Roadies - Does Your Chain Fall Off?

[bikemonster]

Over in the 'for sale' section there are some lovely looking anodised aluminium chain catchers.

 

They look good, as anodised alu always does, but WTF?

 

Is this a problem in the real world?

 

Surely if your chain keeps falling off there's a problem that goes deeper than adding some pretty anodised alu?

 

In 20 years of varying degrees of enthusiastic weekend warrioring, I don't think I've ever had problems with chains falling off.

 

Then again, I don't use Viagra either.

 

(This post brought to you by my good manners - it didn't seem right to ask these questions in somebody else's for sale ad.)

[stewie911]

Also say them and thought they're nice and all, but I don't need them.

 

Guys in tdf use them, but clearly not Andy.

 

HAving said this, I did drop a chain going up past kyalami at the 94.7 last year. But my gears did give me a bit of problems that day with all the hard riding

[javadude]

The pro guys use them mostly on the cobble stages where you are more likely to drop a chain because of the bumps. Also, on the rare occasion that you drop a chain you can literally rip your rear derailleur off the bike, bending or breaking your fancy carbon chainstay in the process. I guess a couple of hundred bucks worth of insurance against poor mechanical workmanship isn't such a bad idea to prevent a worst case scenario.

[Tankman]

Your chain is only really going to fall of if you shift like a tjop!

But you can still get it back on without stopping or using your hands

[Edition 507]

 

In 20 years of varying degrees of enthusiastic weekend warrioring, I don't think I've ever had problems with chains falling off.

 

Then again, I don't use Viagra either.

 

 

My chain almost never falls off and I don't use Viagra either. There could be an interesting study here showing the correlation between softies needing Viagra and their lack of technical ability in being able to set their bike up properly so their friggin chain doesn't fall off all the time

[Minion]

It's happened to me twice. Once on a training ride and once causing me to get dropped at the 94.7 last year. It left a nice fat gouge in my chainstay (fortunately not structural, though). The 94.7 one was due a a poorly planned shift in the heat of the moment. The other one just happened.

 

In both cases, the derailleur was aligned properly and at the correct height (checked by me, the LBS who built it up and another who serviced it). The derailleur mount was such that even at with the limit screws at their loosest, I still got chain-rub on the inner plate of the FD in the 39-25 gear combo (on a 12-25 cassette). I see no technical way I could have prevented the chain from dropping. I am perfectly happy to spend the money on a chain catcher if it will prevent me damaging another frame.

[Minion]

Guys in tdf use them, but clearly not Andy.

Some trivia from the 2010 Tour:

 

Without looking at the link, which of these two Specializeds is Andy's and which is Alberto's?

 

 

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2010/07/06/1/saxo_bank_tarmac_sl3_chain_watcher_600.jpg

 

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2010/07/17/1/contador_tarmac_sl3_derailleur_front_600.jpg

[splat]

I will use mine as insurance and protection for my carbon frame.

 

Andy's chain didnt drop off the top, but bounced off underneath.

(I will try and find the article with pics where I read that)

[AndreZA]

It does happen and I don't know why. I had the same groupset on my Cannondale and my Raleigh and but could not get the front derailleur to shift properly on the 'dale without a Deda Dog Fang (same concept). On the Raleigh shifting is 200% without anything. But I would not mind a bit of piece of mind with something like this. the price is a bit rough and I think if it was made out of carbon or nylon it would be great.

[MTB_Roadie]

the bottom bike is contador's and top specialized is andy's???

[stewie911]

Andy at the bottom?

[bikemonster]

... I think if it was made out of carbon or nylon it would be great.

 

Dude, you so do not live up to your Hub name!

 

Nylon is a great idea! Cheap, light, easy to mould/machine and won't harm or be harmed by the chain.

[Barend de Arend]

I've got one on my big-BB, big-chainstay carbon bike. I haven't got one on my spindly aluminium bike with carbon stays.

 

On the spindly bike, if the chain drops, you can just shift back. On the big-BB, big-chainstay bike (all the rage these days), the chain jams, and eats a chunk of carbon. On the big-BB, big-chainstay bike it's necessary.

 

My chain drops maybe twice a year. The derailleur is setup correctly. The front derailleur is a very simple device, and it can happen. On old bikes (small tubes) it wasn't serious: just shift back. On new bikes it is serious.

 

Some big-BB big chainstay bikes now cover that area with an alu plate to prevent the chain eating the carbon.

[splat]

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn: Why did Schleck’s chain come off?

 

Link Here

[stewie911]

What's the answer edman? top or bottom

[andrewc]

From what I recall from an interview with one of Schleck's technician after the infamous stage of the TDF, he did have a chain catcher installed, so I'll hazard Top=Schleck and Bottom=Contador?

 

An ongoing cycling general knowledge quiz thread would be interesting, come to think of it?

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew