-holiday76

maybe I missed something, but when did someone post that a spoke protector makes a bike not function properly?

In fact they're very functional. They just look, well, kinda dorky. Big deal.

RFC

Again, for the third time, no offense to you. I was having a little fun. The question was just too hard to resist. It's a little like asking where you can buy "tighty-whities."

SingeDebile

im sorry but you cant get away with comparing keeping dork disks on your bike because they are original with "cutting off the fins of a 59 cadillac" , dork disks are still around and just as cool/uncool/functional/useless as they ever were and weren't.

conspiratemus

Sort of like a barber who advertises that he gives away free bandages with every shave.
(OK, I stole that, but I still have the 70s-era bike book that it came from!)

cudak888 

DORK DISK BLIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!







-Kurt

redneckwes

It all comes down to what the "roadie" side calls "OCP". Pro racers didn't use spoke protectors and shop's generally sold high end bikes without them. They, fairly or not, became a symbol of a lower end consumer bicycle.

I generally exile the spoke protector to a nail on the basement wall when preparing a bike for personal use, I also remove stem shifters (Another hallmark of a consumer bike) and convert to Bar ends or downtubes.

There's nothing wrong with a spoke protector, but a properly tuned machine simply does not need one.

RFC

That's a very shiny dork disk. Isn't there some old inuendo about sitting around shining your dork disk?

Serioiusly, do you have any pics of the entire Continental? I had a green 1972-73 Continental. My first 10 speed.

Homebrew01

Pie Plates are wide range freewheels

ozneddy

Kurt that "Conti" looks cool !

RFC

It really does. So show us a pic of the entire bike.

cudak888 

Its leaving the stables soon, I'm sorry to say. Local fellow has agreed to purchase it. So long, Continental...

-Kurt

vincev

Is the guard on the chainring considered "dorky"?

pacificaslim

Not if you're racing cyclocross.

RFC

Good question. With acknowledgement of the cyclocross expection, I'd have to vote "yes."

cudak888 

That's not a dork disk. That's for pansy pants.

-Kurt

vincev

The forum has to come up with a name for the chainring guard.Start thinking.Cuda,would you call it a "pansy plate"

Kommisar89

I've heard "Pie Plate" on more than one occasion although that can also refer to the "Dork Disk". But seriously, back in the day, pro racers did not use spoke protectors or chain gaurds. Bicycle manufacturers, wanting to avoid lawsuits, put them there so that casual riders didn't either A.) shift their mal-adjusted derailleur into the spokes and crash or B.) catch the cuffs of their bell-bottom jeans in the chain ring and cause a crash ('cause you all wore bell-bottom jeans back then, go ahead, admit it ). And of coure, since us poor younsters couldn't aford real racing bikes but wanted to look like the racers, the first thing we did was remove the afore mentioned Dork Disk and Pie Plate. It didn't really make your UO8 or Record into a true racer of course but at least you looked cool. Or thought you did

(Much cooler than Kurt on his Continnental )

Kommisar89

(You wore 'em, you know it)

jwa

gholian: options in the States:
https://www.jensonusa.com/search/?s=s...&btnSearch.y=0
https://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi...d=869903130467

What's REALLY dorky is those streamers attached to the end of the handlebars like little kids used to use. I've got a pair I attach to my bike whenever I race. That way, when I pass somebody, they're gonna think, "Great - some guy with streamers just passed me." And those who pass me think, "Oh, swell - I just passed some guy with streamers."

RobbieTunes

I just never figured I'd need one, and it's a cleaner look.
However, my Triumph had a big shiny one; I think it was the only piece of aluminum on the bike.
I left it there. Figured if anything, I could reflect the sun off of it and cook road kill.

cudak888 

I had to adjust a neighbor's brand-new Dahon D7 for such overshifting. What's worse is that the shop that set it up didn't touch the derailer at all - and it's a high-normal/rapid rise RD.

-Kurt

gholian

The first thing i need to say is that my bike falls into the "lower end consumer bicycle" but hey I like it and have had it 22 years. It was probably not worth restoring but there are not a lot of 80's peugeots out there so it is different. I am not into racing and like a bike fully kitted out, fenders, dynamo, carrier and even "Dork Disk".

I don't think there is anyone here who can deny that Kurts Continental with that bright shiny "Dork Disk" looks fantastic. I want one of those disks!

Sirrus Rider

For those either looking for factory original look or trying to maintain the factory look there is nothing wrong with them. The problem arises with the bike "Snobs" and "weight weenies" who piss and moan over a few ounces of plastic but cry a river when their rear derailleur goes out of adjustment and destroys their vintage rear wheel. They are all for eliminating the spoke protector even if it could save their wheel.

ilmooz

I agree. Although I can see how less clunky looking it could be without the disk it's very much a part of the appearance as a whole of that Schwinn. I wouldn't consider removing it to satisfy any latent snobbish urges but rather for personal preference. If I was selling it though, I'd definitely have it on to complete the original look.

redneckwes

I don't consider any Peugeot as lower end, consumer maybe but even a bottom of the line Peugeot is a nice bike!

Of course, I have about five Carbolite 103 framesets in the basement, and a couple of UO-8's!