Jockey Wheels

spokespinner
spokespinner Posts: 6
edited April 2017 in Workshop
Hi All

New to the forum (and the forum scene) and just getting back into all things pedal powered after a 5 year sabbatical...My how things have changed!

I have a couple of questions about the latest trend for over sized jockey wheels;

1) Apart from looking trick, what benefit do they offer?

2) Can they be fitted to any rear mech?

Thank you in advance for guiding me through the wilderness of two wheeled tech!

Comments

  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Manufacturers make dubious claims about them reducing friction and so saving a nanowatt of power. For an average bloke just riding a bike I imagine they make no discernible difference at all.

    If they become common in the peloton, expect to see them everywhere though!

    If my Tiagra and 105 jockey wheels ever wear out I may replace them with Ultegra ones for bearings instead of bushings. Or if they go the same way as the last ones, the pulley bolts rounded off so I couldn't dismantle them, so a whole new rear mech suddenly seemed like a better bet.
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    Snake oil on your chain saves watts too ;)
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • spokespinner
    spokespinner Posts: 6
    Svetty wrote:
    Snake oil on your chain saves watts too ;)

    :lol:

    Another emperors new clothes addition to the cycling world!
  • mikecassie
    mikecassie Posts: 39
    Marginal gains.
    They are a larger diameter which means the chain bends less (each link rotates less) as it goes round the wheels and this reduces the energy lost within the drivetrain. Think of it as a smaller example of the chain going round the outer crank ring compared to the inner crank ring.
    It'd depend on your derailleur whether it can be stripped down to change the plates, if you install larger jockey wheels then they'd probably come with new side plates.
    They seem like a lot of money for such microscopic gains, better keeping the chain clean and properly lubricated IMO.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    So marginal I'm not sure its even marginal ?
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,323
    Don't waste any serious cash on jockey wheels, not worth it.
  • 964cup
    964cup Posts: 1,362
    Apart from theoretical marginal gains in terms of watts, the main advantage of oversized pulley wheels is actually the amount of chain wrap; it lets you run e.g. an 11-32 cassette on a Dura Ace Di2 9070 mech. Now a bit irrelevant since the new 9150 has a longer cage and already supports 11-32 (although it's theoretically limited to 30, at least one pro had an 11-32 with this mech at Flanders on Sunday).
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Why would a pro need a 32T for flanders?
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    They increase bend radius, reducing strain on the chain, and they don't wear down in the same way that the plastic ones do. They look blingy, that's why I like them, sod 'marginal gains'.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    I had a jockey wheel break years ago whilst climbing a hill, it just sheared out of the mech since then I've never changed one and prob only remove them for cleaning every 5+ years so yeah i think its just a bling thing, but didnt some manufacturer of ceramic bearings make MASSHOOF claims of free watts with their product
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.

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