Spez Roc hopper- plastic disc adjacent to rear cassette?

Rich Kirby

Back to MBin after a long break. I was out today & noticed the chain becoming slack & not spinning cleanly. Turns out the plastic bit next to the largest rear cog has miss aligned itself. The clips that locate it to spokes had broken & it's now off centre causing the chain to go slack intermittently. The chain only stays tight if I pedal.

So, anyone know what this bit is called, whether it's essential or can I just cut it out? Think I need a special tool to take cassette off to get to it. Any advice welcomed.... Or should I just take it to a good shop.

supersonic

It stops the chain going into the spokes. A properly adjsuted derailer won't do this anyway (unless you bend the hanger when riding), so can be removed.

To remove the cassette you need a chain whip and cassette tool. Most protectors just snap off anyway.

The Rookie

This has nothing to do with keeping the chain tight, are you sure you don't have an issue that is causing that and are blaming the spoke protector just because its loose?

Simon

supersonic

The spoke protecter can jam between the cassette and spokes, causing the the cassette not to freewheel, hence the chain goes slack.

Rich Kirby

Thanks supersonic, I think what u say in your second post it is what's happening. So is the spoke protector essential or can I cut it off (& ride) then get it sorted at
bike shop when able......? Potentially dangerous I guess if the chain did get caught in the spokes.

cooldad

Most people get rid of them immediately, together with pedal and spoke reflectors and the obligatory bell.
It's like a rule or something.

1mancity2

cooldad wrote:

Most people get rid of them immediately, together with pedal and spoke reflectors and the obligatory bell.
It's like a rule or something.

X2

stubs

They can be bastards to get off some snap but the last one I tried to remove was made of bullet proof space plastic or something. By the time I had spent 20 mins at the side of a trail attacking it with my swiss army knife I was losing the will to live. I managed to whittle enough away to solve the problem and to let the lad carry on his ride. The cuts on my fingers from the plastic took weeks to heal.

tsenior

stubs wrote:

They can be bastards to get off some snap but the last one I tried to remove was made of bullet proof space plastic or something. By the time I had spent 20 mins at the side of a trail attacking it with my swiss army knife I was losing the will to live.

same here, i eventually burned it off with my lighter

Rich Kirby

cooldad wrote:

Most people get rid of them immediately, together with pedal and spoke reflectors and the obligatory bell.
It's like a rule or something.

Mmm, is this a fashion/ant-fashion/weight thing? 8) as the fonz or not a bell is kinda useful for horse/walker relations.

Cheers for the advice folks, I'll hack it off this eve & see if it solves the problem.

cooldad

Like the Fonz I think.