martinwf5

I over shifted the rear derailluer today and it snapped the d/r in half along with bending about 4 spokes, when i took the rear wheel off i noticed the axle was bent as well,as well as the buckled wheel.

so would it be easier just to get a new/second hand wheel.

the wheel that is on is a 36 spoke and doesnt look anything special for a tandem and my stoker is only 6 , so no real weight problem.

Its the mountain bike style tandem.

Thanks in advance.

zonatandem

Depending on the quality of the wheel and what a new rim/axle/spokes would cost + labor.
If you can get find a reasonably priced full rear wheel (used or new) that could be fastest way to go.

rdtompki

And either read up on RD adjustment (Sheldon Brown or Park Tools) or take the setup to your LBS for proper adjustment. You should not be able to "over shift" the RD if properly set up.

Retro Grouch 

Probably be faster and cheaper to buy a new wheel than to repair the old one. Either way you need to know the distance (in millimeters) between the rear dropouts. The over locknut dimension of your new wheel needs to match.

martinwf5

just been out and stripped the rear end, chain badly bent, spokes really bent,

the dimension for the rear drop outs are 135 mm,

Retro Grouch 

135mm is good. That's the mountain bike standard so a replacement wheel should be easy to find.

Bent axle says "freewheel" to me. Since you're replacing the wheel anyway, I'd step up to a freehub/cassette rear wheel. It'll greatly reduce the potential for bent axles.

Badly bent chain means new chain. Keep the old one to help you resize the replacement. Length matters.

martinwf5

Does anyone recommend a decent derailleur for a tandem or should i just replace like for like.

Regards

Martin

Retro Grouch 

There's nothing special about a derailleur for a tandem.

Three factors to consider:
1. How the derailleur attaches. Most bike frames have a arm (derailleur hanger) that extends downward from the frame. Some use a "claw" that attaches the derailleur to the rear axle.
2. Largest cog capacity. Some derailleurs are only rated to work with a 27 tooth biggest rear cog. Most tandems need one that will handle a 34. Specs for rear derailleurs are provided by the manufacturers.
3. Chain slack capacity. Subtract your smallest front chainring from the biggest. Subtract your smallest rear cog from the biggest. Add those two numbers together. Your derailleur needs to be able to wrap up that much chain slack.

martinwf5

Many thanks for the sound advice.

Martin

Philly Tandem

If price is an issue for your new derailleur I'd suggest buying a good quality rear derailleur (e.g., XT, XTR) used off Ebay or wherever over buying a cheaper new derailleur. Make sure you get one with a long cage, as Retro Grouch suggested ("SGS" cage in Shimano-speak).