The roads and bike paths are still slick from the snow and ice that hit Spearfish this past weekend. I know this for a fact, and I have the bent rear derailleur hanger to prove it!
Bent hanger on my Salsa Fargo
At the end of my pre-dawn ride this morning, and with about a half-mile to go, my concentration lapsed just long enough to allow my wheels to slide to the left and my Salsa Fargo and myself to land on our right sides. I’m fine — landed in a small snowbank — but the Fargo’s derailleur hanger took a good hit and ended up nicely bent. I was able to ride it home, although the end of the derailleur cable was hitting the spokes, reminding me of the noisemakers that kids sometimes put in their bike spokes.
As it turns out, I happened to have a Park Derailleur Hanger Alignment Gauge in my toolbox and this was my first opportunity to try it out. Ten minutes later (not counting the time to take photos along the way) the hanger was as good as new. According to the alignment gauge anyway. Not sure how many more realignments the steel in the hanger is going to tolerate before it snaps, nor do I want to find out!
Continue reading for more photos in the post…
Park Derailleur Hanger Alignment Gauge in place and ready for action
Park Derailleur Hanger Alignment Gauge at the rim
Good as new -- for now!
Mid-winter workshop
