derailleure question (1 Viewer)

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nspctr1

nspctr1

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Jan 5, 2003
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Location
San Antonio TX
I rode some new trails today with a few buddies out near the lake. Not being too familiar with the trails here I took it slow but obviously not slow enough. It was pretty rocky in some areas to the point where I had to crawl and even get off my bike . Well, the trail turned back to dirt and i was moving downhill at a pretty good pace when it took a fairly sharp left hand turn. Directly after the turn the trail turned back to rock and i caught one that was sticking up with my pedal. Doing that launched me sideways into a friggin cedar tree and down on the rocks I went. Well, after everyone got their jollies laughing at me I picked up my bike and began the usual check for broken components when I realized the derailleure had bit the dust. It looks like the hanger broke actually but not sure if the derailleure was damaged on impact or not. So, would you replace the derailleure or just the hanger? If both, what would you replace it with? I'm not a hardcore rider and don't need to spend a ton of money on one but if there are better options and performing units out there lemme know. Sorry no pics for you massochistic type.....

THx.

Kevin
 
I would start with just replacing the hanger. You're going to need to retune your rear derailleur in order to get your shifting smooth again. I've ripped mine off twice before and the derailleur is still working.

If the rear end isn't working anymore, as in you cannot shift even after a retune then I would go with a shimano deore or deore lx rear end. I like the shimano parts myself. Both are decent level parts and they are very reliable.
 
What frame/derailleur do you have? If you have a modern good quality bike, it should not be too bard to confirm whether the hanger is broken. Mostly could be done by visual inspection, and frame maker should have sell hangers for around $20... I would start with that to see whether I could get the shifting work without replacing the derailleur. Good luck.
 
Wow, I just re-read my post and realized that not once did I mention the bike or derailleure type. Sorry. It's a Marin Hawk Hill with shimano deore derailleure. I'm pretty sure the hanger is broken but seems a bit hard to find locally but then again, it is the weekend. I will call my bike shop today to see what he has.
Thx.
 
What no pics?!? Fine... I'll post up anyway ;)

You may have solved this by now, but previous posters are correct on replacing the hanger first. Even if it's not broke they can be bent pretty bad, best thing is to replace. I have rebent hangers as a temporary fix but they never work quite right again.

As for the derailleur, they are pretty hardy. Readjust and see how it works. If you do have to replace it and you liked the Deore you will really like the Shimano LX.

As for a better set up... personally I like the reverse throw derailleurs (low-normal), but you have to step up to at least the XT in Shimano. And if you are wondering the reverse throw does exactly what it sounds like it is opposite of regular derailleurs; the benefit is easier/better shifts up hills. And if you're interested the XT is smooth, a bit heavier than the XTR but more durable and considerably less coin. Hey you asked... :D
 
I've had it with Shimano. I have been using SRAM for a few years now and it's much easier to setup, tune, and keeps working properly much longer than any Shimano derailleurs I ever used. The SRAM X9 series is solid and reliable, much more so than Shi(t)mano IMHO.
 
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