Why do you need a cock on a bicycle?

In uninitiated people, the mention of this element of the bike causes only laughter. Although, despite its modest size, it plays a very important role. A rooster on a bicycle is a small detachable plate that allows you to fix the position of the rear switch. The essence of the existence of this holder is that he warns a possible breakage of the frame when struck. After all, when riding a bicycle, his rear switch often clings to bushes or other vegetation. This unfortunate accident and breaks this small expense element, while all other parts do not suffer.

A look into the past

The history of development, which was forced to pass a cock on a bicycle, is very interesting. It begins with the first frames, which were made of steel and possessed considerable weight. At that time, the gearshift was fixed directly, because the alloy of iron, from which the frame was made, had the flexibility and staunchly suffered mechanical damage. Since then, a lot of time has passed, and mores have changed. Modern frames are made of carbon fiber or aluminum, which have a low weight, but excellent spatial rigidity. However, these materials have to be calculated for their advantages of fragility - in the case of concentrated concentrated efforts they lose their integrity and are destroyed. Precisely to avoid such unfortunate consequences, and began to make a bicycle rooster, which has less strength than the main structure to which it is attached, is a frame. In some cases, this consumable part helps to maintain the operation of the rear derailleur - after the impact the latch breaks and the components do not get damaged. This reduces not only the financial costs of the cyclist, but also contributes to more technological and quality maintenance of the vehicle.

Application

As a result, if the cock on the bicycle connected to the frame and represented an integral structure with it, it would inevitably lead to regular breakdowns. Unlike steel, aluminum or carbon fiber can not be welded in the air environment and require special recovery technologies. Even after repair works in these materials there are local attenuations at the junction site, therefore their operation after damage is extremely limited. In these cases, the question of maintainability has to be considered from the point of view of profitability or expediency, since the cost of rebuilding the frame may exceed the price of a similar model that only recently left the plant. Therefore, after the damage, the frame, on which all the bicycle equipment is attached, must be thrown away. Only the most valuable frames that are exclusive or have an undeniable historical value are restored. Therefore, in most cases it is much easier to replace a cock on a bicycle that does not have significant strength, which after the deformation can be discarded with a clear conscience. And the frame will remain unharmed.

Differences

During its development, each of the manufacturers tried to introduce something new into the design of the bike. The cock was also changed on a bicycle, from a recognizable and simple detail turned into a very original product. They differ in design, number of holes, material (aluminum, carbon fiber or polymer composition) and, of course, interchangeability. Now the lock of the rear gear selector is unique for each model of a bicycle, therefore with its replacement there can be difficulties. Sufficient assortment not always is even at official dealers who are engaged in realization of a concrete brand in the niche. Therefore, it is often necessary to resort to the help of specialists who make them to order, or to do it themselves. After all, the work that needs to be done is not too extensive - it is important to drill the holes in the necessary places and cut out the outlines corresponding to the seat of the part. If this fails the first time, then do not despair, just handle the lock with a file - and it will take the selected position.

Results

It remains to be hoped that now the beginning athletes will not have a question, what is a cock on a bicycle and what is its purpose. Fortunately, the times when these details were irreplaceable have long since sunk into oblivion. After all, few owners of old bicycles still have to weld a cock after every breakage.