Blond needs help...!

[angelbiker]

So i just started training again and all's well..but today in the latter part of my ride my whole rear derailleur broke off and ripped out a spoke or two.. im in a small town so no real bike shops. should i give up on my bike??

[EigerSA]

No real bike shops? They fake, they move during the night? How did the derailleur break off and was the hanger damaged? Otherwise just order from a online-shop and start practicing you mechanical skills.

[dirtrider]

Blonde , small town , in distress !!! I am sure somebody will be able to help . PM me all the vital information I may need to be of assistance as a matter of urgency

[Slowbee]

uuum DR - just what exactly are you going to be helping with ?

 

 

[Azonic]

He probably wants her to look at his hanger...

[NinjaManiak]

Never give up (and never surrender)

2 questions:

1. How badly is it damaged.
2. How soon do you want to get it fixed.

To answer #1, we need to look at the wheel and derailleur/hanger.
1.1 Does the wheel still work (bend the broken spokes around others and out of the way if required) and is it straight enough to use.

1.2 Is the hanger broken. It's the bit connecting the derailleur to the frame. If it's broken, then one half will still be bolted to the derailleur, and one half to the frame.
1.3 Is the derailleur broken. If may have bent, or snapped in some way after going through the spokes.

Possible Scenarios:

A. If all are okay, reconnect the derailleur to the bike (hanger).
B. If the wheel is okay (but not the hanger and/or derailleur) you can still ride with an ad-hoc "singlespeed conversion".
C. If the wheel is too badly bent, order a book called "DT Swiss - The Art of Wheelbuilding" from an online shop as your starting point...

[HeartCoppi]

Dear Angelbiker,

Thanks for your letter. I am delighted to hear that you have started training again. It is so important to get into shape as the summer approaches and I feel that you have started at the right time. Remember to ease onto things especially if you havent taken a good riding for a while. I was just about to warn you that you may hurt yourself or even your preferred riding equipment. I read that that your enthusiasm has eventualised in you busting your rear. How dreadful that this occurred in the latter part of your ride, which means you may have just left the outskirts of your small town. I am glad that it was not too far and that you manged to walk home and post this endearing letter. My advice to you is: do not give up on your bike... go and fetch it. It has served you well and lets be honest, you have neglected it for far too long. You are trying to find the easy way out, a way to justify to yourself that you tried. That you tried and now its broken, so its ok to sit in front of the TV again in this forsaken town where your only company is 7de laan and desperate housewives and chocolates and those lekker little things growing on your hips that you get from tannies tuisbedruif.

We all know that thats no life. Every girl needs a good ride. And needs to know how to take care of her ride. It is already impressive that you know what all these parts are called. This tells me that some people are listening at those tupperware parties.

Let us also look on the bright side and be glad that you didn't hurt yourself too badly. Your description is afterall prettty calamitous. Imagined getting spoked over and over again, by not only one but two spokes.

Also use the friends you have for support. Perhaps you can find something that you like in the for sale forum and make a completely new and inspirational start. Something new is always accompanied by infatuation and, there is nothing quite like getting onto a new ride. Dont be afraid to spice it up.

I wish you great fun and exercise in this new chapter.

...happy days are here again...

[NinjaManiak]

ad-hoc "singlespeed conversion"

1. disconnect the rear derailleur
2. put the chain in middle ring upfront
3. put the chain on the rear ring that makes the chainline as straight as possible.
4. See if either end of the chain ends with the inner plates. If not, use your chaintool to make one of the ends end in an inner link.
5. Use the chaintool to make the other end also end in an inner link*. YOU NEED TO MAKE IT AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE TO FIT on the selected chainring/cog.
6. Use a powerlink to connect the 2 ends of the chain

* if you don't have a powerlink, make this end an outer link end, and use a spare chain pin**

** if you don't have a spare chainpin, reuse one of the pins you pushed out when you shortened the chain. This is not a very good solution, but it will work. You normally need to use the chaintool and hammer (or rock etc) comination to get the outer plates back together.

[Slowbee]

yep Azonic, it broke a spoke

[angelbiker]

Thanx sincerely for all the help, smiles and sarcasm...

okay, the hanger is broken, derailleur bent, luckily wheel not.

will try the conversion today

 

dear tarboy...

i am not middle aged and cynical. only enthusiastic to train again because being a fun rider sucks. and the only easy fix i want is to ride again as soon as possible.

many happy days to you and many hours of riding not being spoked