How many times can you bend a derailleur hanger?
Sometimes you fall on the drive side, and replacing a $20 hanger is better than a $200 frame. Most of the time you can bend an aluminum hanger back at least once or twice. In the event of a stick getting sucked up into the drivetrain, where the hanger will get bent in multiple directions, you usually can’t.
How do I know if my hanger or derailleur is bent?
Rotate the arm of the alignment tool to the 12 o’clock position (pointing straight up). If your hanger is straight, the gauge arm should sit in the same position relative to the rim. If it’s not straight, this will indicate the direction in which the hanger is bent.
How do derailleur hangers get bent?
A common cause of a misaligned hanger is from the bike falling over to the right side. This pushes the derailleur body inward, bending the hanger. It is often possible to repeatedly re-bend many derailleur hangers. This is because there is very little stress from riding the bike or shifting gears.
What does a derailleur hanger do?
What is the purpose of derailleur hanger? Bicycle rear derailleur hanger is designed with purpose to break or bend in order to prevent or limit damage to bicycle frame or other drivetrain components in case of accident: crash, drivetrain failure an others.
Can you bend a derailleur hanger on a mountain bike?
I remember back in the day when I used to ride cheap mountain bikes that had no derailleur hanger, only a built-in dropout on the frame. It was fine if the frame was made from steel. You could bend it back and forth countless times and it never broke apart.
Why are derailleur hangers made out of weaker material?
Derailleur hangers are made from slightly weaker material because they are the cheapest and easiest part to change in case your derailleur gets hit. How a Derailleur Hanger Gets Bent? We already know that any fall on the trail or the road can cause a derailleur hanger, or even worse a derailleur itself, to get bent.
What causes rear derailleur to bend on rack?
There are many ways in which it can happen. The common one is placing your bike in a type of bike stand that is on the floor. If you place your bike with your rear wheel inside the rack you should be careful to adjust your rear derailleur so it doesn’t bend on the rack.
What should I do if my derailleur is bent?
When it’s just a small bend in one direction I usually straighten it out on the bicycle, sometimes even with a derailleur on. I like to use Olympia Tools Adjustable Wrench 15 Inches, but other tools might work as well. If it’s a bit twisted then you really need to take it off the bike and place it on a straight surface.