Today's Bearded Bike Tip is talking about the Derailleur Hanger on your bicycle. It is a little tiny piece of your bike, at first look you wouldn't even see it. Tucked away at the back of your bike it is the small piece of stamped aluminum that secures your derailleur to your bike frame.
Unfortunately, this thing is incredibly easy to bend which makes for some frustrating riding once that happens. As soon as that derailleur hanger bends your shifting is shot.
Bicycle manufactureres purposefully make these easy to bend for a good reason. If this little piece will bend prior to your frame, then you only have to replace a $15 hanger and not a $300+ frame.
Sounds like a good deal to me!
So here are a few tips for dealing with your mountain bikes derailleur hanger. Different bikes have very different derailleur hangers on them. Just look in the video at the difference between my Giant Anthem's hanger vs my Kona King Kahuna's hanger. Very, Very different design.
That brings us to tip 2, keep a couple extra derailleur hangers around your house, apartment or garage. Being that they bend so easily you don't want to be stuck with a bent hanger and no replacement for it. Don't rely on your shop to get you that replacement, the bike manufacturer could decide to switch their design and then you'd be screeeeeeewwwwwed.