Favorite/best chain watcher?

[jwb96]

I'm building up my first carbon frame and am a little paranoid. Want to do as much to ensure its safety as I can, namely by adding a Dogfang, Third Eye, or K-Edge to it. I've used Dogfangs in the past, mostly with success. I like the looks of the K-Edge but am wondering about functionality. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim

[bdaghisallo]

If you have the room on your seat tube, and if it's round, the N-Gear Jump Stop can't be beat.

N-Gear: What Is A Jump Stop?

[jwb96]

If you have the room on your seat tube, and if it's round, the N-Gear Jump Stop can't be beat.

N-Gear: What Is A Jump Stop?

Hadn't seen this one before. Much more robust than the dog fang - it's actually shaped to guide the chain back onto the small ring, and it looks like the trick is to put is so close to the small ring that the chain can't slip past it. So the mount must be pretty robust.

Looking at the K-Edge, it looks like it's operating on the exact same principle but with a different mounting approach. Obviously, the K-Edge is more attractive and I'm assuming lighter. Hmmm. But is it robust enough?

[the bottle ride]

If you have the room on your seat tube, and if it's round, the N-Gear Jump Stop can't be beat.

N-Gear: What Is A Jump Stop?

+1. They have worked for me on road bikes, mtb, cross and FS bikes.

[SerottaLegend58]

Jtek Engineering dropstop chain anti drop device

Take a look at this.

[JackStraw]

Hadn't seen this one before. Much more robust than the dog fang - it's actually shaped to guide the chain back onto the small ring, and it looks like the trick is to put is so close to the small ring that the chain can't slip past it. So the mount must be pretty robust.

Looking at the K-Edge, it looks like it's operating on the exact same principle but with a different mounting approach. Obviously, the K-Edge is more attractive and I'm assuming lighter. Hmmm. But is it robust enough?

My experience with the K-Edge has not been positive. It looks nice and is certainly light, but I've dropped a chain about four times in the past 1.5 years, and in two instances the chain somehow fell between the chain watcher and the small ring. One time was after I installed it and one was after my (very competent) LBS wrench made a adjustment. The chain should not be able to pass through the gap, but it does on occasion.

[bdaghisallo]

The K-Edge catchers that simply bolt onto the FD bolt seem like they shouldn't work. There is nothing to brace the catcher from moving laterally and a derailed chain is going to push it in a direction that will loosen the FD bolt that's holding it. Their clamp-on catchers do have a tiny set screw that tightens against their clamp to brace it somewhat, but it is tiny. Also, the band on their clamp on is very thin so you are loathe to tighten it too much for fear that it will cut into the paint on the seat tube.

The N-Gear clamp, being both wide and plastic, gives me a greater confidence that I can't clamp it down quite tight. I actually tried one on an old bike where I purposely adjusted the FD to throw the chain off the inside to test it. I tried mightily, but I couldn't get that chain past the N-Gear stop.

[Chance Legstrong]

For a properly set-up road bike FD, the K-Edge is more than adequate
I have also used the N-gear when i was running 1x10 for cx and it works well

[pdmtong]

+1 on the N-gear if it will fit your ST. that thing is std issue for tandems.

[musgravecycles]

K-Edge has been golden here.

[GRAVELBIKE]

The best I've tried is N-Gear's Jump Stop. Note that my bikes have round seat tubes, however.

[Lionel]

This thread gets me wondering if I should look into something like this for my Paris Roubaix bike... I have never used a chain watcher on the road or on a MTB for that matter. Sounds like cobbles would be the worst case scenario to drop a chain. Are you guys using these devices on road bikes, cross bike ? Are they effective or bring more problems than they solve ?

[Dorman]

K-edge on my Crumpton with absolutely no issues.

[bdaghisallo]

I am using my N-Gear Jump Stop on my road bike, with DI2. It'll proabably never be needed but it is cheap insurance (in dollar and weight terms) if you do. They do no harm sitting there.

[Heronseye]

Have a K-Edge on a Cervelo R3 with no problems.

[thollandpe]

Third Eye Chain Watcher. Cheap, simple, robust. They fit all the bikes in my (5-rider) stable. Made in USA. What more do you need?

[SignatureJustin]

Nothing but great experiences with K Edge.

[alexstar]

K-edge on all my road bikes. Deda dog fang on the cross bike. Gonna buy an N-gear for the touring bike.

[monadnocky]

Third Eye Chain Watcher. Cheap, simple, robust. They fit all the bikes in my (5-rider) stable. Made in USA. What more do you need?

Yes, works wonderfully - cheap and easy. Even fits my hillclimb bike (a Ti Merckx [Litespeed]) even though the DT on this bike is oval and is somewhat oversized. I believe I initially purchased a Paul product for this purpose and it absolutely did not fit - really nice product but I had to send it back.

[GRAVELBIKE]

Third Eye Chain Watcher. Cheap, simple, robust. They fit all the bikes in my (5-rider) stable. Made in USA. What more do you need?

I had one, and the chain somehow managed to work its way past, which resulted in me having to remove the crank to extricate the chain. Needless to say, I stopped using the Third Eye product after that.