MTB Big ring injury.

redzone

A mate recently got a nasty gash behind his knee from the big ring when on his Mtb and his foot slipped off the pedal.

I find I don't really use the big ring that much when out on the trails, usually stay in the middle ring when going downhill and the small ring on the climbs.

Is it possible to get a "blank" ring with no teeth to replace the big ring or are there other options such as bolt on plates etc which would prevent this from happening.

I use the clip in shoes so am not worried about my feet slipping but was thinking it could happen from a fall etc.

Thanks in advance for any info or ideas, much appreciated.

Whitehawk

Never seen one.... I have to say i use it alot going down hill as it means you can even pick up more speed as you can peddle as you go down! Try it great fun
After that if its the back fo the knee, some knee pads would cover you up fine, something else i use!
So cant say that ive had this prob or would have it! id just keep it simple, use knee pads and try to use the "big ring" (large chain ring on)

Morgan

I'm trying to picture what acrobatics were involved in gouging the back of a knee with a chairing. I wouldn't worry about it, it's not a big risk.

You can replace the outer ring with a bashring. This is usually done to avoid bending the chainring teeth on rocks rather than avoiding weird injuries though.

easygoing39

Id be more concerned at you using the granny ring for climbs and the middle ring for the downhills!!

triggermortis

you can fit a bash ring that is supposed to protect the big ring from being hit as well as protecting your legs. Not 100% sure if it fits over the big ring or replaces it, but they are available.
Or you could get spd pedals too keep your feet where they should be

studiorat

Lot's of people remove the 44 ring and replace it with a bash ring.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=84

Quite the fashion with the all mountain look. In fact some of the new XC set-ups are using one ring on the front too. You could also look at shin protectors, save the shins from bashing off the pedals etc. ANd SPD shoes all been said before though!

Whitehawk

easygoing39 wrote: »

Id be more concerned at you using the granny ring for climbs and the middle ring for the downhills!!

Whats wrong with useing the "granny ring" for climbs??

Whitehawk

studiorat wrote: »

Lot's of people remove the 44 ring and replace it with a bash ring.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=84

Quite the fashion with the all mountain look. In fact some of the new XC set-ups are using one ring on the front too. You could also look at shin protectors, save the shins from bashing off the pedals etc. ANd SPD shoes all been said before though!

Ive seen alot of bash gards on the Large ring (or should i say over it) so that you can still use it, but never seen them swaping it out! Yet i guess if you dont use it theres prob no need to have it there!

Lumen

Morgan wrote: »

I'm trying to picture what acrobatics were involved in gouging the back of a knee with a chairing.

It could be worse.

Whitehawk

Lumen wrote: »

It could be worse.

looks pain full!

C3PO

Whitehawk wrote: »

Ive seen alot of bash gards on the Large ring (or should i say over it) so that you can still use it, but never seen them swaping it out! Yet i guess if you dont use it theres prob no need to have it there!

I think you'll find that most bash guards replace the big ring? I don't think I've ever seen one that goes on as well but maybe I'm wrong?

Tenzor07

Morgan wrote: »

I'm trying to picture what acrobatics were involved in gouging the back of a knee with a chairing

I'm wondering also!

Would be far from a common occurance for this to happen....so forget about a bashgard, work on bike skills!

xxyyzz

What sort of flat pedals is he using? Are they the standard metal ones that came with the bike? These could be the problem. It might be worth investing in a decent set of flats with pins for extra grip. Something like these should be grand.

Otherwise SPD's, although getting used to those on a mtb can open up whole new worlds of pain

C3PO

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I'm wondering also!

Would be far from a common occurance for this to happen....so forget about a bashgard, work on bike skills!

Funny, I still have "chainring impressions" on the back of my right calf from when I was starting out! Thankfully nearly completely faded now ..... after about 3 years!!

Whitehawk

RPL1 wrote: »

I think you'll find that most bash guards replace the big ring? I don't think I've ever seen one that goes on as well but maybe I'm wrong?

Ya ive seen it on a few bikes only know what it is as my dad use it on his mtb, just covers the ring like a guard dont know what the story is with em tho or where he got it but seen a few around on bikes.

Ciaran500

easygoing39 wrote: »

Id be more concerned at you using the granny ring for climbs and the middle ring for the downhills!!

Very common for offroad climbs to be nearly impossible with out going into the granny ring.

Tenzor07

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Very common for offroad climbs to be nearly impossible with out going into the granny ring.

If your weak!

gman2k

I've a triple XT chainset, removed the big ring and slapped on a polycarbonate bash in it's place.
I rarely miss the big ring, unless there is a very long straight downhill forest trail or similar.
If you are going to do a lot of road miles on your MTB, this will not be a suitable option.
The reason I got rid of the ring is that I was constantly snagging it on rocks and logs.

I presume your mate had flat pedals ( not clipped in) and that contributed to him slipping onto the chain ring.

Whitehawk

Whats the weight saving for swaping out the big ring?

Tenzor07

A better idea would be to convert to a single ring up front, a lightweight 38t middle ring from Spécialités TA Chinook, lightweight alloy bolts too, and remove your left gear shifter and front deraileur...

gman2k

Whitehawk wrote: »

Whats the weight saving for swaping out the big ring?

depends on the bash you are putting on. My bash and bolts were slightly lighter than the big ring they replaced. But you don't do this for weight saving.
10 mins out on the trail and you'll pick up mud that'll weigh more anyway.

redzone

Thanks for all the replies,

To answer a few questions, he had wellgo pedals with pins but his foot slipped off the pedal on a quick downhill when he hit a rock and the back wheel kicked out. It was unlucky and whatever way he went down the big ring caught the back of his knee and goughed it.

I used to have the same pedals and my feet used to slip off a fair bit aswell when on bumpy trails. I've recently changed to clip in shoes and pedals so no more slipping or having to adjust my feet.

Regarding the use of the small ring when climbing, I would consider myself an average roadie and cycle around some of the Wicklow hills quite a bit. However I find some of the offroad climbing quite tough and need to use it. Also the riding position on the Mtb dosn't lend itself to climbing as well as the position on the road bike.

I only got into Mtb this year so maybe with practice I will improve but for now I will ride my granny :eek:

studiorat

redzone wrote: »

I only got into Mtb this year so maybe with practice I will improve but for now I will ride my granny :eek:

Way-Hay!!

Hopefully there'll be no more ring accidents either.