Originally Posted by
Gothic Sunshine
I live out by De Anza College, and I spend most of my time there (I'm a full time student, and I have an on campus job).
I have chunks missing from the divider between the cassette and spokes on my rear wheel.
Cupertino bike shop is close to De anza, it is a good shop.....but not the cheapest REI on saratoga is not far.
The spoke protector (aka dork disk) does not affect the function of the wheel. it is not needed if you have a properly adjusted derailler. So unless you have functional issues (bearings in hub worn out, rim bad, broken missing spokes) you probably don't need a new wheel.
learning how to do you own work will give you a lot of returns. tons of basic information can be found here
Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog
Sheldon Brown-Bicycle Technical Information