From what we’ve seen so far, a spoke protector is a small piece of equipment that most riders may not notice until they experience a chain drop. A spoke protector is insurance for your spokes if the chain happens to come off the cog and lodges in between freewheel or cassette and the spokes.

In consequence, cyclists who want to preserve their pro appearance skip the dork disc. What Are The Downsides of a Spoke Protector Besides Poor Aesthetics Some metal spoke protectors are significantly larger than the plastic ones found on cheaper bikes. The extra surface results in better protection. Having the spoke guard on or not is solely a personal choice. All the same, before you go removing the protector, make sure you properly adjust your drive train. A plastic spoke protector, also known as a spoke guard, prevents the bike chain from falling off the cassette and getting caught in the spokes. However, with correct shifter limits properly set up, this issue should not occur. Therefore, a spoke protector is only necessary when gears are incorrectly adjusted. 3. Do you need washers on spoke nipples? Adding washers to spoke nipples can help distribute stress and maintain the integrity of the rim hole. By placing a washer, the stress from turning the nipple at high tension is primarily directed at the washer rather than the rim hole. Additionally, greasing the washers on both sides makes it easier to turn the nipple and reduces stress on the washer, nipple, and spoke hole. 4. What are bike spoke beads for?For more experienced riders, most of them took them off. There were only a few that had them on because they had an unfortunate situation in the past where if they would’ve had the protector on, it could’ve saved them from doing the damage it did. Benefits Of Having A Spoke Protector On Your Bike

When brake pads are dirtied, they lose their efficiency, and they also make a lot of squeaky noises. These noises are irritating, and brakes with compromised efficiency can be catastrophic. Do You Need a Spoke Protector – Which is the Best One?Again, you won’t find a spoke guard on high-end bikes. So, do you need a spoke protector? If yes, which is the best?

For someone who does not know how to use gears, it would be best for them to have on spoke protector, so they don’t risk causing any damage to their bike. This phenomenon could have a negative effect because the spokes aren’t fully immobile objects. They tend to flex ever so slightly when you ride.Having said that, in some cases, you could use strong and long scissors to break the spoke protector and remove it without additional disassembly. Had I not adjusted the derailleur, the chain would have slowly eaten away my rear wheel. I say slowly because this short 50-meter climb was the only part of my commute necessitating the lowest gear. Tip: If the spoke protector drops on a trip in the wilderness, and you don’t have the means to remove it, you can make holes in with a knife or a tool (e.g., the awl of a Swiss army knife) and tie it to the spokes with zip-ties. Are All Spoke Guards Ugly?

Keeping your bike maintained is a big key to this. Making sure the bike chain is lubed and tight, making sure all of the bolts are secure, and all of the parts are replaced if worn, all contribute to having less risk of an accident. When you ignore the dreaded look of a spoke protector, you’re left with four additional shortcomings: 1. Possible Spoke Damage Through Dirt Accumulation Is it worth going to the effort of removing it if it doesn’t really matter? Modern dork discs are much less noticeable and intrusive on the look of the bike than on older models, but some people still do not like the look of them. It is designed to stop the chain from getting thrown into the spokes of the rear wheel if it comes off the largest cog on the drive train, which could lead to the chain damaging the spokes. Again, the spoke protector has other benefits like keeping the brake rotor and brake pads clean. In fact, when you find yourself asking about removing an accessory from the manufacturer, you better leave it on.

Halfords Essentials Wheel Spoke Reflectors Extra Info

The plastic piece located behind a bike’s cassette is known as a Spoke Protector. As the name implies, its primary function is to shield the spokes from any potential damage – especially from the derailleur or chain inadvertently getting tangled in them. This is important because a mishap of this nature could result in significant and costly damage to the wheel, derailleur, and even the bike’s frame. The Spoke Protector, typically made of plastic or sheet-metal, fits snugly between the bike’s cluster and the right-side spokes on the rear wheel, thus acting as a protective barrier in the event of a mechanical slip. In my many years of biking, I’ve seen a fair share of accidents that could have been avoided with this simple device. So, the plastic thing behind the cassette is a Spoke Protector, an important safeguard that can prevent costly damage to your bike. How do you remove a dork disc? Therefore, riders need to ask themselves if they have enough faith in their own maintenance ability, as well as faith in the components on their bike, to risk not protecting their spokes. How To Remove A Dork Disc Notably, those cyclists who go without spoke protectors do so by choice. But before you join them, you need to weigh the risks against the cost of a spoke guard. Should I Remove My Spoke Guard? Of course, the fact that it is less likely does not mean that it is completely impossible, and that is something to consider – is the risk worth it.