I banged up my derailleur today after sliding across a big root, which caused the chain to get tangled in the cogs. I tried straightening it by hand, and while it shifted fine on smooth, flat terrain, it struggled on the MTB trails, so I had to stick to the easier bike paths. Can these derailleurs be salvaged? I also decided to install a new hanger since the old one didn’t look quite right.

John M. Flores is the resident channel expert on mangled RD and bent RD hangers.

I, myself, me would take the opportunity to shift to a nicer, slicker shifting Deore or higher RD and shifter

Today, I decided to switch to a narrow-wide chainring on my two remaining Zizzos that don’t already have one. Hopefully, that will make a difference but perhaps not at the derailleur.

looking at the pictures, I would clean the drivetrain. The cassette and chain look very dirty with gunky stuff. If you want crisp shifting, you need everything aligned and clean so that the chain engages properly on the cassette shifting ramps.

The altus is OK with 50T chainring and 11-40T cassette, but with 55, the chain is very long and wipes out...

I run a 58-tooth narrow-wide chainring with an 11-32 gear set on this bike. It’s been great, strictly for road use. Ceramic speed cogs and BR60 low friction BB.



thinking about swapping to these cranks but unsure about an alum shaft.

I may regret, but I decided to order these and see if they will fit a Zizzo Liberte speedster. Aluminum shaft....

Usually the derailleur hanger is made from a more malleable grade so it bends first. The one time I had an experience with a my Liberte's derailleur getting out of line, that was it. There is a tool to check the alignment, but they are somewhat expensive, but one could be fashioned from a piece of alloy angle.

since putting on a new derailleur hanger and derailleur, I noticed I no longer have any chain rubbing in low gear with Maxxis Holley Roller 2.2 tires. perhaps a simple 3D printed nylon graphite version of a check tool?

I decided not to try and straighten it on the bike but rather installed a new hanger. Do others try to straighten these on the bike?

Fortunately for you, your bike has a conventional RD hanger. My early Dahon Speed has none, only a threaded hole in the chainstay forward of the axle, originally for a Dahon Neos compact RD. To use a conventional RD, I used a Shimano Tourney GS (mid) cage with integral claw mount to go under the axle nut, for less money than just a separate claw mount.

To flatten your separate RD hanger (also a plus in design), I think the best way is to remove it from the frame and flatten it using a hydraulic press, or if none, hold in a vise and use an adjustable wrench with smooth flat jaws. Hydraulic presses are low cost at Harbor Freight, and you'll use it for straightening/flattening everything; Me, cookware, with the right wooden cauls, you don't press directly on the cookware with the hydraulic ram or it permanently dents the cookware. The press comes in a kit and you bolt it together. If you don't like the slight wobble, grind off the paint in the right areas, lay it flat on the floor and square it up, and weld it good, no more wobble. (But don't weld the moveable gantry that adjusts the throat height.)

thanks, I have a cheap HF hydraulic press. I'll try to flatten it using that.

The black plates that came with the one I used, had ever so slight convex on one side, sometimes that was enough to compensate for springback, but you can also press on wood, or shim where needed, to get it flat after springback.

Where I used to volunteer, a visitor had bent a trailer axle hitting a truck tread going over the pass, couldn't buy a replacement on the weekend, plus like $350, I said if I had a hydraulic press I could fix it. We went to HF and he bought a press for $140, came back, I assembled it, straightened the axle within 1/16" (was quite bent but fortunately a smooth arc, no sharp kinks), he was ecstatic, donated the press to the org. Man I used it for everything.

They do.

I tend to take it out and press the hanger in a vice and use filler /gap gauges to check. I get good results with that and I do a final check with a £20 ZTTO alignement tool.

If I damage one more of these, I’m buying a tool. Twenty-inch wheels don’t offer much clearance.

You got it. And I don't even know if you are running a short cage, or mid (GS) cage. I need a mid cage for my 400% gear range, and yeah, not tons of ground clearance but adequate, I'm still above the bottom of the rim. My Shimano Tourney 6 speed (did 7 fine and would probably do 8) with an integral claw mount that I need was $13 retail new at the bike shop. Can't beat that.

Running big/big 50-30 with the longest chain possible, to leave space for a future 34T low:


small/small 34-11: