N-Gear chain watchers

I wonder if it's rigidly enough mounted to not get pushed aside if a chain really does pop off, particularly if used on a triple.
pmt
12-17-09, 06:29 AM
It's likely not any better or worse than the K-Edge Chain Catcher, which works great.

Bianchigirll
12-17-09, 07:41 AM
it would be nice if they showed a pic of how this thing mounted. is it for road, MTB or both?
HillRider
12-17-09, 10:19 AM
it would be nice if they showed a pic of how this thing mounted. is it for road, MTB or both?
I presume it's bolted to the front derailleur braze-on tab by running the bolt through the hole in "spoon shaped" end with the offset toward the chainrings.

It has to be for road bikes. First, MTB's rarely, if ever, use braze-on front derailleurs and second, the reference to the Cervelo Test Team implies strictly road bikes.
Cynikal
12-17-09, 04:03 PM
Here is a similar chain catcher mounted.
http://velonews.competitor.com/files/archive/images/kedge6.jpg
Bianchigirll
12-17-09, 06:58 PM
OH OK thanks now I get it. I thought it was mounting on the long skinny end.
bigvegan
12-18-09, 01:45 AM
6 grams and $25 seems like an extremely reasonable insurance policy. If I had a high end bike shop, I'd be throwing these on everything I sold.
DaveH
01-19-10, 01:36 PM
6 grams and $25 seems like an extremely reasonable insurance policy. If I had a high end bike shop, I'd be throwing these on everything I sold.

You hit the nail on the head there. Either derailleurs or frames ought to accommodate this feature. Newer CF frames are perfect chain eaters. With such a huge layup of CF around the BB shell, a perfect shallow v-shaped wedge is formed between frame and crankset. A chain can become solidly jammed in there. After extraction, the huge gouges are revealed.

I didn't want to end up with such damage, so I ended up making my own device, based on formed wire ones pro mechanics had been using for years. I could have saved myself a lot of trouble had I known the K-Edge or Rotor was out there. Anyway, the previously idle CNC machine was put to use:



Link here (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-SU6j0MGy0zaeuW4kLxidg?feat=directlink)