plastic spoke protector?

[leyburnrunner]

looking at some lower end bikes in my lbs, i noticed many had a plastic thingy behind the cassette . is this to stop the chain hurtling into the spokes? if so it doesnt fill me with confidence to buy that bike. is it necessary?

 

[colinr]

That's exactly what pie plates are for, though it's not a sign of a bad bike.
They're not necessary, if gears are set up properly you shouldn't be able to shift it into your spoke (and why are you using granny gears anyway?

)

Some people like them though, better than mangling your rear wheel if the chain leaps off on a bump.
I don't like them because they look crap and, for me, form rules over function.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Mine came with one (B'twin Rockrider) but it didn't last long. But decathlon don't sell them as a separate item. So no longer have one on and it looks a whole lot better without it.

 

[515mm]

Yes, it does suggest a lack of faith in one's cycling prowess...............



........same reason Italians don't wear seatbelts.

 

[Dan B]

Don't see that. Lack of faith in ones mechanic, perhaps, but not even the most hamfisted of riders should be able to get their rear mech into the spokes if the limit screws are set correctly

 

[mickle]

They are insurance. Rear mechs often end up in spokes when bikes get bashed or dropped and hangers get bent. The results can be devastating - destroying the mech, the wheel, the chain and even, occasionally, the frame - depending on how fast the bike was travelling. To say nothing of the risk to the rider when it happens.

But you won't see one on any of my bikes - I live on the edge me......

 

[515mm]

Don't see that. Lack of faith in ones mechanic, perhaps, but not even the most hamfisted of riders should be able to get their rear mech into the spokes if the limit screws are set correctly

When I say cycling prowess I don't mean only riding the thing but maintaining it too.

It was meant as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek comment - hence the use of the Royal "one".

 

[Deleted member 1258]

looking at some lower end bikes in my lbs, i noticed many had a plastic thingy behind the cassette . is this to stop the chain hurtling into the spokes? if so it doesnt fill me with confidence to buy that bike. is it necessary?

I stopped using them when we moved away from friction changers. They shouldn't be needed with a modern indexed transmission, I thought they had all but disapeared, apart from a few very old bikes.

 

[leyburnrunner]

presumably they are easy enough to get off?

 

[HLaB]

presumably they are easy enough to get off?

I usually leave them on temporarily (every new bike I've had has had one) and when you replace the cassette they are very easy to remove, they are just held on to the spokes by a few plastic tabs which are revealed when the cassette is removed.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Saw this today - presumably they are worth close to £55 a piece?

 

[Oldbloke]

Wasn't it the lack of one that lost Andy Schleck the Tour de France last year?

 

[Paulus]

No. His chain came off of the chainring as he tried to change down to the smaller chainring. They sometimes have a chain guard to stop this happening, it attaches to the front mech.

 

[byegad]

Don't see that. Lack of faith in ones mechanic, perhaps, but not even the most hamfisted of riders should be able to get their rear mech into the spokes if the limit screws are set correctly

If only the latter were true. Having seen my next door neighbour replacing his son's front wheel by using the QR as a lever to screw it tight, then stand on it to 'make sure, the thing was tight enough I despair.