Arrrgh, rear end woes...

[exgtt]

Gears started slipping a few days ago, so went to tighten the rear cable up..

Went for a little test ride and the chain slipped between the cassette and wheel. Happened below 5 mph, stopped real quick. Now the rear mech hits the spokes and i cannot get the chain to hold the middle rear ring without slippage.

So i take the rear wheel off (difficult to do - seems the rear hanger is bent) and cannot get the rear wheel back on. Ok, the rear hanger/mech is bent it seems, being a carbon frame i'm well paranoid ive wrote the frame off (team carbon 2009)

Am i right in assuming the rear part of the frame with the two screws that holds the rear hanger will not bend also, carbon doesnt bend, it shatters right?

God damn carbon paranoia!

Ive priced it up, hanger £20, sram rival rear mech £39.99 so gonna buy the bits and fit em. I'm just paranoid the frame may be damaged. No visible cracks, doesnt look bent etc. No pics as there really is nothing to see on the frame side..

[Watchman]

Even with a CF frame the hanger should be sacrificial but for the gears to work properly the hanger needs to be perfectly in-line relative to the rear wheel. And this is where I'd be careful. The tool my LBS used to line mine up involved bending the hanger while it's on the bike. I'd be wary of doing that with a CF frame.

[exgtt]

Thanks, must admit i was tempted to try and bend the hanger back with it still mounted but ill deffo be giving that a miss. I'm more confident thats its just the rear hanger thats bent, its only a few degrees out but it's at least visible.

The frames proved itself commuting through town over the last 2 years, but i can see how amateurs like me can come unstuck through simple set up.

[Watchman]

I've known a few CF manufacturers/designers to do with cars over the past decade and seen what it can do. It's incredible stuff, no doubt, and can be stronger than just about anything else in the directions it's designed for. So your seat and chain stays are probably stronger than my ali ones in the directions they're intended for normal use, but could so easily be far weaker if you started to bend a hanger on the bike.

You know this of course but I am still amazed at the strength of the Ferrari F1 tub on display in La Galleria in Modena. It was light enough for me to pick up alone (while no-one was watching) but when you rapped it with your knuckles, it sounded dull like masonary. There was absolutely NO flex at all. Quite spectacular.

It might be a bit tortuous but you'll probably have to straighten the hanger off the bike then check it's alignment back on the bike (with wheel still attached), then take it off again to straighten/tweak. It will probably fray your nerves a bit doing it this way (when, on a "conventional" metal frame this can take less than a minute) but worth it. Mine change gear now as slick as a rifle bolt. Good luck.

[khushy]

"rear end woes"

I thought that this was going to be the first GAY CYCLISTS thread on PH FFS!!!

Thank the maker its not!

carry on

[exgtt]

Thanks for the advice, after the last hour repeatedly removing the hanger, tapping it with a hammer and tuning the gears i can get all the gears bar the easiest (1st?) Cable feels a bit slack when on the two smallest cogs at the rear and shifting to bigger cogs is a bit slow but ive gone as far as i can with the hanger as i have no vice.

Main thing is there is no slippage and i can use the bike for work again! Ive got it booked in for a major service with my LBS, ill buy a new hanger and let them work their magic.

Many thanks!

[Watchman]

Nice one..!!

In the event you want to take it further (don't listen... it works now)... there are two "end stop" screws on the deraillieur itself, one of which which may now be stopping you achieving 1st gear, however don't listen to me because I understand all the theory of deraillieur gears but have never managed to sort my own out after a fall. I just can't get them indexing properly. I can either get the top half or the bottom half working.

Wifey has bought me an awesome bike workstand for Christmas so if I have another "opportunity" (otherwise known as a fall) I'll have a more concerted effort next time.

I suppose I ought to buy a hanger tool too.

[exgtt]

I know the 2 screws your talking about, their responsible for many tears and tantrums throughout my childhood in the garage trying to suss them out. I'm not going anywhere near em!