That plastic disc thingy on the rear wheel...

Mikey23

Not quite sure what it's called but I'm sure you guys know what I mean. I thing it's supposed to prevent the chain going into the wheel or something. My question is, is it really necessary and would it be potentially disastrous if I took it off? The reason I ask is that a couple of times now, it has come unclipped and stopped me from free wheeling properly, which causes the chain to lose tension and flap around wildly ...

rc856

Sounds like you're talking about the dork disc!
Take it off!!
You won't miss it

diamonddog

^^ This

Anonymous

You have already taken the bell off I presume?

Mikey23

Yes and I got my ear bent by a little old lady the other day for not having one... I was explaining that at a certain age it's quite common for your ding a ling to drop off but she was having none of it ...

Mikey23

So it's called the dork disc... Lots of previous stuff on here

flasher

RC856 wrote:

Sounds like you're talking about the dork disc!
Take it off!!
You won't miss it

So long as your RD is adjusted correctly, otherwise it could be disastrous. If you're mechanically inept leave it on.

goonz

Carbonator wrote:

You have already taken the bell off I presume?

And the reflectors?

Mikey23

Yup and the stabilisers, and the peppa pig transfers...

upperoilcan

Mikey23 wrote:

Yup and the stabilisers, and the peppa pig transfers...

Peppa Pig transfers are where it's at buddy....minus 10 points for you.

adamfo

When I first got my new Cannondale the chain did skip over the top. Without the disk my nice new black Askium spokes would of been scratched. Clearly the manufacturer doesn't trust dealers (PedalOn in my case) to set up bikes up correctly and in that they are correct :roll:

markhewitt1978

Got rid of mine when I switched wheels - of course this meant that on the very first ride I did the chain went into the spokes - having never done so on my old wheels

PS Peppa rules, there's an entire channel for it now - it's the only thing ever on my TV.

Mikey23

I don't have a prob with it being there as I've never been a dedicated follower of fashion. It was just that a couple of times now it has come unclipped and stopped my freewheel working. And when you have a chain whiz zing all over the place that can be a tad scary. Now I know what the issue is I can deal with but it's a bit of a faff to stop and clip it back on

apreading

If its coming unclipped then there is something wrong with it and I would definately get rid. Dont see why people bother removing them otherwise though - I must have ridden 10,000 miles with them on and never did me any good or harm. Dont bother fitting them to new wheels that I buy but dont take them off wheels that already have them. Part of me did wonder if it provided some sort of minimal protection against spray as well as the guard against chain slip but cant say it makes much difference either way. If its caused you a problem then either fix it, replace it or bin it though.

Mikey23

Thanks

kajjal

On a road bike unless it causes any problems you can ignore them if you want as the riding style is smooth enough. On a mountain bike they are a disaster waiting to happen as all the bouncing around off road means eventually they will attack your drivetrain in someway. I forgot to take mine off my Carve mountain bike and after about a month it suddenly starting making a nasty grinding noise due to it coming loose , vibrating and catching.

Peddle Up!

Took mine off as it interfered with my spokey dokes.

lotus49

I read an interesting comment elsewhere on the web from someone who runs a bike shop. He completely agreed with all the advice from people suggesting that they take their dork disc off. He said he made a lot of money from people whose chain had come off, fouled the spokes and caused a lot of expensive damage because they had heeded this advice.

I have left mine on. It's not the done thing, but I don't want to knacker my bike.

Peppa Pig is great BTW.

Mikey23

Am liking spokey dokes as much as peppa pig!

Have noticed that the pesky thing has come loose again. Is it just supposed to be clipped on to the spokes or is there something ales that should be holding it on like a spacer on the cassette side?

chrisaonabike

I've customised my dork disc.

Well, I say customised. Actually I discovered that dork discs are quite soluble in acetone based solvents. It's white now, rather than clear, and it's not quite flat any more, either.

Mikey23

pic please!! i want one

pinno

Drill some holes in it - you should be able to reduce the weight of your bike by at least...

cont. p94

Mikey23

I suppose I could hang some decorative features off it... I'm thinking magic roundabout now. Florence, Douglas, zebedee, ermintrude, Dylan et al.

Mikey23

Douglas? Blooming iPad spellchecker....

pinno

If you drill holes in it and then tie some tin lids to it with bits of string...what a beautiful noise...

Mikey23

Lovely... I've just remembered we used to tie bits of card to the wheels to make a noise when we were kids...

sub55

peppa pig + dork disc
http://www.sisportsimages.co.uk/GalleriesCycling2013/WCA100ml%20TT-11%20Aug2013/slides/WCA12-0014.html

Colinthecop

Only £4.95 for a print of that, pretty decent.

I've just ordered 2.

goonz

remove the disk and replace it with some cards in the spokes.