Chain catchers
My good friend Rob Drury asked:
“Curious about the chain catcher? Old habit, genuine concern or overcautious approach to protecting the lovely carboness?!”
Why do I use a chain catcher? Surely a well installed and maintained drivetrain doesn’t need one?
I once 'dropped my chain' and had a near-death experience... (keep reading)
Dropping your chain is really fucking annoying… unless your name is Iljo Keisse. Seriously, watch his stage win of the 2012 Tour of Turkey, it’s one of the greatest finishes of all time.
To protect my BB shell. You can never be too careful with your pride and joy.
A near-death experience
Back in 2016, I was descending Las Casitas, Lanzarote, near the ‘Rotonda de Los Camellos’ (a roundabout leading to Uga, with a large sculpture three camels by artist Puerto Calero).
I was on a hire bike. A typical case of 'Instagram vs reality' - the photo online depicted a box-fresh weapon that wouldn't look out of place in the pro peloton. The reality? An overused and under-maintained half-dead camel of a bike. At least I haggled the price down... lesson learned, never go back there.
Apparently, the island is full of half-dead camels.
The gears were clunky and worn but I was there to ride, not train (due to a knee injury). After spending all day travelling, I couldn't wait to get on the road. How bad can this bike be? I found out the hard way...
After riding for 40mins into an uphill headwind I wanted to feel some speed. I threw it into the big-dog as the road swept downwards... big mistake... The worn-out chain bounced up and down on top of the rounded teeth and landed on top of the bottom bracket shell, sending a shock through the frame that trembled into the headset.
That's when I experienced the worst case of 'speed-shimmy' imaginable (lateral oscillation of the head tube caused by the gyroscopic force of the front wheel.). Basically, you can't control the direction of your bike. If you’ve never experienced it before, this video shows a demonstration.
I was travelling at 80kmph with my handlebars gyrating all over the place. Unable to control my bike I was fast approaching a steep drop onto a bed of volcanic rock. Certain death awaited me, or so It seemed…
The Terrain of Lanzarote
Drivers stopped in the road. I can remember seeing the horror on one woman's face as she gripped the steering wheel in shock, her eyes bulging and mouth wide open.
She was my last thread of hope: "I'm not alone, whatever happens in the next five seconds, I am not alone. Help is at hand."
As my mind accepted my fate, my body took over. I spent my whole youth riding mountain bikes, BMX, road, cycle touring, etc - so I have hit the deck on plenty of occasions. It's good to learn how to crash when you are young and fearless.
Instinctively, I shifted my weight forward into the drops. When your headset is gyrating all over the place, this seems like the worst possible thing you can do... and it did get worse… until it got better.
All of a sudden the physics corrected. I was in control of the bike, but this didn't help with the speed situation or the cliff edge and bed of volcanic rock awaiting me.
I squeezed the brakes with all my strength and dangled my arse over the back of my saddle like Pantani, to avoid going over the bars.
The brakes were fucking useless, the pads were cigarette-paper-thin and the springs had about as much strength as an old mattress.
Just as I approached the edge I unclipped my right foot and dug my heel into the ground. The loose-stone kerb caught my heel and the front end of the bike hung over the face of the road like the end scene of the Italian Job.
I made eye contact with the woman in the car, she crossed her heart and drive off. I could feel her heart racing. It must have been hers, mine had just stopped.
I had escaped the ‘Timanfaya El Diablo’. I got back on the bike and pedalled off, gingerly.
Thankfully, I haven’t experienced ‘speed shimmy’ on any of my bikes. This is due to good geometry, frame stiffness/quality, fork rake and a long stem that puts me over the front wheel.
That is one of the reasons why I use a chain catcher, but mostly, to protect my bottom bracket shell #ItsAllAboutTheBike.
Always test ride hire bikes.
Gareth.