Dork Disk?
 

What is it and why do they put it on there if it just needs to come off?

Yours needs to stay on.

A disk designed to prevent the chain from getting entangled into the rear spokes and destroying your ride. There is no need to remove it if you don't feel like doing so. It is a matter of aesthetics and peer pressure.

If your RD is adjusted properly, you can prevent the chain from going into your spokes.

Nice.

:roflmao:

I have to say it sure didn't feel nice....

But they don't always work as designed. Yesterday, my commuter bike shifted into a bigger gear than I had, the chain came off, might have seized the freewheel (or, the freewheel seizing might have shook the chain off?) and sheered away half the material in my spokes. The wheel locked as if I'd grabbed the brake too hard, at 23 mph. I still can't believe I walked away without getting hurt - I was dead certain I was about to lose some teeth. Anyway, the bike had a dork disc, and it didn't help me.

Ouch...sorry to hear about that.

Yeah, the design does not alway perform as expected :(

Then take it off.

Maybe you would've been dead without the dork disc and maybe it's a life saving disc instead.

If it's the plastic type, the easiest way is to just burn it off. Everything near it is metal, so it's ok.

As tagaporject stated, it's to keep the chain and derailleur out of the spokes.

Unless you're confident in your ability to properly adjust a derailleur, you want to leave it on.

I'll admit that my post was a bit sarcastic, but it sounds like you might not be to the place where you want to go without the disk just yet.

The mechanical knowledge, and tools, to remove it without destroying it, is one test as to whether you can go without it.

Keep hub clean and prevent a miss-adjusted RD from catching on a spoke and getting torn off ...and to proclaim to the world you are a FRED.

So why isn't it a FRED disk?

Not as much fun though.

The sad part is...someone reading this is probably going to actually try it. That would be another epic thread...hmm...pics to come!

I thought it was pretty funny when I read it, though it was kind of a dick move....

You're right, though. My LBS makes adjustments for me. Mine will likely stay on.

What do I care... I get enough grief over my kickstand and bell.

BTW, that last sentence was meant to be a joke.

This

Thanks, Homebrew. I have a pretty sweet torch that will probably do the trick. I appreciate the tip. I just hate being the butt of cruel jokes.

Meh....who cares.....on my roadbike which I built myself, I obviously don't have one. On my MTB which I bought off the rack, I do. It was on there when I bought the bike and I never cared to take it off. It's up to you really. Although I will admit, they probably look pretty ugly on a roadie. On an MTB, you have a giant cassette anyway and my MTB is always filthy so it blends in.

At a race this past week, a buddy was telling me that during a previous race his disk cracked and got caught in the spokes causing a clusterfu*k.....made me want to remove it....i might get some clippers and clip/pull it off.....or stop being lazy and remove the cassette lol.

just do what you want to do OP, don't worry about what everyone else is doing :)

Already happened .... Where do you think I got the idea ?

Really?

Dammit...you beat me to it...pics please.

Never tip your hand on BF. Just let the assumptions and judgments fly.

Mine's all yellowed and stuff, but I'm a dork and don't mind it being on there. Fits right in with my 2 dashboard genie bar extenders that I use to hold lights and airzound, my bar bag adaptor (don't usually have my bag on there as right now I'm just using it to hold the high power lights that I only put on if I'm going to be riding at night since I often have to park my bike outside - backup lights are zip tied on there full time), the folding metal baskets, and all the other dorky stuff (rear turn signals anyone) I have on there.

Awkwardly using a soldering torch on your wheel to melt a plastic dork disc as opposed to the clean and classy removal of the cluster... hmm... tough choice.

Make sure you have something big enough to get it done quickly:

http://images.wikia.com/acecombat/im...amethrower.jpg

http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/products/wp.../discwheel.jpg

Dork Disc?

Taking the dork disk off is one of the first things I do after buying a bike. I do it properly by removing the cassette first.