Forum menu
The sad demise of t...
 

[Closed] The sad demise of the DCD.

 nonk
Posts: 18
Free Member
Topic starter
 
[#2983839]

After seeing this
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gallery/article/specialized-2012-mountain-bikes-first-look-30937?img=1&pn=specialized-2012-mountain-bikes--first-look&mlc=news%2Farticle#14

I got to wondering why the DCD died a death? Why did it not evolve into something a bit posher than it was?

It worked fairly well to be fair, suppose it could be all the swirly stays etc. hmmm.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 2:53 pm
Posts: 1
Free Member
 

Chainstays and fashon i would say. I had a lemon yellow one on my old GT. When it got nicked some bike thief was treated to a whole host of not-quite matching colour choice add-ons 8)

Only bike I've had that it would have fitted on since is a steel singlespeed, since all the others had big, square or wierd-section hydroformed (yes you kinesis) chainstays.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 2:57 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I remember the Ging Chain Device which had a cog on it, unlike Dave's Chain Device with the chain rubbing over it that created a lot of noise.

The Ging chain device worked with swirly chain stays. ๐Ÿ˜‰

I guess they sort of died maybe because the ones that mounted on the front cogs were better? I'm only guessing..


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 2:58 pm
 5lab
Posts: 7926
Free Member
 

i've never understood the point of the bottom roller anyway, just run a shorter chain, shirly?


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 2:59 pm
 nonk
Posts: 18
Free Member
Topic starter
 

nah it was way better than just a shorter chain.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:11 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I had one, purely becuase Martyn Ashton had one on his giant trials bike. I fitted mine with a ging cog to avoid the rubbing rumble noise too. The idea being the narrower ging cog would 'float' on the DCD axle from left to right with the chain line ... until the axle wore a bit anyway ...

Those were the days eh?


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:14 pm
Posts: 1
Free Member
 

I suppose the idea was that rather than piling all that responsibility onto the rear mech spring, the roller kept the chain engaged with more teeth on the bottom of the chainring irrespective of chain tension, making it less likely to jump sideways off.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:15 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I always favoured the Bullet Brothers chain device - in fact, I've got a nos purple anodised one ready to go on my Kona Lava Dome.

I had one on my Schwinn too, but that got nicked...


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:16 pm
 jeff
Posts: 608
Full Member
 

Do they have any sort of retro value these days?

I've got one in the shed somewhere...


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:18 pm
Posts: 13505
Full Member
 

I had one, purely becuase Martyn Ashton had one on his giant trials bike

No you didn't, you might have had one because Martyn Ashton had one on his Cannondale , or because Martin Hawes have one on his Giant but not Ashton on a Giant.

Yes, I am that sad, and yes I had one too. A red one, it was useless but I thought it looked cool.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:20 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Oops. Ah yes. That bit of marketing worked didn't it?

Cannondale Volvo wasn't it? Blue with yellow bits and a union flag DCD.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:30 pm
Posts: 0
Full Member
 

Had a red ano one on a red painted frame. JUST not matching. Was great ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:37 pm
 nonk
Posts: 18
Free Member
Topic starter
 

i reckon a nos one would have value .. some retro builds would need one for sure. mind you i bet you can pick em up fairly easy.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:41 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

had a number of em..
and they worked..

these days mechs are supposed to have better tension (if you believe all the bollox adverting) so they are not needed..

personally am not convinced


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:43 pm
 nonk
Posts: 18
Free Member
Topic starter
 

that new xtr one with the clutch thing looks good though eh?
hope we get the trickle down technology.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 3:52 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

The likes of blackspire stinger and other lower roller devices suggest that the DCD's failing was its mounting rather than not being needed.

I had a Bullet Brothers which worked well, probably still got the arm somewhere but the spring snapped long ago.

Not mine, google image threw it up from a 2yr old STW classified

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 4:36 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Had this, have no idea what happened to it, felt as though it needed more side-to-side movement, like an upper jockey wheel, wasn't very good with 3 chainrings up front, but did work very well!
[img] [/img]

I like the look of that new rubber one on the new Specialized.


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 4:40 pm
Posts: 1617
Free Member
 

Don't Bionicon have one similar?


 
Posted : 26/07/2011 5:04 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

My God! A Ging! Haven't seen one of those since about 1998!


 
Posted : 03/08/2011 5:09 pm
Posts: 7972
Free Member
 

I made my self chain device out of an old jockey wheel and a light bracket. I'll have to get some pictures up.


 
Posted : 03/08/2011 5:35 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

munge-chick - sure thats my photo...


 
Posted : 03/08/2011 6:01 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Could be! Saw a guy commuting in oxford on a bike with a DCD today-rest of the bike was period too with classic nineties bombers 8)


 
Posted : 03/08/2011 6:48 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Just looked in the shed....found a red anodized Ging and a black DCD...Bonus!!


 
Posted : 03/08/2011 6:52 pm