Snapped derailleur hanger

terry2708
terry2708 Posts: 92
edited April 2014 in Road general
I was out riding my 2012 Trek Madone 2.1 yesterday when my rear derailleur seemed to explode. I was stranded 13 miles from home and the nearest cycle shop was closed on a Sunday. One train and a black cab later I arrived home. I took my bike to the mechanic and he said that the hanger had broken off a bit of the frame where the wheel attaches. Has anyone else had this happen? Do Trek repair the frame if the hanger breaks it? I am waiting like a pet owner outside the vets for the call that will tell me how much?

Would like to know if anyone has had this happen, it is quite scary!!!

Comments

  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    The hanger is designed to break, to save the frame, the frame shouldn't be broken at all, a new hanger will set you back under 20 quid, and it means the hanger did its job.

    The failure was due to something else going wrong though - chain jammed somewhere, derailleur broken, or something, so that's what really went wrong.

    What you should've done of course was shortened your chain and made it into a singlespeed to get you home, saved the cab and train fair (at the cost of a chain)
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • terry2708
    terry2708 Posts: 92
    I couldn't as the wheel wouldn't fix on due to the broken piece of frame. I have a chain splitter and quick links so would have done that had the wheel stayed on!!
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    Oh sorry, the hanger failed to do the job... that sounds like a warranty job then, and you'd expect a new one, a frame shouldn't fail before a hanger, but I suspect they'll probably try to weasel out of it, stick to your guns.
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • Inutero
    Inutero Posts: 111
    Happened to me with the same bike, but it was my fault. Hit black ice going around a downhill corner. Bike fell on the derailleur side. Had a quick look and everything looked fine but when i changed gears to go uphill the hanger broke off.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    JRA
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,832
    The whole point of a replaceable hanger is that it should break first protecting the frame from damage. Sounds like a design fault if the hanger is taking the frame with it. Hopefully a warranty claim will cover it.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • macleod113
    macleod113 Posts: 560
    lost my hanger on my 2013 madone 2.1 last autumn. scratched the crud out of my seat stay and £15 from leisure lakes for a replacement. if the frame is knackered i'd be concerned. hope it doesnt cost too much to fix. defo get in touch re warranty. are you able to post a pic of the damage at all?
    Cube Cross 2016
    Willier GTR 2014
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Yup, lost mine yesterday, thankfully only a couple of miles to the nearest bike shop. Hangar sheared off on a short steep climb, changing up as it levelled off, the sign says 12% but my Garmin reads it as peaking at 16%. Derailer snapped a jockey wheel and was bent really badly. I tried a single speed conversion but it pulled the wheel sideways jamming the brake as it tried to change down to as bigger cog.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Martin bikeradar
    Martin bikeradar Posts: 28
    This happened to me when a stone flicked up and got wedged in the chain. The derailleur snapped off accordingly, whipped around and rammed into the frame with a lot of force, but being titanium, there was only cosmetic damage.

    Some time later on a club run, a chap I was with on a three week old carbon frame suffered something similar when his chain jumped changing gear for a big hill and somehow jammed. His snapped derailleur rammed into his frame and cracked it badly. Game over. It's not the manufacturer's fault. He went down the insurance route.

    I suspect this incident is not at all uncommon. And so it's an interesting plus point for steel/titanium frames to consider in the mix.
  • djhermer
    djhermer Posts: 328
    Happened to me last summer. 6 month old supersix Evo frame.

    What I thought would be a £20 replacement hanger turned into a frame write off. The hanger bolt ripped through the seat stay. Rear wheel drive side spokes all replaced too. Cannondale told me to ram it. User error not frame fault.

    Fortunately insurance paid out under crash damage :wink:

    No idea why it happened. Crested a hill, change up a couple of gears and ping.
  • terry2708
    terry2708 Posts: 92
    Trek have asked for photographs to make its not crash damage!! I have not crashed it. I am out on the hybrid this weekend as the Roadie is not back. Looking for a new one just in case!!
  • terry2708
    terry2708 Posts: 92
    UPDATE:

    Trek have agreed to give me a brand new 2013 frame. Brilliant service and I am now getting basically a new bike as I had upgraded most other parts. WELL DONE TREK!

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