cadillacmike68

My Pro was the first year that came built with Campagnolo NR droputs that were threaded for the Campagnolo Chain hanger, but i never bought one. I'm considering one, after my latest rear tire blowout, but if i recall correctly, it requires a different rear shift lever with a special release to allow more cable slack so the rear D can "shift" onto the chain hanger. You also need to adjust the rear d to move further out. It also requires widening the rear dropouts.

Has anyone used these in everyday riding? I see the value in a race, where seconds count in changing a wheel but if I'm out with my wife, I don't see the need.

Her bike has a little stop brazed onto the seat stay that one could just put the chain on and it pretty much serves the same purpose - takes up the chain slack and keeps the rear d from getting hung up on the freewheel when removing the wheel. What's nice it that it was brazed on a build time.

Is there something - NOT made in china that i can clamp onto my Pro's seat stay to do the same? The bike is 32 years old with its share of battle scars, and my shift levers are clamp on as are the three little campy rear brake cable clamps, so one more little clamp is no big deal to me. I'm sure this would cost a lot less than a Campy chain hanger kit.

Chombi

I'ved also been looking for a chain hanger for my C&V CF bikes that do not have any built in chain hanger like my 80's Steel peugeot does, and only found this:
https://www.rivbike.com/product-p/chh.htm
I have it mounted on my Vitus Carbone, but I mounted it on the seat stay instead of the chain stay as shown on the Rivendell site. I did not use the adhesive strip that goes between it and the stay so its turning on me a bit, but it should work better with the strip.
Quite expensive for what it is, but it's the only add on thing currently available out there outside of a Campy Porto Catena which needs a drilled Campy dropout. And as the site notes, it is made in the USA.
The other thing I found is the clipped on chain hanger that used to be made by Ciclo Linea (Made in Italy?):
After searching for about a year, I finally found one at eBay and it seems like it would work OK with my new build up project as you can see it mounted on the frame's seat stay, just above the drive side drop out:

Its made out of a chrome finished hard plastic that clips on to the seat stay pretty tight. Not sure how it holds up n the long run but they are not that easy to find but a few show up once in a while in eBay as NOS items for auction if you wait/look long enough. I would only consider getting this one as NOS and not used as again, I'm not sure how well it holds up to years of use.

Chombi

paulkal

On several of my bikes I have them, I never use them.
On my other bikes I don't miss them.

Chombi

There's a good reason why they brazed them on good quality steel bikes.
If you don't use them, you might end up with scratched paint and/or chrome on your dirve side chainstay when you remove and install your rear wheel as the chain just flops around before you get the wheel on. Plus, it's also easier and faster to reinstall a rear wheel when you use a chain hanger. I missed it on my CF bike after using it for years on my 80's steel Peugeot.

Chombi

cadillacmike68

My wife's bike has one, and it makes the wheel a little easier to get on and off, but more importantly, it keeps the chain from flopping around & tearing up the chainstay which happens all the time on my bike.

Thanks for the quick replies. I might get the $8 little plastic peg. If i can find the bigger one that would be cool also. I'm not adverse to waiting for something to show up on ebay - been looking for a black pellix for several years.

humanreisberg

I am using this SILVA chain tool for changing rear wheels. You put in the drop outs, while the black part holds the chain. It's light, it's cheap and it works.

cadillacmike68

That looks intreresting, but it would only address 1 of my 3 concerns. which are:

1 Facilitate removal of the wheel
2 Facilitate installation of the wheel and
3 Keep the chain from making a bigger mess of my chainstay than it already is.

This will only do # 2.

triplebutted

I just take a toe strap or a piece of old cut up inner tube and tie the chain up to the brake bridge.

Bianchigirll 

Your refering to a Portacantena? I have not been able to use on just yet but I have learned alot about them over the last year or so.

Yes you need a shifter designed to work with the Portacatena and a different backing plate. Also you need to be sure your FW is spaced over an extra 1/4" to allow for the holder. (one of the reasons I have not employed one)

Check Campy Oldy he has the 'kit' from Campi that had the holder, shifter and backing plate but! OH yes there is always a but right? You only get the shift lever no friction washers or screw.

Chombi

That Silva chain holder works well enough mostly in a shop setting where you can maybe better control where the chain goes after removing the rear wheel. As does the chain holder that was made by Pedros which is a bit larger, but functions similarly. Unless you are willing to stick that in your panniers seat pack or jersey pocket (you also have to have like three hands to both hold the chain and install that gizmo on the frame while trying to avoid having the chain drag and scratch up the chainstay.) it's not as practical on the road or anywhere else as somthing that stays on the frame like the items I had shown already or a permanently brazed on hanger peg as they did on frames in the 80's. With something permanently on the frame, you can hook the chain on it before removing the wheel so you never let the chain fall down and drag across the chainstay. Also note that with the chain hanging on a peg on the frme, it makes it much easier to reinstall the wheel and line up the chain on the cogs. It literally takes me a couple of seconds to put the wheel back on compared to how much longer it will take to first remove the Silva or Pedros type chain holder, hook and hold the chain up with you fingers and then install the wheel into the dropouts without pinching you fingers between the chain and cogs. With the stay mounted chain peg or hook you hardly have to hold the chain at all through the whole process other than hooking and unhooking it.
Why they don't include any kind of chain holder peg on bikes these days is kind of weird as when did they ever think such a thing was useless....I think bike manufacturers are just being cheap by not including such.

Chombi

paulkal

My Duell is 20 years old and the chrome on the chain stay is still in perfect condition.

Chombi

All I can say is Lucky You! Your stay is chromed as chrome is a lot tougher than paint, but CAN still scratch if you're not careful. Lots of bikes do not have any chrome on their chainstay and dropouts and will scratch easily if you let the chain flop on it enough times....

Chombi

Bianchigirll 

I am not sure where you would find one but, Minoura used to make this handy little item.



I had one rolling around in my tool box for years and finally discovered last year what it was for.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...this?highlight=

As mentioned that silva chain holder is nice for in the stand ad transport but not so useful in the field. I actually think Cinelli made that thing years ago.

cadillacmike68

You have an extra "N" in there. It's Portacatena (you have it right later!).

Umm, yes, and the other 'but' is the price. I've bought stuff from campyoldy, and pricey is the word that comes to mind. However, he did have a NIB SR crank set with the 1978 date stamping, that i had been looking for.

I won't need the friction washer or screw, since I can use the ones already on my shift levers. The backing plate is another matter. Is it a shift lever backing plate? My shifters are not brazed on. They're about the only thing not brazed on. Maybe a Portacatena won't work on my bike after all, unless i can find a clamp on shift lever set with the proper right side backing plate.

as for the rear - i'd just have the dropouts widened the few extra mm, and put a spacer on the axle to keet the original 6 speed Regina.

But we'll see how the little plastic peg from columbine works before i go looking for a PortaCatena.

lotek 

My Trek and my now gone Serotta had a small tab brazed onto the seatstay, worked a treat as
our Brit friends say.
I wonder if you could use the Portacatena without the shifting parts and manually lift the chain?
Would that still require the freewheel be respaced?
Might just have to try that.
Marty

MarkusForest

I have been told that the dropouts with the tiny holes on my Rossi where for chain hanger, although i have never seen one used. thoughts?

lotek 

sounds like a Portacatena (I can't see the pics media sharing blocked from work).
but it looks like this installed

MarkusForest

Wow, thanks! since this bike will be a coffee getter, dont think i need one.

Chombi

Doesn't the porte catena gizmo keep you from having a 7 speed freewheel on a 126mm spaced rear end as the smallest cog needs that space it takes up next to the inner face of the dropout?

Chombi