albrt 

Earlier this year I became the owner of a 1983 Paramount elite described in this thread:

I was out with friends this evening and one of them pointed out that this was possibly the only bike in the world with aero spokes, Campy components, and a plastic dork disc.



I was planning on cleaning the bike up this winter. If this is indeed the only bike in the world with aero spokes, Campy components, and a plastic dork disc then I will feel obligated to keep the dork disc. Please let me know whether anyone else has a similar configuration.

T-Mar

Probably not but there more likelihood that it's the only 1983 Paramount with aero spokes, a plastic spoke protector, a long cage Campagnolo SR derailleur and a rusty chain. So, by your reasoning, your obligated to never install a new chain or even clean the current one.

Kabuki12

I remember that thread. Nice bike and will be interesting to see it all cleaned up. Another one for us tall bike folks. On the spokes, I have the same spokes and wheels on my Medici . I don’t think I have ever had to true those wheels. Mine have the Mavic hubs but no dork disc. That RD with the long cage and extra gearing could be a clue. I’m not sure if that makes the shifting more prone to over shift ? Maybe, but I would not leave it on if it were mine. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

pastorbobnlnh 

YES! As Kabuki12 mentions, we need cleaned up pictures! Let's see the end result.

This reminds me that I need to get my May 1983 Standard Paramount back on the road. No aero spokes on mine, so I'm certainly 25% slower over the same ride.

Kabuki12

oh no! I thought I was 25% slower because of them.

albrt 

I took that picture from the original post - sd cleaned it up a little and I cleaned it up a little more, so most of the the historically significant rust is already gone. Sorry to disappoint you T-Mar!

I will certainly post pictures when I get done, but that may be a few months. This bike is rideable and there are a couple in the queue that are not. Plus I haven't 100% decided what I want to do, and I haven't found the blade spokes I need to replace the non-matching ones.

Chombi1 

If you play the dork disc backwards pn a turntable. You will hear the mad squeals of a badger as he tried to punch out some reporters in the middle of a road........

aceves 

+1 on removing the dork disc. It will give it a cleaner look back there, and you do not want that extra weight on the bike.

aceves

albrt 

I was talking to an LBS veteran today, and he said a dork disc is actually a good idea with those old aero spokes. They apparently do not respond well to chain derailments.

I can probably scare up a shiny metal dork disc at the co-op, maybe even Schwinn branded, but the current build has minimal chrome. Anybody have an alloy dork disc?

albrt 

Speaking of chrome, it appears the stays and part or all of the fork on this bike are chrome under the paint. Here's a picture from one of the original posts by sd5782:



The chrome does not appear to be as banged up as it looks in the earlier photos, and the paint doesn't adhere very well - it flakes right off around the bare spots. I was planning to just touch it up, but I doubt the touch-up paint will adhere much better. Does anyone have an opinion about how hard it would it be to strip the stays without damaging the rest of the paint job? I don't think it would require sandblasting.

Chuck M 

I'd remove a plastic spoke protector. However I'd keep a chrome pie plate all day long.

Miele Man

I consider a dork disc to be good insurance for that one unforeseen time when a derailleur dumps a chain between the spokes and the cogs. Especially with blade spokes a dork disc could save a long walk. I think a derailed chain would chew up bladed spokes pretty badly maybe even to the point of immediate failure.

Dork disc = something you hope you never need but sure am glad to have if it happens.

Cheers

canklecat

Dork disks are a good idea, at least until the rider knows to keep an eye on rear derailleur alignment and how to adjust it as necessary. But I usually remove them the first time I change freewheels/cassettes or overhaul a hub. Sometimes I've ridden a bike for months with a dork disk because I've never been one of the cool kids.

I try to remember to check my derailleur alignment before every ride, but sometimes I forget, or just don't bother.

A couple of years ago a friend had some problem with his then-new electronic shifting bike. I don't recall the specifics. But instead of asking me to hold the frame with the rear wheel off the ground while he ran the shifts up and down the cog, he rode the bike slowly in circles in the parking lot, looking down at the RD. Sure nuff, it shifted into the spokes and he fell. No serious injuries, fortunately, and the bike needed minor repairs. But it could have been avoided if we'd taken a moment to let me get off my bike and hold his bike with the rear wheel off the ground so we could check the RD safely. I probably should have been more assertive and actually just grabbed the bike, rather than suggesting it.

Could have been a lot worse if it had occurred on a ride. On those weekday rides we usually rode a flattish route where it was easy to cruise at 20 mph without much effort. The same crash at that speed could have been ugly. Especially if I was drafting him when it happened.

Reminds me, I'm considering selling a comfort hybrid that I resumed cycling with several years ago when I was still recovering from pretty bad back and neck injuries. I'm gonna be sure that rear wheel has a dork disk.

RustyJames 

Maybe it’s because I rescue crap that is about to be tossed out but every plastic d-d I encounter is cracked, broken tabs, etc so it gets tossed. Functionally I think they’re a great idea but time is not kind to plastic.

Road Fan

That ... that wouldn't be THE Badger, would it?

Road Fan

After the pie!

Schweinhund

I consider the dork disk a package deal with reflectors and other safety features; All or nothing.

sd5782 

I really like the aluminum ones that are often encountered behind Suntour freewheels. Tasteful and not overly large. I’ve seen too many pics here of folks having disasters where a spoke protector could have been quite helpful. Agreed that lots of the plastic ones aren’t in the best condition, but occasionally they are found.

smd4

Even the ones you guys think look cool are ridiculous looking.

Schweinhund

Could just make it so butt ugly that you can't bear to remove it

smd4

uncle uncle

Sturmey Archer made aluminum dork discs back in the day.

sd5782 

Now on a short cage shifting 1-2 teeth at a time and maybe indexed and the largest sprocket at 24t or below, I understand as those shifts are usually snick, snick. On 5 or 6 speed freewheels with friction shifting and a 32t big sprocket, I like the insurance.

albrt 

I was looking enviously at that same aluminum disc on an old Raleigh and a Nishiki today. We were at the farmers' market to sell co-op bikes, but business was very slow.