It's small compared to others, and I see the utility of it, but am I at risk of entering Dorkdom if I re-install this controversial piece? (The bike is an all-original '87 Ironman Master.)

P.S. Anybody have white aero hoods to fit Shimano 600 (bl-6209) levers?

I always leave the DD on if it is still there. Sure sign a bike was underused and never molested.

I like the "tasteful" chromed dork disk. I don't so much like the clear plastic ones- they get all yellowed so I'll take those off.

When I was a kid in the 70s, I don't recall that we knew the term "dork disc". But we knew they just weren't right .

I would use a Campagnolo spoke protector, as they made during the cambio corsa era. Otherwise, no.
I recently removed the chainring pants protector from my son's bike's big ring... I think I dislike those more. Save when they are on a Schwinn, for some reason they look correct on those.

I ride with an under-seat bag; a small frame pump; and a mirror, and I wouldn't even ride with a dork dish!

Now THAT should tell you to what depths you'll be descending if you leave it on. (Ha! A few levels below me!)

Plus, I like to ensure that my RD's limits are properly set, when there is no tension on the cable- so I see little need for a dish.

I tend to dork out only with the alloy Suntour discs. Clear ones come off.

Let me hack up a set of turkey levers out of my parts bin. Oh and some stem shifters!

Is it bike molesting if you remove it??

Take it off and save it for an eventual/potential sale of the bike.

I've left the plastic disks on the two Trek mtn bikes. Seems like a good idea given the single track and weeds they play in. I left the one on the CAAD3 R600 cuz I never got around to taking it off. That wacking great shinny disk is still on the Varsity but it sorta goes with that steampunk like RD, eh?

When assembling the rear on the Raleigh Pro Mk IV, I noticed his Majesty's frowning Lord High Executioner standing there with the razor sharp axe so, "I can take a hint", I left that one in the bin (the tip, not the parts bin). Looks great without it.

The Nishiki International had one of the shinny Suntour steel disks. First thing I noticed was that the thing sang like a National Steel guitar with every shift so it came off PDQ and is stashed away.

I don't hate em but they have that Gov't DOT/CPSC mandated look about them so I they don't belong on a great C&V road bike. They belong in the cellar with all the plastic reflectors.

In this case the name of the item in question should give you all of the information you need to make a wise decision.

Cuz this is cool...

Well said!

Time to talk to that mechanic. I have seen this type of failure though when one tries to shift four cogs in one quick aggressive shift, without over shifting beyond the largest cog. So, it can be pilot error too.

+1 on the Suntour alloy!

+1
I have been removing dd's since the early 80's and have never experienced anything remotely like this that would have been prevented by a dd. Perhaps I am a more careful shifter since I am both the pilot and the mechanic.

They are truly useful. A derailleur can get slammed in a self closing door without you knowing it. Then the hanger gets bent, and the bike rides fine until you shift down.

I seem to have avoided problems a few times by hearing and feeling the derailleur entering the spokes. I back off the shifter quickly. But it's not something you can count on.

Same here.

The one place I would consider using a dork disk is with a normal low rear derailleur, such as an old bandspring Cyclo or Simplex. One cable snap or shift lever slip could throw the cage into the spokes. These often came with direct rod control front shifters, as in the 1960 Varsinentals, making for what I call a double suicide transmission.

I don't know how so many have been convinced that removing a tiny (generally transparent) safety device... is cool. I think this one practice has done more to eliminate existing vintage bicycles... than has rust.

I have admittedly purchased old steel bikes that had their disk removed. And on closer inspection realized the bikes had other related problems... often mismatched wheels and/or derailleurs. Removing the disk... is one of those cool things... that really isn't.

[The disk] is a safety device. It is never supposed to be used. If the disk is used it should be the result of an accident or incidental damage. Not something that would normally ever be used.

It's like the few bucks stashed in a saddle bag. It isn't like I am planning to take a cab home. And it is very likely... the emergency cash stash (like the disk) will never be needed. But it's there.... because it's really crappy to need it... and it's NOT there.

I had a similar experience when someone messed with my bar-end shifters while my bike was locked in a public place. I climbed on and started pedaling and had that result. Now I always leave them on.

My 1974 Varsity came with a dd and with a high gear overshift barrier on the freewheel. I was to replace the original dd and 5-speed freewheel with a 6-speed freewheel, which provided me a much-needed additional gear ratio.

It's not Cool, its RACE. From my very first road bike in 1972, no bike I have purchased for myself has had a spoke protector.
I have now from time to time carried a replacement tube with a 60mm valve stem and boot material for guys I run across on the road that are walking a flat tired bike, my spare generally cannot help them as it is a tubular. Many of these "Mod" guys have deep aero rims and think some sort of goo in the tubes will protect them...

This happened to me a couple months back due to my own error. I rotated the shifter all the way down on my Varsity to mess with the bar tape then walked away. Came back later for a ride and the long cage suntour derailleur I had on there was immediately sucked into the spokes and destroyed. Clearly operator error. Some spoke protectors I leave, some I take off. It depends on things such as looks and function. I've found some make extra noise and/or friction, so those ones go.

I'm in the chrome or alloy DD camp. Some bikes, like vintage Schwinns look good with them.