What do I need to repair here?

[M. Yahya Sonnie]

Hi, was riding along a really holey pavement  fairly quickly and in one of the deeper holes I heard my chain make some bad crunching noises. After that the chain was crunching really badly every so often, so I went to the highest and lowest gear and that took out the bad crunching sounds, I was just left with a bit of a rattle(I see that the chain is not on one of the jockey gears properly) and I cant shift below gear 5.

I see that the derailleur is very skew, but I'm not too sure if it's the jockey or the derailleur hanger. Any advice on what the problem is? Then I can know if I need to get a new hanger or jockey.

(First pic is taken just after getting home after riding, next pictures are during/after my little teardown)
Thanks

Edited October 27, 2025 by M. Yahya Sonnie
Formatted the images properly

[ChrisF]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-hanger-alignment&ved=2ahUKEwjn4quhh8WQAxX3XEEAHSmeHP4QFnoECBsQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw21ZjLEWfuWmiyPtdYFMigO

 

Your local bikeshop has this tool and can TRY to straighten the hanger.  Let's hope the hanger is just bent and not damaged.

 

They will then also check the derailure for possible damage

[cadenceblur]

Perhaps a new chain might also be in order and some lube

[M. Yahya Sonnie]

4 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Perhaps a new chain might also be in order and some lube

Yeah, I thought so too as it was making a cracking sound when I peddled with a lot of force, but after some Q20 it was riding really nicely

[M. Yahya Sonnie]

20 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-hanger-alignment&ved=2ahUKEwjn4quhh8WQAxX3XEEAHSmeHP4QFnoECBsQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw21ZjLEWfuWmiyPtdYFMigO

 

Your local bikeshop has this tool and can TRY to straighten the hanger.  Let's hope the hanger is just bent and not damaged.

 

They will then also check the derailure for possible damage

Thanks, yeah I was think a trip to the bike shop will be good. Get some spokes too lol

[Tomik]

That derailleur hanger doesn't really look bent from the pictures so I suspect it's the derailleur itself. But get the LBS to check it out anyway.

And buy a proper lube while you're there - Q20 should not be used on a chain unless it's an emergency. Your chain and the rest of your drivetrain will last longer with proper lube.

[JoeMerida]

I told the OP to Lube his Chain in a Previous Thread but I guess the Advice Fell on Deaf Ears LOL.

[M. Yahya Sonnie]

Just now, JoeMerida said:

I told the OP to Lube his Chain in a Previous Thread but I guess the Advice Fell on Deaf Ears LOL.

Didn't have lube and my dad said Q20 will work so eh, he put on the q20 and it  solved the problem🤷‍♂️

[droo]

That should be reasonably easy to straighten - 7 speed isn't too fussy about alignment.

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, M. Yahya Sonnie said:

Didn't have lube and my dad said Q20 will work so eh, he put on the q20 and it  solved the problem🤷‍♂️

 

Bit of info ....

 

Q20 & WD40 are for water displacement.  Sure, it is handy for a few more things ... but it was never intended to be a lubricant.

 

Oil would be better as a lubricant .... but very messy and it would attract dirt, thus damaging the chain.

 

There are valid reasons for "chain lube".  A bottle lasts very long.  Really worth it.

[M. Yahya Sonnie]

1 minute ago, ChrisF said:

 

Bit of info ....

 

Q20 & WD40 are for water displacement.  Sure, it is handy for a few more things ... but it was never intended to be a lubricant.

 

Oil would be better as a lubricant .... but very messy and it would attract dirt, thus damaging the chain.

 

There are valid reasons for "chain lube".  A bottle lasts very long.  Really worth it.

Ah ok, thanks for the info. Will probably get a bottle when I go pick up my bike tomorrow then

[Jensie]

If you like Q20, just use their Qbike lube. Not too bad

Q-BIKE

DRY LUBRICANT

 

Q-BIKE is a long-lasting lubricant specially formulated to clean, lubricate and protect bicycle chains.

Designed to repel dirt, extend drive-train life, reduce chain noise and improve performance by reducing friction.

Q-BIKE  is a biodegradable, water/wax based emulsion.

[Alouette3]

14 hours ago, M. Yahya Sonnie said:

Ah ok, thanks for the info. Will probably get a bottle when I go pick up my bike tomorrow then

Just use some car motor oil if you have nothing else. A little goes a long way. Probably enough drops left at the bottom of a bottle of oil someone has chucked in the bin a the petrol station!

Straighten the frame hanger at the bike shop, then use a shifting spanner to sort bent derailleur. If its still not working, then consider a cheap replacement derailleur. As Droo said, 7 speed is fairly forgiving

[Eugene]

Give the bike a top to bottom clean and relube everything. I use a thin oil on the derailleur pivot points and a proper chain lube on the chain. For even smoother shifting, I clean the cables with thinners and then apply a thin layer of chain lube before inserting them back into the outers. 

Do not use car oil anywhere on the bike. It is designed to be in a sealed engine. It attracts dirt like crazy, which turns it into a grinding paste.