Bicycle Mechanics - Derailleur hanger is bent, now what?

This is my first time venturing into the mechanics forum...figured it might be a good place to
ask what to do about a problem that I'm not certain how to address.

I flew to NYC last week to visit with family and brought my TT bike with me. It was packed in a
hardshell case (top and bottom fit together like a lid) and was fine when I packed it and tested it
out, but when I unpacked it, the rear derailleur hanger was bent.

Is this a universal part that you can replace with any rear der. hanger? Or is it specific to the bike
or the manufacturer? When I looked at it, there were supposed to be two bolts but one was missing.
The missing one was from the side that got bent really badly. So does that mean it maybe got stripped
too? I should take a closer look. However I was too upset to do anything about it tonight and just went running instead.

I'd like to get some advice before I run to an LBS so I don't sound like I don't know anything about this sort of stuff.

Derailleur hangers are proprietary to the frame, though some manufacturers use the same type throughout the line. The good news is most of them use a standard bolt type, and if you can find a replacement, the hanger may be able to be aligned at a shop.

Belated advice: Remove the rear derailleur with a 5mm hex next time you pack the bike and then pad it and zip tie it to the frame. Whether via airlines or parcel shipping, count on gorilla handling.

How bent? It might be able to be fixed at an LBS.

What Z said. A bent derailleur hanger can be straightened provided it's not badly bent. If they do replace it I would have them order two so you have a spare.

+1 to all the above. It's worth a try straightening it. You might post a photo of the screw situation to see if it might be better to move the screw to the other hole until you find a replacement.

Anyway, try to find a shop where you are that sells your frame brand. To get the new hangers.

haha
funny story about bending rear derailleur hanger. I popped a manual off the incline of a sidewal and lost my balance. Me and the bike went down...i was fine but my hanger was bent so that the derailleur was caught in the spokes. Long story short, i bent the hanger back and it shifted fine and i went on with my riding

I popped a manual off the incline of a sidewal

Is it just me?

At 43, have I simply become "old?"

I have no idea whatsoever what this means, but ... I imagine lots of you do.

Is it some sort of bmx-style trick??

:(

Bent hangers aren't a tragedy and are fairly common. Any shop should have a tool to straighten it.

if the hanger is too bent staightening it could weaken it and it will snap easier its happened to me

So your recommendation is ... ??

Is it just me?

At 43, have I simply become "old?"

I have no idea whatsoever what this means, but ... I imagine lots of you do.

Is it some sort of bmx-style trick??

:(


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDwZcLGekE8&mode=related&search=

Update:

Thanks for the advice guys. I called Fuji and was able to hook up with a local shop near my parents' place so I could get the replacement hanger's ordered. Oh man, the old one was bent really badly. I decided to just replace it outright so I wouldn't have to worry about weakening the old one from bending it back.

I'm saving the bent one though so I can take pics and get reimbursed by the airlines for the replacement part. Consider it a lesson learned I guess. Next time I'll assume they will treat it like garbage and will pack accordingly by taking more parts off the bike and wrapping them up 2x as much as before.



cons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDwZcLGekE8&mode=related&search=

Maybe Im getting old too, I still call that a catwalk