If your derailleur is misaligned, it will pull the chain sideways. If the misalignment is big enough, it can lead to an involuntary shift of gears. This is known as gear slipping. Dork discs are a bike component that bikers often debate. Some cyclists say it is an essential bike part, while others say modern derailleurs no longer need it. However, whether you should keep a dork disc or remove it from the bike depends on the bike owner. As a result, the chain would slip and fall between the spokes and the cogs. If you were at high speed and didn’t have a dork disc, the damage to your wheel would be enormous. If the rider continues to pedal, the wheel will be damaged. But even if he/she immediately halts all pedaling effort, the chain will still harm the spokes because the wheel will keep on spinning due to the coasting hub.

Do you need a spoke protector on your bike? Some people say they are necessary while others will say they’re not. When you buy a new bicycle, you might find a disc (mostly plastic) between the largest cog and the rear wheel spokes. That’s the spoke protector! You will mostly find them on entry-level bikes. That’s why most beginners ask, “Is a spoke protector necessary?”

In case you want to buy a decent dork disk, you may consider the SHIMANO CP-FH53 Spoke Guard, which is suitable even for a bike with disc brakes. Why Some Cyclists Remove The Dork Disk?

Once you have broken off enough pieces, pull the disc out from the cassette. Most of the times the disc is just placed in between the cassette and the wheel with noting tightening it down. 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 BikePrevents your chainset, wheel and frame from being scratched or scraped by the cassette when it shifts on rough terrain. 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? This is the so-called spoke protector also known as a “spoke guard”, “a pie plate”, “the dork disc” and “the rookie ring.”

If you have gears on your bike, shifting incorrectly could cause the chain to slip. You want to make sure that your bike is in the right gear before jumping off a ramp or any other obstacle. Consequently, due to the coasting hub, the chain may greatly damage the spokes. That’s where a spoke protector becomes every rider’s darling.

The dork disc can be removed from your bike and is pretty simple. First, feel the disc with your hands to see if it is still firm or if it is worn. Also, many cyclists take great pride in being “hardcore” and stay away from products associated with beginners “who don’t know what they’re doing”. 2. Extra weight 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.

After removing the dork disc, all you need to do is to twist the spoke protector. The twisting motion will remove the dork disc from its clips, allowing you to remove it from your bike. If this happens, you could end up having to get a whole new wheel. This could save you a lot of time and money when it comes to having to replace your wheel if this does happen. Some metal spoke protectors are significantly larger than the plastic ones found on cheaper bikes. The extra surface results in better protection. Suppose your bike’s derailleur is not set correctly. In that case, it will pull the chain laterally, which leads to misalignment and chain dropping.All the same, the ball is on your side. If you want to take the risk, make sure your derailleur limit screws are correctly adjusted. When the bicycle is put in its highest or lowest gear, slipping can trigger the following scenarios: Similarly, dork discs also became better along with the modernization of bikes. This bike component became smaller, so it no longer affects the overall appearance of your bike. The improvement has a significant impact on how bikers perceive dork discs. For this reason, some bikers like keeping their dork disc intact. If you are an experienced rider or someone who regularly cleans and maintains their bike, you can remove the spoke protector if you would like. All the same, you can get significantly light dork discs, such as the Shimano Bicycle Chain/Spoke Protector,which weighs 1.6 ounces only.