What is your "dork disc" actually for? What happens if you remove it?

[@jadoningalls1205]

One time my derailleur wasn’t adjusted well, and my chain fell into my spokes. I thought, “perhaps I shouldn’t have removed my dork disk?” Then I snapped out of it and remembered that I’m no dork! Haven’t looked back since! Stay classy my mtb brethren

[@kumgogastations9250]

That happened to me once, but my bike never came with a dork disc or just the bike shop removed it.

[@dc1564]

I think the only way that the deriuler goes into the wheel is when tourqe is applied through the pedals

[@dc1564]

I bought a 1x12 second hand bike I don't even make it home I shifted within 20 secs of getting on the bike and the deriuler wmet right into the wheel. Worst feeling ever!

[@PigeonHoot]

Earlier last week my derailleur overshifted into my wheel, bent 2 spokes, shattered a derailleur and broke the chain with a spoke

[@Aa._.ditxa_me]

Same bro

[@aus87185]

I found this one out the hard way one day. About 200m into a ride down the road on my mountain bike, my chain was thrown into the spokes and I got the result I think you were trying to recreate. I was rolling downhill at a fairly high speed so there was a lot of energy at play -- it was violent. The wheel basically exploded. Three spokes got torn out of the rim and pushed across into spokes on the other side, bending those and pulling them out of the rim as well. The wheel buckled, jammed in my chainstay and that was all she wrote. Still don't ride with a dork disc.

[@Ch4nKyy]

Same here, even though I didn't go fast at all.

[@matthew7419]

Some derailleurs have too much slop. See my comment waaaayyyy below. Properly adjusted quality components shouldn’t need one, but I wouldn’t trust most bike shops to adjust them correctly.

[@hawkanonymous2610]

Dito for me, was just on the road and the chain cut through 3 spokes which blocked the whole wheel. I always get one if I get a new cassete and break it out after a few months.

[@ElevatedVehicles]

​@@hawkanonymous2610 so you don't ride with one?

[@hawkanonymous2610]

@@ElevatedVehicles I rid with one for the first 3-6 months and then I remove it ^^

[@corybreau1329]

HI Seth, the biggest factor in having a catastrophic chain suck event is how the direction of the outward bound spokes on the back wheel are pointing. If the outward bound spokes are going forward it will cause the chain to bounce and not get sucked in. If the outward spokes are directed backwards, they will actually pull the chain in deeper. A wise bike mechanic, wheel building wizard told me the secret!

[@thomasbarlow4223]

Wow that makes great sense

[@icantgivecredit871]

This can be an issue with the chain ring(s) up front as well. Whenever I've had a chain-drop with my bikes, it's always happened that the chain falls from the smallest chain ring and gouges up the bottom bracket shell. The chain also bunches up.

[@Josecito777]

Excellent point, I recently have built my first ever bike wheel and I'm pretty sure the outside spokes are spinned in the direction of the cassette, I wanted the outside spokes to take on the chain torque, so it means if the chain goes of the spoke inclination will try to push it away from the hub

[@Josecito777]

@vibratingstring Yeah, I only mentioned that my outside spokes are twisted in the direction the wheel turns when going forward. So if the chain somehow goes off the cassette it doesn't pull in the hub. It didn't intend to lace the spokes that way for that reason, but it's a nice side effect

[@thomasmount7388]

o m g !!! I can see it when I look now! Thanks man.

[@stevehassler]

I believe it the cheap plastic that makes this “dorky”. this is a great opportunity to have this item made in aluminum, engineered to be light weight, and anodized black, etc.

[@traviss3913]

AGREED.

[@watameeelon]

I think adding some color or pattern to that dorky is enough. Aluminum is cool but plastic is good for adsorb force though

[@khazza930]

soon to be carbon and titanium dork discs!

[@bacon.cheesecake]

Or even just nicer plastic, not this cheap wimpy transparent stuff that looks like leftover packing material

[@antanis]

@@bacon.cheesecake if it didn't yellow and basically crumble to bits after a month or two anyway under riding conditions I might keep it, but if I was offered one that matched an oil slick cassette or bronzed or something I would probably use it.

[@johnbeckmeyer1696]

Took off my "dork disk" immediately after buying my trek emonda. Then I wrapped my chain. I was on a big descent and traveling fast. Did a little backpedal to line up for an upcoming curve and my right heel must have pushed the chain off the cassette and into the spokes. It locked up the back wheel and wedged the chain so badly I had to have somebody drive out to rescue me. Skidded the tire off almost completely. I didn't lay it down on the pavement but I got lucky. No derailer damage. I have a picture of the ~100 foot line of rubber left on the pavement. The disk went back on. I don't give a s**t what others say now - it's my bike, my wallet, and my skin!

[@jamesmiller113]

True, it's a 1 in 1,000 situation, but totally devastating if the dice line up

[@eagle25311]

Skin is over rated

[@MrFlyingKitty]

Why are you on the lightest gear on a descend

[@pedalingthru2719]

Key word in this whole statement is skin !!!!! Leaving skin on the ground is never fun. Ride with a .40 cent piece of plastic or spread 3 to 6 weeks letting skin grow back. My vote is for the plastic.

[@chadwells7562]

@@MrFlyingKitty Exactly

[@BaconRaygun]

This is how I broke my first bike back in the 90s. My derailer went into the spokes so violently that it actually bent the frame at the attachment point. My limits were not even out of whack! I was a Junior bike mechanic at a local shop at the time, and all the wise older mechanics shook their heads when I showed up without a dork disk on my GT Avalanche. They said I should spend the $7 for a new one, but I was way too cool for that. A week later I was late to work because the rear derailer went into the spokes and turned into a pretzel. 17 year old me learned an important lessons that day, and the wise older mechanics got a good laugh watching the last few hundred feet of my walk of shame.

[@Crowfist]

I noticed the slightly bent axle on my rear wheel causes the cassette to wobble, and the derailleur/cog alignment would oscillate as a result. I wonder if thats what happened to you.

[@l.clevelandmajor9931]

Those older and supposedly wiser mechanics victimized you. After seeing that you would not do what they suggested, one most likely did something to your bike to supposedly teach you a lesson. Why do I think this? Because your description of how things happen indicate that it was only a week after they told you to buy and install a dork disc. That accident you had a week later was most likely set up to cause exactly what you experienced.

[@nfpartridge]

As others have noted this is called a "spoke protector" in official vernacular. You should post an update with a look at what happened to the spokes on the Diamondback. As a former mechanic, I've seen many wheel failures due this kind of damage. Even minor nicks will cause failure due to the high tension spokes are under (think cutting a loose string with a knife vs tight string)

[@brokenrecord3523]

I agree. The focus seems to be the transmission rather than destroying the wheel. Spokes are important?

[@moto_rad]

​@vibratingstring so?

[@mirak63]

@@moto_rad wasn't it interesting you think ?

[@wobblysauce]

Stops/slows repeat damage

[@1994AustinSmith]

​@vibratingstring Me: riding 1k miles a year.

