Derailleur Disaster

 

A hanging loose derailleur hanger!

This is what happened yesterday as I carelessly let my Enigma Etape fall over before leaving home for Wednesday's ride - a broken derailleur hanger! But, as you are probably aware, it's what a hanger is supposed to do - i.e. break, and spare damage to the frame.

A clean break.

The hanger is made of soft alloy, strong enough to anchor the derailleur to the frame, but ready to be sacrificed under impact or undue stress. (Best when you're not riding however!). I carry a spare hanger in my saddle bag. It's been there since 2014 and my trip to Colombia. (When you're on a trip or tour it's not a bike part that's too easy to find, especially as there are numerous types!). The hanger weighs 13gm - negligible compared to a spare tube weighing 83gm. And it could make the difference between getting the train home - or at worst abandoning a trip or tour. (It happened once before on a Wayfarer ride through Chiswick Park). There wasn't time to fit a hanger yesterday, so my Pearson gravel bike was pressed into service. I'll replace the spare with another from Enigma asap. A simple job!

A spare hanger - ready to be fitted.