Bicycle Mechanics - Replaceable Derailleur Hanger?

I have my first bike with a replaceable rear derailleur hanger and the other day I drove my Jeep to a new area, took out the bike and tried to start riding... the chain was making lots of noise and shifting improperly and then suddenly the hanger broke off. I didn't hit anything, although I can't be sure the previous owner didn't bend the hanger and then bend it back (but it didn't show any stressed areas). I'm just wondering how often this happens. Should I buy lots of extra hangers (my LBS never has anything I need in stock), or should I only expect the hanger to break after some extreme hit or incident (it is possible that my chain broke halfway and caught the rear derailleur ripping it off although I think the chain was instead damaged by the derailleur after the hanger broke)? Thanks for any input!

They do not often break, you might want to have one extra just so you will not need to wait for a new one.

Wow, I had the same exact problem about 3 weeks ago- I just went back to the store I bought my bike from and got a new derailleur hanger from there.

Chuck is this something that could happen again and I should just get another spare, or should I rest easy knowing I just got a new one installed?

Koffee

Chuck,

thanks for responding... sorry I was slow to get back, but I never got a notification on this post... I guess the hanger was probably damaged before I got the frame then because I can see no other way it would break so easily.

Koffee,

What type of bike did this happen on?

It was my Specialized Sirrus A1 hybrid bike. No biggie- I've put in A LOT of miles on the bike since I got it last April. I was shocked when it came off, but I wasn't shocked that it came off. I've practically ridden the bike into the ground.

Koffee

Hmm... maybe Specialized makes their breakaway hangers a bit too breakaway? Mine was on a Stumpjumper FSR. This wouldn't be such a problem if I lived near a good LBS that actually kept parts like this in stock instead of just on the "for sale" bikes.

What I was thankful was that their hangers are replaceable. From what the guy told me when I brought my bike in to get it fixed, some bike makers do not make theirs replaceable, so when it breaks, that's it... time for the new bike!

If the LBS doesn't have the hangers, I'd invest in one or two extras and keep them with your seat post tool kit just in case.

Koffee

I replaced one on my sons Trek 7200 a few weeks ago after he had a little crash. On an Al frame it's the only way to go, it took about 5 mins. to replace and now it's good as new!;)

Oxygen-

In your original post you mention taking the bike "out", do you mean out on the trail or out of the Jeep, as in you transport your bike inside the vehicle, lying on its side? If the latter is true, do you place it derailleur side up, every time? If not, you may have contributed to the demise of your own hanger. In any case, you should invest in some kind of transport device, either roof or hitch mounted to safely transport your bike, and keep the inside of your Jeep clean.

A curious DEMON

Originally posted by demoncyclist
Oxygen-

In your original post you mention taking the bike "out", do you mean out on the trail or out of the Jeep, as in you transport your bike inside the vehicle, lying on its side? If the latter is true, do you place it derailleur side up, every time? If not, you may have contributed to the demise of your own hanger. In any case, you should invest in some kind of transport device, either roof or hitch mounted to safely transport your bike, and keep the inside of your Jeep clean.

A curious DEMON

demoncyclist,

haha... yeah, I'm smart enough to know not to put the bike on it's side in the jeep... especially derailleur side down. When I transport my bike I put it in the jeep with the front fork over the rear seat (which is folded up). This leaves me enough room to close the jeep up and keep the bike on some padded surfaces incase I hit some bumpy patches of road... trust me, I take special care to not even lightly brush the bike up against any metal when putting it in and out of the jeep... When I refered to taking the bike out, I meant out of the Jeep because as soon as I hopped on, the problems started... I'm beginning to think though that one of the links in my chain had it's side come slightly off which then in turn eventually caught the rear derailleur and ripped the hanger off. Thanks for your input though! Oh, and if it was the chain's fault, sorry for being so hard on Specialized and their manufacturing process when I should have instead been complaining about Bell and their chains. (I'm now using a SRAM chain)

Didn't mean to insult your intelligence. Just looking to rule out the more obvious problems. The broken chain link is certainly a plausible explanation. Good luck with your repairs. I have my own mechanical issues that are driving me a little insane right now, but since they are concerning upgrades, not repairs, they aren't getting me too down.

DEMON

demoncyclist,

Don't worry, I didn't take your comment as an insult to my intelligence; like I said, I appreciate your input! I recieved my new hanger yesterday and after installing it and making a few quick adjustments to the rear derailleur I was back on the bike having fun! I hope you get your mech. problems figured out!

Just a tip, I always order two at a time of all my "special order" items like hangers. If one breaks, then I have the other on hand, and then order two more! I can't begin to count the number of hangers I've gone through.

L8R