[@Mikesonbikes]

Leave the dork disc on if it's a bike for a client! For you, your friend, your family it's good to take off. If you're in a workplace setting don't take off the disc! You're liable for removing safety equipment. I have that shirt 😉

[@danp2509]

Shop I used to work at also wasnt allowed to remove reflectors or the bell as the law required them on new bikes

[@BermPeakExpress]

Absolutely

[@butters9274]

No take all that stupid shit off

[@danielnorrell3677]

When I had my bike tires replaced/bought a new seat I asked the tech if he would ditch the dork disk for me (he chuckled as he snapped it off). This is a 30 year old road bike I bought second hand - was amazed it was still even there.

[@littleshopofrandom685]

@@danp2509 Shop I worked at would take the reflectors off the bike and then charge the customer to buy them. Yup...

[@brianvaughn3312]

Removed my dork disk, had my limits all properly set, and as you suggested, a rogue stick knocked my chain off into my wheel. Three spokes snapped, sending one nearly 4" into my right calf. Call me a "dork" but that cheap piece of plastic is my new best friend.

[@MikeDS49]

The test needs to be done with the chain under a lot higher load. I had my chain dump behind the cassette on a moderate climb and the chain jammed hard, putting gouges in the spokes in the process. The bike had to be carried home only for the chain to easily come off once the thru axle was loosened. The freehub body had come loose from the main hub, causing the indexing to get out of whack.

[@Jehty_]

That's the one time I destroyed my derailer. Driving up-hill, putting a lot of force into the pedals.

[@mrminiman1940]

Same happend to me even when I had the dorkdisc on. The wheel locked up completly but I could pull the chain out.

[@Ferrari255GTO]

@@Jehty_ the time i destroyed my deraileur was when i used AliExpress rollers... really bad idea don't do it.

[@janeblogs324]

My sapin spokes got gouged and very bent from the chain over shifting

[@neilk22]

I’d pay to see Seth simulate this scenario on wifeys treadmill

[@johnbailey2137]

It's actually called a spoke protector, with good reason. A bike shop took the one off my MTB years ago and were adamant that they would never refit a "dork disk". I regretted that last year when I was bike packing a 1200km off-road trail over 3 weeks. The bike took a hammering each day, the limits went out of adjustment, and a couple of times the chain got stuck between the spokes and cassette. There was no catastrophic failure like you were trying to create, but each time there was some damage to the spokes. Eventually some damaged spokes started breaking. I had spares but very difficult to fix on the trail, over 50km from the nearest bike shop over rough trail. Will now always have the "spoke protector" fitted.

[@martijnt1353]

Tbh if your going to do a 1200km trip you can use any protection u can get. But that in no way stands as a testimony to your regular mtb'er. I'm sure you prefer mechanical disk brakes over hydraulic as they are much easier to fix along the way.. lets not compare slalom gear to alpine gear.... 😅 And as a dork-disc is generally seen as a hallmark to cheap crap I cant blame any self respecting mtb'er for hating them! Ps: im a bicycle mechanic

[@Sam-wx1oj]

@@martijnt1353 to be fair if there was a lightweight metal or high quality polymer one alot more people would use them as if it can prevent wear and save money in the long run then why not use it

[@ced3763]

similar experience!

[@ced3763]

@@Sam-wx1oj they are made of polycarbonate, it may look flimsy but it's incredibly durable material.. properly installed one don't typically fails

[@todtalk3912]

I hope you dont think the content producer here, isn't aware of what the name of this part is. In fact, it would take a diagram of any bike, to know what the part is called of which if he really didn't know, would have done. Everyone knows what its called, he was letting us know its called a dork disc within the industry

[@crazysandwich]

Hi ! Bike tech here. The dork disc is mainly there to protect the spokes from the chain, but it wont prevent to derailleur to be sucked up in the wheel. Also the main reason the derailleur gets sucked up in the wheel isnt a badly adjusted Low limit screw, its a bent hanger. A bent hanger will put the lowest point of the cage a lot closer to the spokes and when you shift into low gears to cage is getting caught by the spokes way before the chain can go over the cassette. In this situation, the dork disc is completely useless, this is why we so often remove it.

[@markortowski5864]

Usually you are pedaling up a hill, sometimes pretty hard, when you shift the chain off the cassette looking for a lower gear. Without the dork disk this can wedge the chain pretty far into spokes and even the hub. Then it can be very difficult to remove the chain and it can damage the spokes. This is a pretty different scenario than your experiment demonstrates. I think the purpose of the dork disk is to lessen spoke damage if this happens.

[@alexwalker8422]

A couple additional grams of brain material would give bike manufacturers the idea of keeping the chain on regardless of what happens by simply adding what I will describe as a super low gear except without teeth as a way to refuse derailing off the rear cassette. I estimate a very low increase of production price with a no brainer along these lines.

[@echeese63]

If you drop your chain into the spokes while hunting for a gear, that's a limit screw issue, or your hanger isn't properly aligned.

[@laserbrain7774]

Pretty easy to stop quick and dismount to fix if one is climbing, and has an ounce of wherewithal.

[@Cous1nJack]

@@echeese63 it’s both but in a shit bike owned by a kid, it’s likely that it will be dropped on the drive side. Same reason shit bikes have a guard around the derailleur

[@JohnDoe-rl9pp]

@@laserbrain7774 Lol, sounds like you don't know what a climb actually is.

[@MattLowne]

I think it's only a legal requirement in the US (and maybe EU?) - every "good" bike I've bought in the UK hasn't come with a dork disc, which includes Shimano Deore and SRAM Eagle. My Girlfriend's Trek Marlin came with one, but came off pretty easy with some cutters :D

[@reedtassell4847]

What are you doing here Matt? Go back to kerbin!

[@Spear995]

Wasn't expecting to see you here for some reason. Lol

[@sergeikulichkov7748]

Canyon Endurace also comes with it

[@Unkn0wnRxbxl]

Oh hi matt

[@Jehty_]

If it was a legal requirement in the EU most likely you would have seen it in the UK as well. It's not like you guys have left sooo long ago.

[@mcseforsale]

I've been building my own wheels since about '03. The disc is something I wish someone had improved. When you're building a wheel with ~$4 spokes, it's nice to know that something is there to protect your investment from a poor tuneup.

[@westelaudio943]

They got worse. In the 80s, they were made out of metal.

[@jrgenr]

I think what really happened is in both simulations with the dork disk off was, as your weight was not actually on the bike, that did not force the wheel to continue spinning and causing damage. If you pay attention around 7:30, the wheel locks itself but in reality that would hardly be the case.

[@javianbrown8627]

Had this happen with and without the disc thought on multiple bicycles and it's only a minor inconvenience. Your weight can actually slow the bike down too if you're not going downhill so it really depends on the situation. What he really should've done is add more controlled variables to the experiment ie. while pedaling, while not pedaling, different speeds, different weights

[@Cheeky_Goose]

The wheel is one of the most expensive parts to replace on a bike, so I really feel like even if it's just protecting your spokes from grinding against the chain, it still pays for itself.

[@terrycruise-zd5tw]

well thats because a wheel has so many parts on it? spokes, rim, chain, cassette/freewheel, derailleur, tire, tube, brake? although a rear wheel would be more expensive than a front wheel so maybe you should have clarified that part too

[@JMurph2015]

​​@@terrycruise-zd5tw no, just the spokes, rim, and centerbody alone are a substantial proportion of the cost of a high end bike. Most carbon wheel sets are around $2000 *on their own*. That doesn't include the derailleur, the cassette, the chain, or anything like that. It's just the rim, spokes, and centerbody (which usually has a free hub in it).

[@sped6954]

Pro tip: If you want to strap your bike to a treadmill, consider tying it down like you would a motorcycle in the bed of a pickup. The concept is exactly the same. Tie it down by the handlebar, one strap for each side of the bike, and completely independent of each other. Do the same for the rear of the bike, but because it doesn't pivot like the fork, you can use one long strap and the bike won't move. The problem arose from tying the bike down behind the pivot point, which allowed the handlebar, fork, and wheel/tire assembly to wobble. I never really thought about removing them. It's clear plastic, it isn't in the way of or bothering anything or anybody, so why waste the time it would take to remove it? Yeah, it looks like MAYBE, if one was unfamiliar with how to remove their rear wheel and how to access the disc without cutting it up, it MIGHT take as much as 10 minutes, but in reality, probably closer to five. It wouldn't really be all that difficult to remove. I don't know, whatever floats one's boat I suppose. As it ages, and being clear plastic, it's going to haze over and get dirty and scratched, but the rest of the bike's finish is going to get dirty, scratched, greasy , chipped, etc. I don't remove the chainguard from the front either, but as ugly as they were, we all used to remove our chainguard from our bikes because they really were dorky. Once they were off, we used to mangle and twist them so they couldn't be put back on by our fathers when they got pissed at us for taking them off. But the kinds of guards they have now, I don't mind them in the least.

[@David-ys4xb]

Same reason I removed the air dam under my truck. I don't care about MPG, I care about looks.

[@YOEL_44]

What I think is that I want to see premium versions of these disks, something presentable for a good bike, maybe some anodized aluminum or something

[@Alexander-dn4rw]

Like decades ago when bikes came with chrome disks behind the cassettes, they just looked good and complimented the bikes, instead of being an ugly piece of plastic

[@skobli617]

Yeah pretty sure DH racers use what you're talking about

[@samuelpringer3204]

They have them. Alta Spoke Protector 7 1/2" Freewheel Chrome on Amazon for $10.00. I've got one on every on of the bikes I ride.

[@keeganwebber]

I have several old 27" wheelsets with aluminum discs behind the freewheel

[@nixigaj11]

They should ideally be a part of the cassette. Edit: Something like the Sram X01 DH MINI BLOCK cassette.

[@RJ_Groot]

you can experience spoke damage, I had a chain slip over on an eagle drivetrain on a punchy climb. Upon inspection by removing the cassette I found a few bent and scarred spokes, I rode for about a year before one of the spokes finally broke. I still don't use dork disks; but there is real risks.

[@jesutton13]

My worst damage from this has been from climbing. Going for that extra gear when the hanger is bent and you don't know it. I'm guessing it has to do with you putting power into the chain and it rips the spokes up worse than on a downhill when the wheel and freehub can keep moving.

[@burjanbarnabas24]

I also had my chain slip in to the spokes a few times and when i changed spokes like 6 months later i noticed half of my spokes practically been cut in half so yeah there's a real danger but that also was with a cheap drivetrain.

[@noneofyourbusiness4294]

A year before a spoke broke. And you somehow connect that to a missing piece of plastic?

[@RJ_Groot]

@@noneofyourbusiness4294 yes, bent and damaged spokes are more likely to break in time than straight and undamaged spokes.(just a wild assumption)

[@noneofyourbusiness4294]

@@RJ_Groot obviously damaged spokes are the ones to go first. However, spokes break all the time. A flimsy piece of plastic doesn't prevent that from happening. The most common thing to break spokes, without you doing anything wrong, is uneven tension, which puts a lot of stress on one section of the wheel, which is exactly where spokes break. Once one spoke breaks, there's another shift in tension, another breaks, and another, and another. The damage your spokes take from debris flying at them is next to irrelevant. Think about it. You're putting multiples of your own weight on your wheel during a drop. If debris actually was an issue, you'd see spokes break around the middle. Instead spokes break where there is the most stress- the points where they connect to the wheel and the hub.

[@ReadTheShrill]

I've had a Nishiki Olympic 12 since 1987 (high-school graduation present from my parents), rode it 40+ miles a day, 5‐6 days a week for 25 years with 200+ mile trips every few months (less today, as I'm in my 50s, but I still ride). I've repainted it and put new wheels on it several times, gone through dozens if not more than a hundred sets of tires, and replaced many of the other components. But the dork disk is still in one piece. I suspected its purpose was that explained in this video, but in all that time, I was never certain.

[@TimWodetzki]

As other commentators have said, that “dork disc” is a spoke protector. The chain can be much harder metal than the spokes. An adult riding over rough ground can put a lot of force through the drive train. When the chain goes between the cassette and the spokes it can cut into the spokes like a saw. That can severely weaken the spokes, leading to the whole wheel eventually failing. That little disc is there to take the hit so that the wheel doesn’t get destroyed.

[@JaspreetSingh-fo2qe]

So you think that a thin piece of plastic is stronger than the material the spokes are made out of?

[@har234908234]

​@@JaspreetSingh-fo2qe That's not what he's saying and it's not how it works. The disk attached to the wheel and spins with the spokes... if anything it needs to be stronger than the chain material. In any respect, the plastic could be sacrificial.

[@JaspreetSingh-fo2qe]

@@har234908234 I bet that plastic will only help to prevent scratches from the spokes. If the forces are anything near to where the spokes would have broken without it, then it will not help even a tiny bit. I can see a metal one to be quite a lot more functional but definitely not the plastic one.

[@har234908234]

​@@JaspreetSingh-fo2qe I don't think it likely on a well setup bike. The event I imagine where the chain hops over the top of the block would have the rear derailleur bashing against the spokes! To your point. He was talking about chain plates banging against spokes... If it happens on a pedal stroke, the plastic needs to last one pedal stroke (and probably not a long geared one at that). You're getting off your bike to fix it before the second stroke! If it happens when you're going downhill at 60kph it's worth remembering that while the tire circumference of the wheel is going 60kph, closer to the axle the linear velocity where the chain would meet the plastic is much lower. At 10cm from the axle that could be around 2kmh? The chain is 'sliding' against the plastic, not clattering against spokes. The damage you're looking to avoid is the start of a fatigue failure, not an instantaneous catastrophic failure. I think this is a kids bike problem... where the setup may be 'altered' without expertise.

[@MattExzy]

@@JaspreetSingh-fo2qe I bought my first bike (well, since I was a kid) a few years ago and had no idea what was what. I knew I had to adjust the rear derailleur... but I did it wrong. And still being a noob, I was in the granny gear a lot all the time - the one closest to the spokes. On more than one occasion the chain slipped and wedged up against the disc. I remember thinking "wow, I'm glad that little plastic disc was there, how about that..." But as for plastic being weaker than metal - the plastic has much great *surface area* than a single spoke. That force is distributed much more evenly - that's how it can function as it does. It also stops the chain getting tangled in the spoke. If spokes were *that* strong, we'd have four of them per wheel, not dozens. If some weirdo is paying that close attention to my bike and cares about a little plastic disc, then I assume they're just a creep with a tiny pecker, since it's the sort of thing that turns cycling into a dick measuring competition. Just like a lot of other stuff. I don't care if I have a bike with it on, especially since I've seen them work.

[@konstantinkoneski3494]

I'll say this: "If it ain't broken don't fix it".Meaning that it's there for a reason.From my experience it is very usefull,and practical.

[@bananasstuff3344]

That reason being to deflect liability in the case of a serious accident that relates to the cassette

[@WilHenDavis]

...and the corrolary to your statement is "...if it ain't broke, fix it until it is!" 😅

[@albertoecheverria776]

i really like how true and natural you are, this video looked complicated for you to do but in a way its still helpful for beginners like me. love your content

[@theSuperspeedysloth]

Keep it on because it protects your spokes from your chain

[@PaoloMaker]

It needs to become a fashion part so that everyone wants to have one installed :) Gotta make one out of carbon fiber or even kevlar and rename it to "superfancydorkdisc"! 🤓

[@Firious421]

Yes that does need to happen because on some older bikes I have they have started to become yellow like how a lot of cheap plastic does

[@PaoloMaker]

@@Firious421 Which is, at least in my opinion, the main reason why those get removed in the first place. Those plastic disc just don't look attractive once they get older.

[@swedneck]

right? just make it less shit and people won't want to remove it..

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Literally lol.

[@PaoloMaker]

@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 😁

[@rohrertech8882]

If the chain drops behind the cassette under tension, (i.e. on a steep climb when you really wish you had one lower gear) it can really thrash the spokes right where they insert into the hub. It weakens the spokes at the point where they normally break. Nothing catastrophic has ever happened to me, but I've ended up rebuilding several wheels because of it when a spoke or two broke sometime down the road. I had more trouble with the old 3x9 setups, where the cassette was smaller. Modern larger cassettes tend to have clearance between the cassette spider and hub that wasn't there on the older, smaller cassettes with full steel cogs. I've seen a few jammed tight enough that they were very difficult to get free, but only when the chain was pulled in by someone standing on the pedals.

[@markoshark4697]

This is exactly what happened to me - But with a brand new bike (first time riding it), dropped to the easiest gear, limit screw wasn't set properly, chain got sucked into the wheel, snapped the chain. And this was with a dork disc

[@MichaelOnines]

Snapped 3 spokes when this happened to me a few months after pulling a broken disc off the bike. Had previously set and tested inside limit screw but either the derailleur was realigned or the set screw backed off while riding because it hadn't been glued in place.

[@pauld1848]

Exactly. The DD wouldn’t be useful on fast descents but on slow climbs where the chain is under a lot of tension.

[@mikeriley1475]

Agree, I've definitely trashed some spokes from this happening.

[@helvettefaensatan]

This. Be 8, bend dropout, overshift on a hill, use dork disc. Be adult, bend dropout, fix dropout. Be adult, overshift, stop pedaling.

[@jimkoss3318]

All I’m getting from this is that a $150 Huffy is more stable than the $1,000+ bike.

[@Playwholeday]

Yes - that is because of headset chopper angle of Enduro bike... geometry was made to do downhill not plain surface. If you go downhill on 150$ bike, your trip will be shorter than my dick bro... trust me its very short)))

[@daddyshrek2295]

i actually want to get a metal dork disc, that way pieces of it don't break off when it gets old and brittle spoke protectors that were used on vintage bikes, the chrome ones, looked really awesome and often came with cool designs like logos punched into them or fancy patterns this was before everything was plastic and people made sure that every bike component made the bike look good in my opinion, no amount of ''coolness'' is worth risking crashing or destroying a bike over, especially for something as trivial as a round disc

[@julianbrelsford]

I've definitely owned bikes with a metal “dork disk“. Most of the bikes I have ever bought, were ~40 yr old bikes I paid $20 for.

[@everyhandletaken]

They don’t make ‘em like they used to..

[@theramblingsofbilbotheerid3048]

You are the epitomy of Dork 😂

[@hifiteen49]

In the Netherlands they have them.

[@germanasf9612]

My last two Downhill bikes had metal ones, which also did not connect to the spokes, but the cassette directly.

[@davidc6032]

One of my first rides on my brand new $4200 mountain bike, this happened. I was on a steep, granny ring climb, the chain jumped between the cassette and spokes and turned the derailleur into a pretzel in about 0.5 seconds. It was so wound up in there I couldn't get it loose by hand. So, with the multi-tool, I started loosening every little bolt on the rear der. Turns out, one of the pulleys had so much tension on it, that once it was loose enough, a couple parts let loose with such velocity, that it sounded like bullets tearing through the leaves and branches in the woods. If it had hit me, hospital trip for sure. Anyway, the spokes were a bit nicked, but still worked, I had to buy a new der. and I avoided losing an eye, so a 'fun' and 'educational' experience.

[@rumblingend8443]

So the dork disc saved you?

[@samuelpringer3204]

@@rumblingend8443 Maybe next time.

[@cmdmd]

I have broken a derailleur because I had removed the disc. No, I won’t ride without it. It’s nice to see you doing Phil-Level things in a controlled environment. :)

[@33blue]

I can remember multiple occasions when the chain fell into the spokes and caused catastrophic failure on my bike. Multiple derailleurs were trashed, several wheel spokes broken on different occasions, and once, the chain got caught and bent in half, rendering it as well as the derailleur junk. Maybe it looks dorky, but it beats breaking down during a ride and having to do repairs.

[@explorenaked]

And the real question is...Who gives a rats ass what other people think? I take them off of my bikes but not because of peer pressure but because I've had several occasions where crap got stuck. That being said, I have never criticized someone for having one. People put too much emphasis on what others think of us. I ride with a backpack and flats. Lots of people think I'm a dork. I guess I'm a dork.

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Or just maintain your bike properly.

[@legolas66106]

I just totally forgot about the thing until now, as I didn't bothered ripping it off. I suppose it's different when you are just racing on pavement versus mtb'ing but I never noticed the thing being there at all. Guess, in the end, I'll just forget about it again after a few hours, and just leave it there.

[@loganchase9514]

I wish the dork discs on all bikes were more like the Huffy's (have to take the cassette off to remove it). Just got a new stumpjumper and the one on there just clips onto the spokes, trying to come off by itself.

[@Duke00x]

What would you say if it was made out of carbon fiber or ceramic and came in different cokor and could have custom design on them?

[@bikeman7982]

This happened to me only once in two decades. Destroyed my road bike rear wheel. Bought a replacement wheel set. Tried to sell the old front wheel. Found a lot of front wheels on sale on eBay, but not rear wheels. Then I realized this problem was more common than I expected!

[@goku445]

Or maybe they were just stolen front wheels. Usually the rear wheel is secured. XD

[@aggese]

Just re-spoke the rear wheel, it's not that hard. Or have someone professional do it, its not that expensive.

[@MarcelaElviraTimis]

@@aggese methinks the wheel also needs to be recentered after that kind of damage... I'd totally buy a replacement too in such scenario 😅

[@aggese]

@@MarcelaElviraTimis absolutely, but by removing and replacing the spokes you remove all centering so re-centering is just part of the re-spoking the wheel. Sure you might have to replace the rim too but those aren't that expensive nether is having someone do the work for you and damaging the hub is rather hard

[@MarcelaElviraTimis]

@@aggese that's my point. That little plastic thingy greatly reduces the need to respoke your bike, with the added need to center the damn wheel. I mean, at least in my experience

[@DOCWHOK9]

My Malvern Star Racing bike, c1985, had a metal dork-disc and the chain jammed behind the cluster so tightly that it took levers & hammers to get it out. Older plastic "d-d"s used to shatter like cdroms! Older Clusters did not have a space for the chain closer to the axle.

[@Phlizz]

Last week I managed to rip off the derailleur including the hanger in a split second. It was freshly build up for the showroom in the store. 1. You have to ride, your weight gives the forward momentum. 2. You need to have a wide range derailleur with a long cage… actually a dork disc wouldn’t help in this scenario, because it’s the bottom part of the cage that catches a spoke… 👍

[@tims_builds]

I've had the chain come off that way before and tbh the worst part that would have been remedied by having a dork disc was getting the chain back out so I could pedal again. Without one, depending on the design of your cassette, it can get jammed in there is a way that is difficult to pull back out (and makes you wonder how it got there in the first place)

[@ninjapyro9969]

You are tottaly right I have a sram nx eagle 12 speed (gonna change it to a X01) and my chain did pop off between the cassete and spokes it was a PAIN to get it out I still dont understand how it got so caught up in there.

[@LighthawkZ65]

Thanks for trying to show us, I also had a very bad time on a downhill as a kid... I had to change my rear derailleur, but not because of the indicident. It was because I was a dumb kid and used my bike as trash. But I got a considerable amount of damage to remember the accident and to respect my bike and treat her properly...

[@RedHeadGuitar]

I have repaired a lot of bikes for friends and family over the years and these plastic discs make absolutely no difference. It's usually the old, dirt-packed, rotting drivetrains that implode when the chain is overshifting into the spokes. Though the concept of this unloved part is actually not too bad, but wrongly executed. For it to work manufacturers should include it in the cassette (like an extra non-toothed cog, slightly larger than the lowest gear). Included firmly on the cassette so it won't rattle around, maybe with some rad color accent or even color-customizability (wow I should patent this lol) But it must be a part of the cassette if it's supposed to stop the chain overshifting. If you catch it after it's already dropped into the spokes, it does not matter if there's a dork disk or not. If the chain and spokes are full of dirt and scream friction, it will grab and go funny.

[@jbstillman]

When shopping for some odd sized freewheels to repair some vintage bikes, I've come across some just like this, the last "gear" is just a disk. I really liked the idea and wished I could see it on other gear sets. - For the rest of the conversation, I keep mine on.. I don't care what it looks like, if it breaks I remove it, otherwise, it's not hurting anything and stays until it doesn't.

[@atlas5280]

Great video. In my experience(manhattan bike shop), the most common thing that tangles up rear derailleurs is debris/obstruction: most commonly the lowly street curb. I have literally 0 experience with the MTB market, but the shop I work at in NYC replaces 3 or 4 rear mechs/hangers a month from the pushed-into-the-spokes type catastrophe. The dork disk is often present and intact for such jobs.

[@justinrobinson7790]

I leave my dork disc on because I love seeing the looks of disgust from my fellow riders.

[@AdarColussi]

Great video, I hated explaining to people why I have to put this on every new bike, just to take it off when they're sold... I worked mechanic, and I'd say these are unnecessary in most bikes, other then very low end ones. in very low end system, the derailleurs have so much give, they can easily be bumped or forced and get the chain between the cassette and wheel.. but there's usually a big enough gap, that the plastic might help a bit. But I think the biggest problem is that, this plastic thing usually brakes apart and is just wiggling there after a couple of months. which is where it tends to get caught the most in my experience.

[@skatetheglobe]

When I raced BMX in the 90's, we all used to run metal dork discs to help amplify the sound of the freewheel

[@kemalazeeze4379]

the high and low adjust screws are there for the limits for a proper adjustment so the chain doesn't fly off the sprokets

[@liamhemmings9387]

I've seen wheels with the spokes ripped apart from this happening, the dork disc could have saved a lot of them, I'm actually going to make myself an aluminium dork disc like I see on old road bikes to save me money in the long run on wheels

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

TBH, I assumed that this had something to do with the fact that on these bikes the chain is capable of moving in two directions as well as at a different rotational speed from the wheel, meaning that there's a lot less of a guarantee about the chain jumping off the gear and contacting the spokes. I would expect that if you're dumb enough to have the disc off, the gear shift improperly adjusted and be peddling backwards right before switching directly for a change of gear that you would see it happen. It's also probably part of why it's apparently not universal to all regions. I don't remember my old Huffy BMX bike having those discs, it also had coaster brakes and only one pair of sprockets, making it far less likely to need the extra protection. As long as the chain was tight enough to not be removable without cutting the chain, or removing a gear, it was fine. Not something that was likely to be possible without extreme negligence.

[@theramblingsofbilbotheerid3048]

Dork!

[@Gusto20000]

I actually made one for my new DT wheel, because the chain left pretty significant marks on the hub and I wasn't even pedaling that hard and I stopped right away. I designed it much wider, so the chain can't physically go further. Then printed on a 3D printer.

[@djlespommes]

One factor to consider on a modern 1x drivetrain, if you're shifting into the big cog, chances are you are going pretty slow, so it's not really a issue.

[@MrDegsy69]

You said it! Just shifting your gears properly in a delicate fashion and in good time whilst not under load is proper technique and will avoid this scenario. Also making sure the high/low adjustment screws on your rear mech are spot on will ensure this never happens. The 'Dork Disc' is very appropriately named in my opinion as it is there for total wallys who cannot ride or maintain a bike properly? Consider it a rite of passage removing it in a similar manner to your stabilizers as it is there for 'childrens' safety!

[@damarapoledna3636]

Been mountain biking for 33 years. Although I have had the chain get jammed into the spokes quite significantly, I have never had a catastrophic failure in this manner. Disclaimer: out of the fifty of so bikes I've had, I've never left the plastic disc on the bike.

[@Durwood71]

50 bikes in 33 years?

[@jackheinemann8780]

@@Durwood71 Easy if your 'wheeling and dealing'

[@MeneerHerculePoirot]

Wow, what a poseur. 🙄

[@damarapoledna3636]

@@Durwood71 you should see how many golf clubs I have/had 😬

[@damarapoledna3636]

@@Durwood71 30+ cars and 20+ motorcycles😁

[@douglasburnside]

What you didn't address is the damage to the heads of the spokes as the spinning wheel grinds them against the non-moving chain. After a few of those incidents, the spokes will begin failing, either when the heads break off or at the 90° bend where the spoke exits the hub flange.

[@PimSchouten]

Good point👌🏼

[@rossbrumby1957]

Stainless spokes like to snap at the bend at the best of times without grinding a chain over them.

