There are a number of devices available to prevent the chain from falling off of the small chain ring onto the bottom bracket. The Deda Dog Fang is one. Another is the N-Gear Jump Stop. And there are others. I have read good reviews elsewhere concerning the N-Gear Jump Stop, and it seems to be the better product. I would be interested to hear what others here have to say..

There are a number of devices available to prevent the chain from falling off of the small chain ring onto the bottom bracket. The Deda Dog Fang is one. Another is the N-Gear Jump Stop. And there are others. I have read good reviews elsewhere concerning the N-Gear Jump Stop, and it seems to be the better product. I would be interested to hear what others here have to say..Dog Fang works fine. Jump Stop looks a bit of a complicated solution to a simple problem.

third eye

The Dog Fang is supposed to be better than the Third Eye, and the N-Gear is supposed to be better still (sturdier), although it is the heaviest of the three. I have a Cannondale Synapse carbon frame. I don't know which of the three will fit on my bike. Anyone have a Synapse carbon bike with one of these chain catchers?

I have Jump Stops on 3 bikes... no experience with the 3rd eye or Deda. The Jump Stop is a brilliantly executed, beautiful design that just works. The only time I've ever noticed its weight is when I held it in my hand before mounting it.

I notice the Synapse uses a front derailleur clamp so I suspect you can find a Jump Stop to fit. The seattube's cross section needs to be circular at the mounting location for it to fit properly.

MTBR has reviews on it and others: http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/chain_accessories/

I have the jump stop and highly recommend it. The plate the chain would rub against is stainless steel, where others are plastic. I can't even tell when my jump stop is used during a shift as each shift is perfect. By the way, it is not an anti chain suck device. If you are getting chain suck, where the chain is "sticking" to the chain ring and hitting the bottom of your chainstay you will need a completely different device than the jump stop, dog fang, or any other device mentioned so far.

I have N-gear jump stop on two of my bikes, Tried third eye before but didn't work perfectly. Jump stop does. Not that complicated, either. I've got a couple of spares for future bike builds....

The Dog Fang is supposed to be better than the Third Eye, and the N-Gear is supposed to be better still (sturdier), although it is the heaviest of the three. I have a Cannondale Synapse carbon frame. I don't know which of the three will fit on my bike. Anyone have a Synapse carbon bike with one of these chain catchers?

So here's the WORD (as I see it)! Using NGear on 3 bikes, all fab, here's what you could do--E-mail Nick at ngear@gvtc.com (see website also for all info if you haven't as yet). He is a tremendous guy with tons of working/experiential knowledge. He custom-fitted all my JumpStops based on my measurements (actually my bikes' measurements). My Synapse had the following crucial measurements he needed to design the correct length for the clamp based on the seat tube circumference at the appropriate height for my set-up (a compact 36-50 crankset) - yours may vary: when I wrapped a STOCK clamp around the tube the gap at the top of the clamp measured 6 mm, gap at the bottom when wrapped & ready for closure was 7 mm. Nick will work with you on getting the corrected sized clamp for your frame & set-up. He may need to deepen the socket where the bolt seats into the clamping side also. But he knows all these minute details that can make your assembly go quicker & more efficiently. He will work with you until it is completely right & fits exactly according to your specifications!!! He's an absolute pleasure to work with. Tell him neal from montana referred you & he'll only charge you double the normal price!! Let me know if you need more Synapse info.
nealrab

Thanks Nealrab. I just ordered the 35mm Jump Stop from Nick and it is on its way. I have a 2007 Synapse SL with a compact crank. Based on your experience, will the clamp require modification? If so, I should probably let Nick know. (I sent him a copy of your email to give him a heads-up.) Thanks again for your reply.

the third eye kinds sucks cuz it's simply a hose clamp inside a neatly shaped housing. between the 2, dog fang is better. but then again, they're just stupid chain watchers, you'll never adjust it once installed

Thanks Nealrab. I just ordered the 35mm Jump Stop from Nick and it is on its way. I have a 2007 Synapse SL with a compact crank. Based on your experience, will the clamp require modification? If so, I should probably let Nick know. (I sent him a copy of your email to give him a heads-up.) Thanks again for your reply.

I can't quite remember the circumference measurement of the 35mm clamp (as I believe that's a diameter measurement), but I think I did need an ELONGATED clamp that Nick can do for you for the Synapse seat tube. If he sends you a stock clamp that's OK since you can use that as a reference to establish the measurement needed for that seat tube at the actual height needed to match the smaller chainring and "block" the chain drop. But I'm pretty sure I needed Nick to elongate the stock clamp. My seat tube circumference at the "proper" height (matched to the small 36 tooth ring) measures approx. 11.25 cm circumference (or 4.4 inches). Maybe a bit less, since I'm measuring now with the clamp in place (so it's a bit lower). If Nick does need to customize the clamp ask him for a deepened socket also. Easier to bolt that way. He can put a slight curvature in the clamp also for ease in assembly especially for larger diameter tubes. My Giant had an even larger diameter tube than the Synapse and we needed an even more elongated clamp for that bike. But Nick worked with my needs and I eventually got 3 clamps for 3 different make bikes. All are working great!! Third Eye Chain Watcher is a piece of plastic junk compared to the Jump Stop's simple & somewhat "elegant" design. Bottom line, it just works great & provides peace of mind & confidence knowing you probably won't completely tear up your chain stay or frame due to a dropped chain. And you couldn't ask for a more knowledgable and helpful bike guy than Nick. He rules!!
Keep me posted or post a reply to let me know how you make out with it.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions; very much appreciated! I sent a copy of your latest reply to Nick for his reference. Hopefully, he will remember his experience with you and will have sent me the right clamp for my bike. If not, I am sure that he will work with me, just like he did with you, to fit the Jump Stop to my bike. I will keep you posted re the results. Thanks again!

