What is a Dork Disk and Do You Need One On Your Bike?

This video explains what a bicycle "dork disk" is to let you decide if you need one or not.

Here's the video on how to remove it if you choose to do so:

[wildbill]

Seems like a safety device. I’m 52, so I don’t care if I look like a dork anymore, so long as I enjoy the ride. Helmets and bike socks and bike shoes look pretty dorky too but they all have their functions.

[hydra]

given the pros and cons discussed, I'm keeping mine

[johnbailey]

Just finished a 3 week, 1000km tough MTB trek in Western Australia, no spoke protector (broke long ago). At the end had a broken spoke and 4 other bent ones due to the chain riding over the big sprocket. Definitely going to put the spoke protector on for the next long ride. Broken spokes in the "wilderness" are a major issue.

[newttella]

Basically we are encouraging fashion over function.

[charlieseymour]

A buddy of mine got his di2 rear derailleur caught in his spokes. Expensive repair

[ablebaker]

I changed my free wheel and put the dork disk back on. Its the dork that ends up walking home.

[PhilAndersonOutside]

Having had the chain fall in and jam, plus the derailleur jump into the spokes and cause damage on an older road bike, I've decided to just leave my dork disk alone on my newer bike.

[John-eqcu]

The other thing I heard is that the DD provides a _barrier_ between the chain and the rotor. Excess oil/grease can fly off the chain and contaminate the rotor. To know whether this is true, you need to observe contaminated rotors/pads as a result of a missing DD. I have not heard of this type of cross-contamination, so it's quesionable.

Also, looking around, it seems that the vast majority of MTB riders actually remove it, because you just rarely see these things on most MTBs.

I recently replaced a broken spoke on an older 2010 Stumpjumper MTB. Several other spokes had to be replaced, because they were damaged by a chain that popped off the top sprocket. I remember that this happened a few times, but I didn't get it adjusted right away, because I didn't understand that it could seriously damage the wheel, and cause a bad accident a high speed.

Still, if the derailleur was properly adjusted, the chain would have never come off. That is particularly true these days. If removed, one needs to ensure the drivetrain is properly adjusted.

I just got a new MTB, a fancy one, and it did come with a DD. I noticed it comes loose, because the clips don't secure it to the spokes very well. I've decided that i'll remove it next time I service the bike.

[albertbrown]

My 15 year old Murray MTB has a very brittle shattered yellow spoke protector. As I'm making some upgrades as a part of my bikes care, I wondered about it and what it was for. Thanks to this video I now know and I'm hoping to find a replacement.

[Metal-Possum]

Besides reflectors, the "dork disk" or "pie plate" is the first thing I remove from ANY bike I buy. I then follow up by checking derailer hanger alignment and adjustment so that I don't eat up a bunch of spokes, which can be more labour intensive to replace than just replacing/repairing a hanger and derailer.

[robtk]

Peer pressure? I started ignoring that bullsh!t about 40 years ago.

[lovektoo]

Thanks for going through the dork disc. I have all discs on my bikes. I almost forgot they were there to be honest. But good to know what they are for.

[jonaslind]

I had no idea what it was - just got my bike delivered. I assumed it was some sort of package shipping protection shenanigans. But it was such a pain to remove I kinda wondered if I wasn’t supposed to after all. So in my little research I came across this video..and I realize that I probably shouldn’t have :) - I did use a pair of scissors as though!

[NoBrakes]

The dork disk is how you keep your rim brakes from falling into your triple chainring.

[delarosomccay]

I broke my derailleur once when I had a bad shift and the chain got jammed into the cassette and "pop" there goes the derailleur. That sucked. It had snapped in two, so there was no repairing it. I had to hoof it for about 5 miles half carrying and half rolling my bike. I had to stop every dozen yards or so to readjust the chain and derailleur since it kept dragging in the dirt. To be truthful though, I did have a wreck a couple of weeks prior. I went down on my right side - well the bike went down on the right side and I ended up doing the superman for a few yards. I think that bent the hanger, or at least caused it to be fatigued. After that wreck I had some drive train issues, but I put it up on the stand and adjusted. In retrospect I was turning those screws way more than I should have to adjust, but I didn't put two and two together. It was only when that bad boy snapped (the hanger) that I realized it was probably all because of the earlier wreck. It's not an expensive part, but there is some labor involved and some skill as well aligning the derailleur. It's not something I want to do again anytime soon. Honestly at my age I could care less if these young punks want to call me a dork. If it saves my hanger than so be it. You should see what I wear on the trail. Again, I'm out there for me, not for them. Age brings a different perspective to things like that.

[roostville]

Just buy a carbon dork disc. Problem solved

[bobbyhempel]

I bought a used mountain bike it did not have a dork disk on it and apparently the person that owned it before me did not know how to properly adjust his rear derailleur when I went to change the cassette I noticed that all of the spokes were shredded because the chain apparently had kept jumping off of the cassette and getting lodged between the cassette and the spokes I then had to change all of the spokes on the cassette side of the wheel so yes dork discs are important especially for people that do not know how to properly adjust their derailleur but also for people that ride in exceptionally rough terrain where a stick or accident might cause the chain to jump over and between the wheel and the cassette.

[TheLionEric]

I had my chain go over into my spokes and rip my derailleur and hanger right off my bike. I bet a dork disc would've saved me buying a new chain, derailleur, hanger and a few spokes on that day. The bike was set up properly but was bumped and caused the hanger to move and let that all happen. This also damaged my carbon frame...

[axxxxman]

the last 2 bikes I bought did not come with a dork disk, not sure if my shop took them off or not, but knowing them, they probably did.
shame about the yakima rack, I looked at that one as well, but it had too much plastic for the money, I ended up with a Kuat rack and I can recommend it totally. Made in USA of aluminum.
I have the 11 speed setup shown in the video, I am hoping you don't see much difference because I would prefer to keep my setup.
70m on gravel is impressive. in Florida heat is insane.

Snakes from the last video gave me nightmares.

[RossTheNinja]

Just walked home 3 miles after losing my mech going over a pot hole. Now going to fit one.