hi guys please see the picture.
I have a friend who says this part of the bike is unnecessary but I've been to a bike shop numerous times and they haven't mentioned it or removed it.
can anyone confirm… if so how do I remove it?
by Novel-Lettuce-2595
33 Comments
Most people remove it, just break it off with pliers. Google “dork disc”, it’s a spoke protector.
It’s purpose is to protect the wheel in the event the chain drops between the pocket and the spokes. They like to call it a dork disc.
I still have mine on because I don’t care. You need to remove the cassette to remove it but who cares
There are two camps, it’s either unnecessary or if your chain goes over the smallest gear, it’s what save your wheels from catastrophic damage. I don’t mind it but none of my bikes have one so that isn’t an issue.
Note that the point of it is to keep the chain from falling behind the cassette (and potentially getting stuck, potentially damaging your spokes). This can happen if your derailleur/hanger is bent, set up wrong, etc.
It’s basically a safety/damage-mitigation device, and unless you know what you are doing, should probably stay there.
Sure, you can take it off, either by breaking it off or removing the cassette and slipping it off, but you shouldn’t do so without being aware of the risks of not having it and keep up on the maintenance needed to prevent those things from happening.
It’s to help identify if the rider is or is not a dork
Well, it’s usually part of the way the bike comes, so the shop won’t mention or remove it (usually) unless you ask them to. They may or may not recommend against it (I suppose it depends). I bought a new gravel bike at a shop a few years ago and the guy *asked* me if I wanted them to take it off. I said sure and they did. My wife just bought a gravel bike and that shop said nothing about it to her.
It’s just a disc that keeps the chain from slipping off the big cog and getting tangled in your spokes, if the limit screw isn’t adjusted properly. If your derailleur is properly adjusted and maintained, it’s not necessary. Many people don’t maintain it with much precision, so it keeps them from potentially having quite a bad time.
I can’t unsee the u lock effort….
I’m honestly mixed about dork discs…having previously adjusted my own gears and had a derailleur -spokes interface as a result
As others have said, most people remove it, and I still do, but it could have possibly prevented one of the scariest moments I’ve had on a bike.
https://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/s/r3B97OXeXJ
If you don’t know its purpose, don’t remove it.
Ah… the benign and innocent little spoke protector. So many people like to malign it as well as any rider who may still have one on their rear wheel.
Yes! We get to use derogatory terms for those who aren’t as smart as we are. We get to call them “dorks” and the spoke protector a “dork disc”. Whew! Thank goodness some people use them, other wise I’d lose a chance to be a little insulting, feel smug, to feel superior.
If I am reincarnated into an inanimate object, lord knows I hope I don’t come back as a spoke protector. I would just want to provide a little bit of protection in case the derailleur is hit during a ride and becomes misaligned, to protect those spokes and the rear wheel, but I would never be appreciated by the cool kids here.
You want to remove your spoke protector? Do it. It offers little protection and some times it rattles. But I think if you use the term “dork”, you’re showing the world that the Dork may be you.
Strictly speaking its not “necessary” however it does help to protect the spokes from damage if the chain jumps off the large sprocket.
I see no reason to mess with it unless its causing some other problem.
As a former long time mechanic, privately, its a dork disc. To customers it’s a pie-plate as they used to be made of metal (back when an onion on your belt buckle was the fashion at the time). I remove them on all of my bikes and most customer bikes, as they tend to get brittle and rattle around and are quite annoying. If your bike isn’t properly adjusted it can theoretically save your spokes, but in my experience, by the time it does that the chain usually detonates the disc and you have to cut that out as well as figure a way to extricate the chain.
I was wrenching on a bunch of donated kids bikes recently with a group of riders who are mostly very educated professionals.
I thought it was hilarious in the best way that everyone just casually threw around the term “dork disc” as if it were another name like “seat post” or “chainring”.
This isn’t completely useless. If you have a cheaper bike with a cheap rear mech, one that may have play in the limit settings this could save you a walk home.
If you have a mid or higher end bike this is 99% useless if the mech is set correctly. Manufacturers usually add it so it can save you if the mech becomes unset while in transit
I had one on my bike that I was going to remove until a guy I was riding with told me I should. It’s still there because fuck that guy.
Useless no, useful also no
Many years ago, had a neat little austro-daimler bricked after I took this off: the rear mech got out of adjustment and shifted into the spokes. It broke the rear cutout off rather than damaging spokes. Eventually got the cutout re-welded but was not well aligned, so bike was trashed.
Dork disk
It keeps the chain out of your spokes
It’s a $3 part that can save you $100.
By now you know what it is, so l just throw in my two cents and say that I think it’s worth it to keep it. If your derailleur is not adjusted correctly or your hanger gets bent, it’s a VERY sad time to have your chain fall off into your spokes.
I was on a ride and slightly bent my derailleur hanger without realizing it, and it was very nearly catastrophic when my chain got sucked into my wheel. Removing the “dork disk” is an unnecessary weight optimization, in my opinion. If you want to own the moniker, write something cool on it like I did. “Dork or Die 💀” is my current one.
I’d rather have it on my wheels, as I know what damage the chain can do without it on.
Cried at the bill for a replacement wheel.
It’s a dork disc. It’s completely useless if you can see limit screws on your derailleur properly.
This would have saved my ass once. Downhill MTB chain jumps and i hammered it. Chain jams in between cassette and spokes. Deep back woods. Managed to yank it out but 10mins later spoke snapped the 30 mins later another spoke.
Ended up respoking rim because chain had damaged some of them. All because i didn’t like the look of the dork disc.
Its often referred to as the dork disc for many years
They perform a function as described by others
Not useless not needed for higher end mech
Surprised I haven’t seen this comment- it also works as a shield to protect whatever is behind my bike when i’m spraying the cassette with a chemical lolll – WD40 stains!
I love the idea of dork discs but those clear plastic ones suck. Can we get color matched and aesthetically pleasing dork discs? Come on bike brands, wtf?
The yellowed plastic ones do look dorky. But a nice shiny metal one looks nice, and both are helpful.
That’s useful, if the chain goes in there you’ll have a very unpleasant time, you could even have an accident
After my little incident I wish I had left mine on. It cost me a few spokes, and a fair bit of cursing to rectify my short sighted blunder.
It’s a cheap insurance. Don’t remove it if you dont know what it’s for.
It can prevent your chain from getting sucked down betwixed the cassette and your spokes. When and if it happens you’ll get it the idea . Bring some gloves, trying to pull the chain out is a bit messy. Of course you mileage will vary