Good luck with the ordering...keep me posted if you need more info about assembly or anything.

Thanks again. Got a great reply from Nick. I am sure everything will work out, and I will keep you posted.

Hey all.
I don't want to be a know-it-all or an arogant jerk, but I've ridden alot (and hard) over the past two decades and don't suffer from chain suck.
A long time ago, I had an issue, and a mechanic recommended that the chain length be modified, typically by adding a link.
I dropped the chain a few times while using my last frameset. I have a new frameset now, which has stays that are about 1/2 shorter, and by using the same chain on my new frameset, it's a bit more slack (not much though).
I thought my drivetrain was smooth and quiet then. But, now its even way better. It is amazingly silent and perfectly dialed in.
I'm actually having second thoughts about installing new chorus 10 to replace ultegra 9.
Bottom line, add a link to the chain, and you may not need the chainsuck bolt ons.
good luck, happy riding!:D

the third eye kinds sucks cuz it's simply a hose clamp inside a neatly shaped housing. between the 2, dog fang is better. but then again, they're just stupid chain watchers, you'll never adjust it once installed

Ah, but that hose clamp allowed me to mount it on my CF Bianchi, which I couldn't do with the Dog Fang - the bottom of the seat tube flares above the BB, and the Dog Fang couldn't close when it was low enough. The Third Eye went on without a problem.

And since the bike's black, and the cranks are black, and the chain ring's black, the fact that the Third Eye is ugly is hidden by the fact that it, too is black. If it were a WHITE bike with SILVER cranks and rings, that would be different. :D

between chain derailment and chain suck. They are not the same.

Neilrab --

I got the Jump Stop. Unfortunately, the clamp is too small. When I press the ends together, I have an 8mm gap (you had a 7mm gap). I sent the info off to Nick so that he can come up with a solution. He is extremely helpful. I will keep you posted.

Neilrab --

I got the Jump Stop. Unfortunately, the clamp is too small. When I press the ends together, I have an 8mm gap (you had a 7mm gap). I sent the info off to Nick so that he can come up with a solution. He is extremely helpful. I will keep you posted.

123prs - no prob tho' cause Nick knows what to do. I did run the same gap (give or take 6-7 mm) as you found trying to close the clamp, so I kinda figured he'd have to elongate the stock version & perhaps deepen the socket as well which he did for my Synapse as well. The next one should be pretty close, but as I recall you need a bit of a gap to start with (Nick told me about this) to permit closure with bolt tightening and allow the gap to close with tightening. As I remember the gap should only start out with ~2mm, maybe 3 at the most and tightening will close that gap quickly (pardon the biking pun). So you're well on the way to a solution! Keep me posted!
NR

Hey all.
I don't want to be a know-it-all or an arogant jerk, but I've ridden alot (and hard) over the past two decades and don't suffer from chain suck.
A long time ago, I had an issue, and a mechanic recommended that the chain length be modified, typically by adding a link.
I dropped the chain a few times while using my last frameset. I have a new frameset now, which has stays that are about 1/2 shorter, and by using the same chain on my new frameset, it's a bit more slack (not much though).
I thought my drivetrain was smooth and quiet then. But, now its even way better. It is amazingly silent and perfectly dialed in.
I'm actually having second thoughts about installing new chorus 10 to replace ultegra 9.
Bottom line, add a link to the chain, and you may not need the chainsuck bolt ons.
good luck, happy riding!:D

I'm not sure it'll work for all situations. There is a post above about chain suck vs chain derailment, they are somewhat different. At some time or another, you're going to drop a chain in the shifting process, regardless of how many links you add to a chain. Usually it will happen as you're going uphill & shifting down to smaller ring. The JumpStop simply acts as a small metal guide preventing the chain from excessive sliding down past the small ring teeth onto your bottom bracket area. It is mostly inconspicuous & performs its function well without much weight penalty. Doesn't mess up bike finish either if assembled properly. But interesting thought on your part, never really occurred to me to do anything like changing chain length. Wonder what others have found regarding that possibility.

Hi Neilrab --

I will continue to keep you posted.

123prs

Here is the update: After three tries and two clamp modifications, Nick came through with a clamp that fits my bike and I have now installed the Jump Stop. Once the clamp problem was solved, the installation process was very easy. My thanks to Nick for his great service and also to Nealrab for his assistance.

Here is the update: After three tries and two clamp modifications, Nick came through with a clamp that fits my bike and I have now installed the Jump Stop. Once the clamp problem was solved, the installation process was very easy. My thanks to Nick for his great service and also to Nealrab for his assistance.

I was starting to wonder about it all...glad Nick took care of your problem, I knew he would. It is a bit tricky getting the measurement right & allowing for tightening, etc. but once done you'll never have to worry about it again. Haven't had a problem all season with any of the 3 bikes we fitted. Great product, even better service from Nick. Glad it worked out OK for you, thx for letting me know.
NR