Gios/Chorus RD mangle - ouch
 

So i was riding along with a group today on my very recently (post-crash) rebuilt Gios with 8-speed Chorus. Chain was big-wheeling up front, and I moved it to the big cog on the back lacking full-awareness of front situation and blam, I'm skidding on the intersection and my RD/wheel looks like to post-modern steel sculpture. The group rode on, willing to come back and pick me up, but I was able to arrange a ride back to my van.

Here's the on-scene shot:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6...8c1921a0_z.jpg

Broke a spoke on the wheel, but that's an easy fix. The derailleur cage is another thing:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6...1756f02a_z.jpg

But that's fixable too. My real problem is the rear drop-out. I have one of those crazy Gios that have adjustable dropouts and this one is in bad shape. Remember it's already been in an accident. I already emailed GIOS and they told me they are looking for an american distributor, but don't have one right now. And that's all I got from them.

Any suggestions? Here's the dropout:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6...fb452ec3_z.jpg

See if you can find someone to CNC it for you and start up your own cottage industry?

Not really kidding.

Check this site out

Derailleur Hanger

Early this year I had a buggered up hanger as well, went to the LBS and the owner told me about this site.

Forget trying to deal with Gios directly if they will not be that helpful. Maybe you can deal with a bike shop in Europe instead, that can obtain it easier than one here in the US.
It will surely be worth the extra time and effort for that really nice Gios of yours.
Look at tit this way too, The hanger system worked as it confined the damage to the replacable hanger part. At least the fix is mostly just plug and play and no trips to a frame builder/refinisher.

Chombi

Excel Sports in Colorado used to sell Gios parts. They no longer list them on the their site, but you can give them a call. Maybe they still have one.
http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=1

Thanks for the suggestions. I've emailed that hanger site even though they don't have mine listed. I've also emailed a dealer in Australia. I think I called Excel sports in the past trying to replace this same hanger 5 months ago and they couldn't help.

Still looking.

Looks like the Aussie dealer should come through for me. AUS$80+shipping! Ouch!

look at it this way matt, it could have been far worst, 80 bucks isn't so bad, imagine if you bent a stay or totalled the frame or something.

how'd the deraileur and chain and wheel, still reusable? i take it you just gotta replace a couple spokes on the wheel and get it trued but how's everything else.

You know, that's not the normal result of cross training.

Was your limit mal-adjusted or was your hanger already bent?

You should be able to use the big, big combo just fine. Its just puts a little more wear and stress on the chain. Your limit screws were probably not set right and the derailer over shifted the chain into the spokes. Be sure to set your limit screws properly.
That derailer is fubar. I would get a different one. Even if you can straighten it out it will probably never shift properly again.

Shouldn't be too hard for me to find you one overhere and send it too you.
Do you have the exact part number?

I found one through a distributor in Aus.. thanks for the help. The hanger and RD were already damaged from a crash in the summer so failure was probably inevitable. I'm glad about the frame - it's my baby - it's always horrible when I don't get to ride my favourite...

Only if the chain is long enough. I try to make the chain long enough for big/big combination, but sometimes that results in too long a chain for the small/small combination.

Hi - I don't suppose you still have the contact info for the Gios dropouts from Oz? I'm not having much luck finding a set here in the UK. Thanks - Steve (I don't have 50 (50!!!) posts so can't send a PM)

And people wonder why I like having a dork disc on a few of my bikes. I would not mind having one on all of them if I could find the right ones. As tacky and Freddy as they are do serve a porpoise.

Hi Bianchigirll - if it is allowed, would you mind PMing mattOne who posted above about finding these hangers in Oz? It seems to have been a while since he posted anywhere, so a PM might show up in his email. If nothing else, this will count as one more toward my 50 posts :-) Thanks!

The small clear plastic discs aren't so bad. Would have saved me a few respoking jobs.

[MENTION=360489]CanAmSteve[/MENTION] - use the @ infront of [MENTION=67926]mattone[/MENTION]. He will get a notification in his email.

Maybe Gios could offer it on Italian ebay and you could buy it that way, skirting the issue. There must be some unfinished business with the prior US distributor for there to be a problem, or it has to do with the new alternative brand they came up with to address some issues.

Or, an Italian shop they sell to who would let you order it from them?

This is a great occasion to visit your LBS. They may be able to help you quickly and competently.

I totally "get" the value of a dork-disk, especially when the frame, derailer or a re-spoking job for the wheel are very expensive.

But I stopped even considering using them myself after noticing that modern chains allowed me to set the lo-limit screw tighter, while still getting a crisp shift up to the largest cog.

My last three chain-in-spokes incidents were due to 1) a pulley bolt that loosened, 2) a derailer cage pivot shaft that ejected on it's own, and 3) a Simplex derailer that had the lo-limit screw boss break off.
So not to say that a dork-disk has no value, it does.

I have a dork-disk on one bike, and I don't think it looks at all tacky. I wouldn't even consider removing it!
I did have to repeatedly loosen the freewheel 3-4 times and rotate this heavy steel dork-disk to different positions on the wheel in order to get the freewheel cogs to run straight.
Also, the disk contacts the spokes and there is a continuous noise from the spokes rubbing ever so slightly against the dork-disk. I had to put a spot of elastic glue at each of the nine contact points.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/...63610fbe_b.jpg

Hey [MENTION=67926]mattone[/MENTION] did you get the message?

These work great. May have helped in your situation.
Dropout Saver

Thanks for the Droput Saver link - never knew they existed. I have an old Canadian Sekine with a beautiful chrome dork disc like the one on the Schwinn above. And I have a hybrid I use for travel that gets beat around a bit, so I left the clear disc on that one. Otherwise, I don't use them and have not had any troubles (yet). The Gios frame I just bought used and it has been stored very casually - lots of surface rust but still with original Campy headset, BB and seatpost. Trouble is the RD hanger is mangled, and while it might be possible to straighten it, or even have a new one machined, it all has to go into the "fix, save or sell" equation. Big (62cm) Italian frames don't come along so often so I'll probably just keep it until I can find the dropouts. They seem to appear on eBay every now and then.

Thanks for the messages. Sorry its taken I ordered the dropout through the Australian store thebikerack.com.au. It looks like they are the primary Gios seller in that market. They had to order it from Gios and then ship it to me.

Good luck! Someone should start making titanium versions!