[@danielrumbo343]

That won't happen on carbon fiber wheels scenario? Or what can go south?

[@therealgaragegirls]

Not sure what it is, but I love your presentation. And love your self-deprecating humor.

[@bertrandolf9733]

Hi Seth, with the underground pushing the wheel the spokes push on the chain - kind of from the inside out. If you're actually pedalling only then will the chain be pulled into the tightening gap.(outside-in). And if you pedal hard like e.g. on a steep climb then the chain might very well get locked with exactly that force, Cheers :)

[@jakedevries1455]

And then you whack you nuts on either the headset or crossbar 🤕 😁 hahaha

[@bertrandolf9733]

@@jakedevries1455 that's first fixie experience when i entered the turning lane and did the shoulder look i just forgot ... :D

[@mickangio16]

Who is the dork that referred to it as a "dork disc" to begin with? I think it should be made of something a bit more substantial than a flimsy piece of plastic. In fact, I think my Schwinn Super Sport in the 1970s had a chrome plated steel one. Yeah, yeah, I know- lightweight, zoom, zoom.

[@rcranes2227]

Seth, you're testing a 35 lb bike just riding on a treadmill and the rear wheel ends up hopping around as the chain causes havoc. in real life, there is a 150 lb rider and a ton of momentum on that bike, so a lot more energy and potential for damage. that weight on top of the rear wheel also keeps that wheel on the ground spinning until the considerably larger momentum eventually gets slowed down by crushing metal and friction. in short, I think the real life scenario involves way more energy. also, who knows what can happen if you get that happening at speed, you could lose control of the bike even if the damage isn't that bad. all that being said, we took off our dork disks too.

[@prjndigo]

First thing I ever did on a mountain bike was stick it in lowest and shear the rear axle retention clips off the frame, bend the rear rim and rip the valvestem off. Too many years pushing a little MX36 one speed I guess. The dork-disk's *entire purpose* is to keep the cheaper parallelogram shifters from digging into the spokes directly. That's it. It stops kids and fools from allowing the duplex from damaging the spokes and causing an unsafe ride. It is the single largest example of a "warranty void if removed" device you will ever see.

[@oasntet]

On my last hybrid bike, the dork disc disintegrated and eventually my chain did end up off the cassette. It didn't do much damage the first time, but it happened a few times over a year and eventually chewed through some spokes. The biggest problem with the dork disc is that it's made of such cheap plastic it often breaks off the hub and spins freely, prompting the owner to just snip it off.

[@Invictus4318]

That’s exactly what happened to mine. It was easier to just cut it off that piss about trying to get it to sit properly

[@percyfaith11]

I just zip tied mine to the spokes. 3 minutes work. Done.

[@percyfaith11]

@@Invictus4318 zip tie to spokes. Done, and keep your protection.

[@j-mcharing1851]

This has only happened to me a hand full of times in 30 plus years of riding without a dork disk, where the chain has gotten caught between the spokes and the cassette. The worst case for me was the chain got so wedged in-between that the chain cut 2 of the spokes and I had to remove the cassette to get the chain out (no dork disk). Best case is that the chain just pulls out, but I have always have had damage to the spokes and it a judgment call on whether to replace them of not. The dork disk is sacrificial gear that helps protect the spokes from damage when the chain gets caught.

[@ernielanderos]

Today I learned that my wife’s bike needed a dork disc 2 months ago. The derailleur was sucked up into the spokes and we couldn’t figure out why. Thanks for this video!

[@newfie6938]

“It can be melted down into aluminum wheel chairs, cans, and lawn darts” amazing how he never wastes materials

[@matthewm3]

I completely lost it when he said that

[@Ferrari255GTO]

The tyres would make good fuel for a traditional stove

[@sapinva]

There are kids who might never have such a nice bike. Hopefully he is joking.

[@RedFrost6]

@@Ferrari255GTO pollution

[@Ferrari255GTO]

@@RedFrost6 i was joking dude

[@bepp6120]

Considering you're never riding down a trail in the highest gear, the chain actually managing to get behind the highest kog is almost impossible. However, bad limit adjustement made my chain go into the spokes several times during steep uphill sections, so far without any long term effects. You're just not fast enough to cause serious damage imo.

[@sebastianfowler3749]

He was shifting it in the lowest gear, largest cog. The highest gear would’ve been down at the smallest cog and shifted off toward the chainstay.

[@JesseFry-se6ty]

I like that you left the mistake in the video. That's why I love your channel. You're a cool guy.

[@tocariucandrei6378]

Well, I felt on my skin the importance of a dork disk. It happened when I shifted up a gear at the wrong time while climbing a pretty big hill. The chain get stucked that bad it took me more than one hour to unstuck it and be back on track. I had no tools on me and all I could use was some sticks and my bare hands. That happened 20km away from nearest city and at Some point I considered calling one friend to come and pick me up with the car. So yes, in some situation a dork disc can make a huge difference

[@SteveGergetz]

But you have absolutely no idea if the disc would have prevented the problem you had. That is what this conversation is all about...whether or not it actually works.

[@Roamer17]

I actually ended up buying a "dork disk" - I've replaced my rear wheel twice on my old bike, perhaps 'cause I carry too much with it. But I never bothered replacing the original "dork disk" because I thought I didn't need it. Then when coming home from a commute one day, my derailleur freaked out randomly, and wedged my chain firmly between freewheel hub and spokes. The rear wheel locked up completely, and I couldn't free the chain. Had to carry heavy 20 KG bike home on shoulders with a walk of shame. Not fun. Could only be freed by unscrewing the freewheel hub. So now I have a dork disk to stop that from happening again, even though I keep my bike maintained and it's not done that since. Good thing I wasn't far from home, or carrying anything.

[@muzkat101]

I was speeding down a hill, jumped off the curb, and my rear derailer somehow bounced right into my rear wheel... bent the hanger & derailer all to h377 but no real damage to the spokes. And luckily, no loss of control or accident -- just a load in my shorts and a heart-pounding moment I won't forget.

[@DosJof5118]

My experience without a DORK disc and a misadjusted lower limit stop screw resulted in severely damaged spokes. So much so that the rear wheel needed to be rebuilt. Granted this was on a road bike before mountain bikes were even a thing. A Schwinn Paramount with Campy Nuovo Record derailleur. But I was a teenager, what did I know. And yes I don't ride with a DORK disc on any of my chain drive bikes.

[@void.w1]

Hey seth! Could have someone machine a custom dork disc out of metal, like aluminum or titanium for you to test? I would personally rock one of those if they existed!

[@thebystander1636]

Every mtber pays dearly to have lighter parts and takes off everything not necessary. Adding a new part made of metal is not something ANY biker would willingly do.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@thebystander1636 You talk like we're all roadie ninnies in superhero cosplays. 🙄

[@void.w1]

@@thebystander1636 I would, + a titanium dork disc weighs like 50g max And remind you Seth isn't one of those people, he has a chain made purely out of master links on his hardtail.

[@BermPeakExpress]

I tried making one out of wood one time-the Dude Disc. It didn’t work all that well

[@void.w1]

@@BermPeakExpress could ask a fan to make a metal one?

