Patriot

I am putting together my own bike, and am wondering whether or not I should bother to find a decent spoke/chainguard. I would get a black one if it can be found.

What ya think?

ajst2duk

Clear ones that you can't see look best - you kno wthat stuff they use on cars to stop stone chips

pearcem

i think he means the plastic disc between the spokes and the cassette. most peope i know say don't bother with it, just make sure your rear deraileur is set up right. let us know how the build goes and any unexpected problems you encountered, what kind of specialty tools you used, etc... i hope to do the same thing in the next 4 or 5 months. good luck

oboeguy

Yeah, ditch the no0b ring. And post pics of your build!

Michel Gagnon

It's probably more important for off-road cycling than for on-road cycling. The spoke guard is there to prevent the chain (small ones) or derailleur (large ones) from going into the spokes. Well, it turns out that two reasons for such mishaps are:
- misadjusted derailleur ;
- a branch or similar object going on the chain and messing with the drivetrain.

The latter is more typical of offroad riding. It's also a potential problem with small-wheel recumbents, because the chain is very close to the ground.

Steelrider

You've likely seen other threads in this forum lovingly refer to this as a "dork disk". Personally, I don't have anything against them, although none of my bikes came with one - correction: my first one did, but I've changed out the wheels. Wouldn't go out of my way to find one though, especially for new build, unless it's an authentic restoration (doesn't sound like it). Rear dr would need to be seriously misadjusted for this to ever come into play. Many years of experience with centuries/group rides, never seen it happen - to me or anyone else.

Maj.Taylor

Ditch it. If you need it, you also need a derailleur adjustment. That said, your derailleur should never be that out of adjustment. Anyone I see with one I immediately identify as a person who knows precious little about their bicycle. Again, ditch it and learn to properly adjust your derailleur.

Raiyn

Until they turn yellow and crack that is.


Lose the dork disk

PaulBravey

The first time I commuted to work on my then new bike the other two cyclists in my office descended on me. They proceeded to take the nut and cap off my valve stems, the reflectors off my wheels and told me I should take the front and back reflectors off so that I didn't look a complete novice. They then looked at the spoke guard and told me I should remove that too but I haven't really worked out how to without either breaking it or taking the entire cassette off first. This was four months ago and while I have worked out how to adjust my derailleurs I still haven't worked out an easy way of taking the thing off

clfjmpr44

Its kinda like virginity, especially on a MTB. When it finally breaks (they break very easily), then you have arrived and are now one of the group...or something like that!

Raiyn

It's really easy to remove a cassette

jeff williams

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...oke+protectors

My fave:
"should I- ride normally \fast\ don't care how it looks? (the bikes brutal looking anyway.)
brutal hell.....
......Hell, I need a BIG PLASTIC DISK TO PROTECT MY SPOKES.

It feels like it looks like I got derailler problems so bad, my cogsets gotta be like a dog that can't stop biting it's @$$ and has to live with a freakin' lampshade on it's head."

Arf,arf,arf..

Maj.Taylor

Tin snips and/or a Dremel.

Steelrider

Use the tin snips that Major mentioned (Dremel's a good idea too if you have one) or, lacking either of those, use a utility knife to score the visible part of the disk from the opposite side from the cassette where you won't go over and nick a spoke. Do this on opposing sides to make two half circles. Use two pairs of pliers to bend the score to snap, if you haven't cut through already. After separating, the two half circles will still be joined by the little bit behind the cassette you couldn't get at - so just use the pliers to grasp the opposing sides on either side of the cut, pull away from each other, and the circle should break in two halves and come away from the cassette.

Good luck.

my58vw

I broke mine on my Jekyll the first time the rear tire was off... have not taken it off the trek yet though...