Chain keeps dropping off the small ring?

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Globalti

Legendary Member
Thought you might be interested to know that the K-Edge anti chain-drop device now comes with its own mounting band for those who don't have a braze-on front derailleur.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/K-Edge_Road_Clamp_Chain_Catcher/5360046417/

Just ordered one, expensive I know, but if it works it will be worth it for the peace of mind and because the chain drops off two or three times in every ride, which is irritating, especially for your riding buddies.

I'll report back when I've fitted it.
 

threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
Is that a bit like the gizmo ColinJ used to sell?
 
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Globalti

Globalti

Legendary Member
Nothing like wot Colin sells.

Yes you can get one for a fiver but it won't fit a carbon frame with a flared out seat tube.
 

battered

Guru
Get the front mech set up properly and it doesn't drop the chain. Better than spending £30-odd, no?
 
Tynan said:
surely there's something wrong with the setup of the front derallieur?

+1000000

Have had chain drop off once in 365 days riding due to my agricultural setting up after fitting a new cassette and chainset.

I can appreciate that off-roaders may require such peace of mind, but road bikes just need setting up correctly in the first place.
My tuppence.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I reviewed the Deda Dog Fang that I fitted to my Basso. After that I fitted them to my Cannondale and MTB too but as Globalti points out - they don't fit bikes with funny shaped seat tubes.

It is true that if you have a double chainset you can make it pretty hard for the chain to fall off by adjusting the endstops properly but it can still happen from time to time. Lots of pro team mechanics fit chain catchers on team bikes and I'm sure they know how to adjust derailleurs properly. ;)

It is much easier to drop the chain when you have a triple chainset, as I do on my Basso. I had problems with it dropping the chain when changing down to the granny ring in a hurry such as when going round a bend on an unfamiliar road and suddenly finding a 20% climb in front of me. The Dog Fang has eliminated the problem. It wasn't due to poor adjustment - I had the mech set up so that it would only just change down and it was still happening. It's not surprising that if you have to throw the chain down in a hurry that sometimes it overshoots what it is aimed at! It also sometimes happened on very bumpy roads, the kind of thing which we unfortunately have plenty of in this area.
 

Norm

Guest
Thirty six quid! I'd set the gears up properly rather than spend 36 quid.
 

Svendo

Guru
Location
Walsden
battered said:
Get the front mech set up properly and it doesn't drop the chain. Better than spending £30-odd, no?

My mileage varies;
the front derailleur on my bike just rubs the chain in vey bottom gear, as per shimano's instructions. Even have the tension correct and trimming properly adjusted. Yet the chain still occasionally drops on the inside. I think it's more likely as i have 52-36 using the full 16 tooth FD capacity, so the chain has further to drop onto the ring than say 53-39. I can usually get the chain back on without having to stop by changing back to the big ring although that does sometimes leave me in an impossible gear.
I really should get a dog fang.
 
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Globalti

Globalti

Legendary Member
To those who write "get the derailleur adjusted" I'd be interested to know what they can suggest apart from setting the height and the limit screws. We went through all this a few months ago and at that time I reset the inner limit to the minimum movement and removed two links, which brought a definite improvement but it still drops off about every fifth or sixth change. As Colin writes, there's never a good time for this to happen especially when you're riding with a pal. If you only had a small drop from big ring to small it wouldn't happen, I'm sure, but I think it's the consequence of these compact chainsets with a big drop from big to small and if it's a problem that professionals also suffer then it's good enough for me.
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
I think some of you might be missing the point slightly, its not meant to replace a correctly set up derailleur, its meant to stop your 2k carbon frame being wrecked by a shipped chain on the odd occasion your chain decides to fall off.

thats worth £40 in my book
 

battered

Guru
My 15 year old MTB with bnded steel/titanium frame would probably by *improved* by £40 if it dropped the chain!

Anything that covered the chipped paint and scratches would be a bonus really.
 
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Globalti

Globalti

Legendary Member
Well it arrived and I've just tested it with a blast around my quick training ride, which is hilly and has plenty of changes from big to small ring.

Peace of mind at last! It works!

It's a really nifty little device, smaller than I expected and beautifully made from quality alloy with stainless bolts. The band fits snugly around the seat tube and the device bolts on with a little grub screw to prevent the bolt from loosening. I set it about 1mm away from the chain. I will need to find a way of extending the bosses for the second bottle cage if I need to use it but that won't be too difficult.

P1060069.jpg
 
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