[@KB-ce7gf]

So, I was riding my bike down the trail and my chain went over into my spokes and then it ruined my wife's tread mill. You rock Seth. I love your channel.

[@Extreme_Fireballz]

I respect the fact that you used your good and expensive bike because the cheap bike didn’t have good results. Great content Seth!

[@modernnomadtechnology9252]

I worked at a bike rental, and between the thousands of bikes I had to maintain there, and the thousands of miles I've personally covered, I have seen broken spokes, shattered derailleurs, and chains so badly bound between the rear hub and cluster that they could not be retrieved without removing the cluster. Whether those incidents included the plastic disc or not, I cannot say. My head mechanic had a habit of ripping them off whenever they became even slightly damaged, so I'm sure many of those failures occurred when discs were absent.

[@infernaldaedra]

Those plastic discs crumble apart after a month or two can't even stop a chain

[@thysonsacclaim]

@@infernaldaedra Not true. Old plastics suffered UV damage. New ones don't. Hasn't been that way in 20 years. Also they're not designed to take the force of the chain. They deflect it. Big difference.

[@jonbingham7525]

Most common reason for chain getting sucked into spokes is not poor adjustment but a bent derailleur hanger, and in this scenario dork disc does nothing as it's usually the cage from the derailleur that gets caught in spokes and gets wrapped around the cassette twisted and often snapped

[@pauljs75]

The treadmill is missing the part where the rear wheel is hammering on a bumpy trail and the tensioner on the derailleur goes slack enough to throw a chain that's not under much tension. Spoke guard is there for that kind of thing. Just an extra bit of insurance to not catch spokes and possibly taco a wheel in the process.

[@tonyparrish5566]

Like you discovered, I've seen plenty of dork discs fail to do anything useful in the event of derailment. Might as well take it off. But as others have stated, never take them off for clients, due to liability issues. Take them off for yourself.

[@roeltz]

I have experienced the issue you wanted to recreate more than once, and I think what you were lacking was your full weight on the bike making the chain get stuck closer to the center, where it might get caught up in a way that's hard to get out without dismounting the cassette.

[@neilfoddering921]

These discs were made of metal in the 1930s, and were a vital piece of safety equipment for derailleurs like the Super Champion Osgear, where the chain is shifted onto the next sprocket by a pivoting fork. The fork is under strong spring pressure, and if unchecked, will will be forced into the spokes. Normally, the correctly adjusted gear cable, connected to the derailleur by a pinch bolt, restrains the derailleur, but if the cable were to break or to slip from the grip of the pinch bolt, then the fork will fly into the spokes without the protection of the metal (usually aluminium) disc. Perhaps, if the disc were made of metal instead of flimsy plastic, it could serve a practical purpose. I imagine, though, that cyclists who are more image-conscious than self-confident would still object to them.

[@scottmorton21]

A few years ago I came up with an idea to replace the dork disk with something that would actually prevent the chain from falling into the spokes. It basically is a ramped dork disk. The ramp stops even with the highest gear so the chain would just slide down the ramp until it hit the sprocket. It could even be snapped in place or zip tied to the spokes. Was going to use some Carbon/Kevlar cloth to make one but never got around to doing it. Of coarse it would only work for the cassette that I have on the bike but I thought it would be a fun experiment, none the less.

[@noobulon4334]

This sounds like a feature that could be added to the casset itself

[@scottmorton21]

@@noobulon4334 It certainly could. But there would be a few things to consider like would it replace the largest sprocket or would it be welded to the largest sprocket or how far do you make the ramp. Too much of a ramp and it could hit the spokes. But if it was made from a plastic, then it could just snap on the back of the sprocket and just touch the spokes. Lots of good ideas!

[@wolschou]

If I understand correctly, the main complaint about these things is that they are too flimsy and inevitably break. So why not make a sturdier one? You could make it from aviation grade aluminium or titanium, or some esoteric unobtainium compound, and you can put gaudy designs on the backside. That's easily another seven hundred bucks you can pointlessly spend on your favourite toy.

[@celia222]

The disk is there to protect the user, not the bike. It prevents the chain from getting caught in a moving rear wheel and bypassing the free wheel/hub - which causes the chain to pull on the chain ring… essentially making the bike a fixie. An inexperienced rider may not be able to stop pedaling, especially if they were clipped in or strapped in. Even when the rider can get their feet off the pedal, the crank arms will keep on turning, attacking the rider’s legs until the rear wheel stops turning; as seen in Seth’s video (where the pedal eats into the back of his leg - thankfully he’s wearing jeans). It is a safety device meant for people who will not take into account skill/equipment/terrain/speed/etc… a worry-free device. Take it off when the rider is ready for all that.

[@Aubreykun]

Probably also good on a tourer as a way to just worry about 1 less thing too.

[@alpd7638]

If you are trying to shift into your biggest cog, you're probably not going very fast. And if the derailleur isn't bent, it's pretty much impossible for it to get caught in the spokes

[@willehster]

not fast but likely under a high load

[@namdarbolour9890]

I work at a volunteer bike co-op and wee are always seeing rear wheels with their spokes mangled at the hub where the chain wedged in. The chain actually cuts into the spokes and reduces their strength, kind of like a beaver chomping on a tree trunk. Sometimes the spoke pulls out of the (aluminum) hub flange. So I always encourage customers to retain or re-install their dork disks. We have a whole collection of beautiful old-school steel chromed spoke protectors that nobody wants!

[@seal9737]

Personally I think that they call it a dork disk for a reason. It's just like taking reflectors off, even if it doesn't make a difference, it just feels right.

[@quantumtechcrypto7080]

You should reflect on that

[@tornagawn]

Yeah, just bought a rather nice Giant Revolt gravel bike. Lovely rims, disc brakes, and a big lump of orange plastic attached to a spoke to throw the wheel balance off 🤦‍♂️ It’s gone now ⚰️

[@jaro6985]

@@tornagawn Take off the valve stem while you're at it if you actually care about balancing the wheel.

[@tornagawn]

@@jaro6985 Nah, they seem to serve some purpose.

[@jaro6985]

@@tornagawn You should balance the wheel then to compensate for stem, maybe you could use a plastic clip on reflector as a weight..

[@caffeineau]

Please try that bike out on your trails! I've had a jammed chain like that once, with a dork disk in place. Ended up with a severely twisted chain.

[@compasteedee]

I would be perfectly happy with that outcome! Chains are cheap and are a wear item anyhow. That vs a derailleur, cassette or spoke/wheel damage is a best case scenario. Glad a twisted chain is all that you had to deal with!

[@caffeineau]

@@compasteedee Yeah probably the least-worst outcome. Still annoying when 50km from home though

[@hamradiojim6788]

I wonder if the bike's power system was under a load (like when you were actually biking) there would have been more adverse consequences? Kudos for taking this demonstration on!

[@wiscadams]

My current bike didn't come with a "dork disc" and that meant I immediately contaminated the rear pads when I first cleaned the cassette. So I guess one advantage of the disc is that it helps prevent overspray from going where you don't want it to go.

[@KarlenBell]

You're also putting a lot of torque when you are pedaling, esp if you're trying to go uphill. This simulation was under perfect circumstances, so it prob didn't turn out to be worse than other occasions.

