Chain catcher - Is it necessary?

[Geoff]

I think that they are both equally effective, but set-up is more important with the Dogfang. Due to the different types of seattubes these days, it also less flexible.

[konky]

Matty goss dropped a chain in a sprint during the TDF... You can't get the chain back up using the shifters either.. Di2 brings it up way to fast.. It gets jammed up..

That was odd as I'm sure Goss wasn't shifting down to the small ring. When it happened wasn't he on a flat bit of road and no way shifting down when going into a sprint.

Also was he definately on Di2?

Has anyone dropped their chain with Di2?

[Rick]

Here is the one I am using on two bikes with good results. It depends on having round or close-to-round downtube.


http://n-gear.com/whatis.html

[Zigmeister]

TS, if you have a braze-on, just get the $15 cheapo one off ebay. It is the same as the brand name and works perfect.

If you have a clamp on, watch out with those, because your BB frame might be too large. CDale supersix is a classic example, none of the clamp on catchers fit the fat tube as it goes down to the BB area.

So, something like Canyon's water bottle version is one of your only options.

Glad I have braze-on derailleurs now. So much better than Clamp-ons and options. Plus, save some weight.

[Zigmeister]

Chain catchers are simply for those who do not trust their mechanics enough to adjust their front derailleur correctly. I would say save your money and find a better tech if your dropping your chain. The front derailleur is the chain catcher and adding an aftermarket piece is not going to the root of the problem.

I don't agree with this necessarily. Front derailleurs that have stiff springs (SRAM Red) can slap the chain and throw it off/across the small ring. You have no control over how fast/hard the FD cage hits the chain and throws it towards the small ring.

You can't ease the chain over, when you click the shifter, it just goes as fast/hard as the spring is tensioned to from the factory. Also, I run QRings which adds a new twist to the equation. Adjusting the derailleur limits/angles doesn't stop the problem from happening always. Lastly, having the catcher there to stop the chain from getting slapped past the ring is just cheap insurance. I don't like having the chain drop down onto my bottom bracket of my $3K frameset grinding the BB/Paint and inner crank portion.

There are more reasons than simple adjustment to a FD why the chain will drop past the FD cage inside the small ring. If that weren't the case, then why did SRAM include and design a catcher in their new FD?? Obviously there are circumstances and situations where the chain can/will go past the inside of the FD cage and go inward off the small ring. Marketing gimmick?

[Camilo]

Chain catchers are simply for those who do not trust their mechanics enough to adjust their front derailleur correctly. I would say save your money and find a better tech if your dropping your chain. The front derailleur is the chain catcher and adding an aftermarket piece is not going to the root of the problem.

I've had an awfully experienced and well respected bike mechanic tell me that sometimes you just can't tune it out and that's why the chain catcher was invented. I had been having a problem dialing in my daughter's triple to avoid chain drop given the type of riding and (lack of nuanced) shifting she does. I'm not a pro mechanic, but have always had very good success dialing in FD's and it's not rocket science. Maybe the chain drop could be prevented with better tuning (neither he nor I could) or better shifting (but she shifts like she shifts), but the reality is that she was getting discouraged by the occasional issue on the road in the middle of no where and the chain catcher was an easy fix and made her more likely to ride the bike.

So you may be correct, but probably not. But even if you are, anyone who thinks they live in a world where things can be adjusted perfectly all the time without exception is going to be disappointed. A chain catcher is an elegant (cheap, simple, lightweight) solution to a problem that might be preventable in all cases (I doubt it), but when it happens, at the very least it's a hassle or messy on the road fix. At the worst, it causes an ugly, if not damaging, chain drop. Easy way to deal with an imperfect world.

[HammerTime2]

Bottom line, unlike Dork Disks used to protect against chains going off the cogs on a rear shift , chain catchers to protect against chains going off the chainrings on a front shift are considered to be "acceptable", even on the highest end bikes and in the highest levels of racing.

Nevertheless,

Accessories in the online store Art. No.
...
Lightweight spoke protector 400625

...

Fit the Lightweight spoke protector* to reduce the risk of damage to the rear wheel caused by the chain slipping off [fig. 4].
* Available from your specialist shop or directly from CarbonSports.

Has anyone seen a Lightweight spoke protector? Is this something other than a Dork Disk?

[G6612]

Does anyone know where I can get the Canyon style in the U.S.?
(bottle cage mount)

[konky]

Really interested to get an answer on this one so I hope no one minds me asking again.

Has anyone dropped their chain when on Di2. Geoff, and others I assume your chain drop experience was with machanical not Di2.

[daj]

It's about gearing, too, if you run the big ring and you are all the way up on the large cogs in the rear as well, if you drop the chain to the small ring there's a very big chance it will drop.