bici_mania

So it seems that chain catchers are becoming quite common, at least among many of the riders that I have been talking to lately.

This seems like a gimmick to me. Most of them are weight weenies too so it leaves me puzzled. Does a properly tuned front derailleur not do the same thing? What am I missing?

Jed19

A properly tuned FD can throw a chain if you hit the right-sized pothole at the right angle. And if the chain gets thrown inward on your expensive carbon frame, it can be ugly. I have my FD tuned very well, but I still have chain catchers on my aluminum and carbon bikes. And I once saw a guy mess up a brand new Litespeed carbon frame because his chain was thrown onto his bike's BB area.

Andy Schleck, a seasoned pro, once threw a chain.

Andrew R Stewart 

You're missing that a well tuned der can still drop a chain. Andy

bikepro

It's an additional bit of protection. When I started seeing bikes at the TdF with chain catchers, I decided it was a good idea. The newer SRAM and Force FD incorporate a chain catcher.

bikepro

+1 I think the problem is compounded by the 10/11 cog gear clusters and the inherent chain angle combinations.

FBinNY 

An experienced rider using a system with touch will rarely if ever drop a chain, but consider.

Many delay the front shift on climbs until they've moved inboard on the cassette. Also, modern in the brake lever shift systems have nice touch when shifting to the larger sprocket, where the rider can shift quickly or slowly at his option. But that's not true when shifting to smaller sprockets where the levers have simple escapements and the derailleur spring is in control.

So when shifting under a bit of load, and with the chain coming from an inside angle, the moment the lever latch is released the chain will snap inward under it's tension.

Summary, it's still fairly easy not to drop a chain by avoiding the conditions that cause it, but it's equally easy to drop a chain because you don't have full control of front downshifts. Personally, I don't use a chain catcher, but I can understand why many do.

Jed19

Dirt cheap insurance against a potentially expensive heartbreak when your chain (the hardest part of a bicycle) chews up your carbon frame.

HillRider

Or gouges your steel, aluminum or Ti frame also. The chain is harder than any of them. +1 on cheap (and light weight) insurance.

fietsbob

& that Touring cyclists are a separate category from roadies & the plastic Chain minder wrapped around the seat tube
is a different item than the under the braze on FD Bolt head K Edge Chain catcher..

I use Chain catchers on my Triple cranks .. the ones wrapping around the round seat tubes

Perhaps the OP can be specific about which one they are speaking Of.. ?

HillRider

I use the Third Eye Chain Watcher or the N-Gear Jump Stop on all of my bikes but they all have round seattubes. Odd shaped seattubes can't use these and require the K-Edge or similar FD bolt mount or bottom bracket shell mounted chain catchers.

79pmooney

My chain story was a pair of derailments in a very fast, very hard race many years ago, long before Chain Watchers. 10 miles form the finish and totally fried, I threw the chain off in front. Managed to haul the lever back and get the chain onto the 54t chainring before I came to a stop. Then muscled the bike from an almost standstill up the hill and caught the break at the top of the hill, riding a 54-15 instead ofmy intended 42-19. Next hill 1/4s of a mile later, I did the same thing. Got the bike into the 42-19 with a little speed still, but couldn't close the gap going up the hill.

That race would have stood as the hardest I ever did by far without dropping the chain. And I would have placed 10 or more places better. With? OMG.

That dumb little piece of plastic would have been made my day! (Not that I would have evr put it on my racing bike.)

Ben

79pmooney

Now I have three bikes with triples. (I love to climb. Portland has lots of hills. Triples mean I have the gears to do those hill right.) All those bikes have chaincatchers. Simply a little guarantee that a ride bummer doesn't happen. I'd probably put one on a double if I had one.

Ben

bici_mania

Wow. Now I know.

I very rarely drop a chain now days, on my road bike, maybe three times in the last several years. I thought it was because I hadn't maintained my bike or had momentarily forgotten how to properly shift.

They used to happen to me fairly often back in the late 90's but that was always on the trail with my Y-3.

Maybe I should go get myself one, for the insurance.