[@brushylake4606]

You didn't get the violent reaction because there wasn't any real load on the drivetrain. Since you were expecting it and there wasn't constant pressure from big muscles on the drivetrain, nothing broke. Do it on a hill while pedaling and you'll get a different result.

[@jerryspeedbumps512]

Riding in the granny gear under pedal load means you're going pretty slow. It's unlikely you'll be moving at speed in that range. You'd likely drop into a lower gear for more speed, where losing the chain back there wouldn't be an issue so you'd have shifted back into a cog with fewer teeth and put the chain further away from wanting to kiss the spokes!

[@KuroNoYuri]

Would've liked a look at the spokes because I've seen spokes get ground almost all the way through having worked in a bikeshop for almost 10 years

[@bikerider4326]

I have thousands of miles successfully ridden without the dork disk. It’s all in the respect and knowledge of where the gear is at, AND in keeping the rear derailleur dialed in.✌️

[@wheeledllama7907]

I always remove these when working on bikes as they make no difference, and they tend to fall apart pretty quickly, in the lower gears you generally go uphill which creates enough tension to completely disintigrates the disc, or go slowly enough that you can stop before any damage actually occurs. I'd always liked the idea of heavy duty metal discs for MTB's and the like though, i'd buy one for sure.

[@Duke00x]

Or carbon fiber or ceramic if you want to keep weight down. Maybe make it a fashion thing too. Different colors. Custom designs. Hydrodipping.

[@TheStuartstardust]

Or perhaps just a extra big inner gear ring with no teeth to avoid overshifting?

[@MarcelaElviraTimis]

Are you doing that to ensure a returning customer? I mean, as far as a bike repair shop is concerned, broken spokes is better than broken spoke protectors...

[@reigh7]

Check the j bend area of your spokes for damage where the chain just chewed into them. This means later on they will more likely fail and break. Your shifting components are not the only things that can be damaged.

[@dubmob151]

that's probably what happened, just didn't look at it very closely so it went unnoticed.

[@funkmonkeyfun]

Now make one where your shoe lace doesn’t get wrapped up into your pedal and tie your foot down, good video! I have had several chains jump on hard impacts and get wedged in the dork disk but never had any damage.

[@ChrisinOSMS]

I highly recommend you pull the cassette and inspect the drive side spokes before sending it on that orange bike again. The hardened chain rivets can chew up spokes quickly.

[@rickcski8082]

When I was a teenager, I rode a Raleigh Gran Prix 10 speed. I replaced my freewheel and had the big, chrome, metal spoke protector removed. I had yet to adjust my rear derailleur limit screws. A friend wanted to see how the new gearing felt and immediately shifted to the lowest cog. The chain jammed between the freewheel and spokes and ripped my Simplex derailleur from the hanger.

[@MrEcted]

I always remove them because, first and most importantly, they look bad, but also because they almost always break before they are even useful since they're so brittle. I have only ever snapped one rear derailleur in over 50K miles of commuting and it wasn't because I didn't have a dork disk on, it was because I was an idiot and I saw a bungee cord on the path in front of me and instead of riding around it like smart individual, I just rolled over it, and as luck may have it, it somehow got wrapped up into my rear wheel and around the derailleur, the derailleur got sucked up into my wheel and I snapped the RD along with some spokes.

[@TheGolfdaily]

In my case, this "dork" disk has caused a tight - fit jamming of the chain between the spokes and the gear. - It was absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to un jam the chain so the entire casette has to be dismantled at home. That is of course after the bike has to be transported all the way back home in a car! Had there been no dork disk, the chain would have been easily put back on. I felt like strangling the guy who had this bright idea of fitting a dork disk which to me, is an device that ensures a tight LOCK between the spokes abd the gears!

[@TheGolfdaily]

@@davidross8233 I was sure I am not the only victim of the Evil dork disc!!

[@zwanphony]

I'm an aerospace structural design engineer and I leave mine on. it has a purpose; it's extremely light, and the material is chosen specifically to have it fail before the other components fail. this will save yourself some $ in lieu of replacing other more expensive, metallic components. additionally, this will hopefully allow you to figure out what happened so you can adjust your rear and get back on the road or trail so you can get home without being stuck in the middle of nowhere. Obviously, most people take it off thanks to the misnomer "dork disc" and wanting to either be "cool" or at least have their bike look more attractive. Smart design and safety is cooler to me, but hey we still have those riders that think helmets look dumb so to each their own.

[@MarcABrown-tt1fp]

Well a properly tuned (not rubber garbage) derailleur serves the same function as the Dork Disk, as the only way a chain can get forced over into the spokes is if a once in a blue moon stick or rock gets caught in the chain under the cassete, an even then it winds up dropping a gear or two. besides, who goes fast on 1st gear? ;)

[@TejasToolMan]

removed it my on my first murray ATB back in the 80's, learned how to fine to the derailleur right after. Made it easier to do on bike spoke replacements too

[@crash5522]

The worst thing that ever happened to me is my derailleur snapped in half by me shifting while climbing a hill. Lesson learned, tension and shifting while climbing is not a good mix.

[@DesertCookie]

That's why I only shift with the front when going uphill.

[@DavidBergman1776]

My worst was when my chain formed an "x" on the between front and rear. Have NO CLUE what happened, just shifting. Weirdest thing I've ever seen. Even my bike mech was shocked

[@Ferrari255GTO]

@@DavidBergman1776 welp, it seems as though your bike is a magician

[@InventorZahran]

I have a metal dork disk (or "pie plate") on my vintage road bike. Once when I forgot to adjust the rear derailer's limit screws, it overshifted and got the chain stuck in between the pie plate and the freewheel. It took a few minutes of struggling to get it unstuck, and It probably would've been easier if the plate wasn't there.

[@mickangio16]

But probably saved your wheel from damage as designed to do.

[@jessevolz]

Actually had this happen back in college with my old Cannondale M300, kept roasting single walled rims so got a set of double wall wheels that already had an 8 speed cassette on, just rode home on concrete with them before adjusting the drivetrain, being a stupud 19 year old I went jumping curbs at speed, shot the chain into the spokes, chain a tually locked into the spokes, wedged in and wrapped a bit more than a full rotation back around with the wheel rotation, I ate concrete and had to carry the bike home to end up replacing the chain entirely, learned my lesson for sure

[@jimmetan7031]

I had an experience when my bicycle chain got slipped off and fell in between the bicycle spokes and the largest cog. There was no damage but it was very difficult to lift the chain off from the spokes and the cog. With the dork on, it would be easier to do this.

[@MarcelaElviraTimis]

Oh, yes. I (hardly) remember the childhood trauma that was getting the chain out of the wheel without those little plastic things. Remiving them is just plain stupid, imho, and asking for trouble

[@xcal_99_industries32]

“I bought MY treadmill..” “Amy is not going to be happy about that”

[@Krueger444]

I broke my dork disc respoking my wheel and I was a little concerned about it but had no idea where to get one or why it was important. Then this popped into my feed :D

[@louisrobinson4164]

I want a carbon fiber dork disk!🤙🏻