# Today was not a good day.....



## Motozulu (14 Nov 2012)

.....At Motozulu Towers .

5 minutes into follow the Dog at Cannock, my rear whell locked up on me, was'nt on a fast stretch so no off but looking down I saw my rear derailleur wrapped around my rear wheel.

Got home (eventually) and the rear derailleur and the rear hanger are wrecks - hanger snapped in two.
The only good thing is I am starting 3 night shifts tonight so would'nt be riding anyway, the replacement parts are ordered on line so hopefully won't take long. Only problem is I can't afford to pay a LBS to fit the stuff ( Crimbo approaching etc), gonna have a crack at it meself. Never done it before but fairly sure I can attatch em to the bike it's the setting up I'm not sure about - oh well, while I'm waiting I can try and sort the chain out - it's got more knots in it than a knotted thing.

Be prepared in a few days for loads of newbie questions on how to set up the gears. Hope some of you good folks can talk me through the landing.


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## Lee_M (14 Nov 2012)

New derailleur and hanger and no new chain? 

Not sure I'd do that. Are you sure it wasn't damaged when the calamity happened


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## Globalti (14 Nov 2012)

Make sure you set the inwards limit screw correctly or it'll all happen again!


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## VamP (14 Nov 2012)

Blessing in disguise this. You will learn essential skills, and accept that the hanger on an off-road bike is a consumable. I hope you ordered a spare...

The derailleur more likely than not has survived the incident.


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## Motozulu (14 Nov 2012)

Thanks for the early advice - cleaned the chain and given it a quick check - no obvious damage. I'm hoping the new derailleur will come with some decent instructions.


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## Motozulu (14 Nov 2012)

Cage is bent all over the place - thought it better to just order a new derailleur - £23 from chainreaction


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## Andrew_Culture (14 Nov 2012)

One of the many times I had to replace a derailleur I was told there was no good reason to change the chain, but sadly the chain disagreed when I was halfway across a busy junction, leading to a further disagreement between my genitals and my crossbar.


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## Motozulu (14 Nov 2012)

I'll have the chain off and give it a good clean and lubing. At least it was a slow speed buggeration - no damage to spokes or wheel, just derailleur all over the shop. It's only 4 months old so I'll risk it as long as it looks fine - any doubts I'll change it. Going on nights now so won't be able to have a real good look until tomorrow, so while I'm waiting for hanger and derailleur I can give the chain my full attention. Thanks again all.


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## lulubel (14 Nov 2012)

It's pretty straightforward.

Fitting and adjusting the rear derailleur was one of the easiest parts of building my Surly. Important things are:

Make sure the chain takes the correct line through the derailleur.
Set the upper and lower limit screws so the chain just moves onto the small and large sprockets, but no further.
Set the B screw so there's just enough clearance for the chain to move onto the large sprocket, but no more.


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## Motozulu (14 Nov 2012)

Sounds simple enough, I'll have to get my head around it as like I said I can't afford anymore bills right now - plus I want to be able to do my own repairs anyway.

By the way - I have absolutely no idea what a B screw is. Hope it comes with drawings.


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## Peteaud (14 Nov 2012)

Setting the rear mech is easy once you get your head around it.


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## lulubel (14 Nov 2012)

Motozulu said:


> Sounds simple enough, I'll have to get my head around it as like I said I can't afford anymore bills right now - plus I want to be able to do my own repairs anyway.
> 
> By the way - I have absolutely no idea what a B screw is. Hope it comes with drawings.


 
The B screw is the one at the back - at least it's at the back on the rear derailleur on the Surly. It pushes against a little tab on the hanger (which is much more robust than it sounds from that description) and forces the derailleur to stretch out to clear the big sprocket.

At least, that's how I remember it. It's one of those things you set and forget - unless you change to different size sprockets.


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## bjellys (15 Nov 2012)

You can always watch some of these on youtube.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KHpyuwIvxE&feature=related


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## Motozulu (15 Nov 2012)

great link, cheers


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## billflat12 (15 Nov 2012)

Motozulu said:


> .....At Motozulu Towers .
> 
> 5 minutes into follow the Dog at Cannock, my rear whell locked up on me, was'nt on a fast stretch so no off but looking down I saw my rear derailleur wrapped around my rear wheel.
> 
> ...


 
+1 for youtube & spare hanger ( mine lives in puncture repair kit with a spare powerlink )
it,s usually just a question of fine adjustment to get the gears to index correctly ,important one is that limit screw,  you will notice the derailleur move in the required direction as you turn the screw , double check the end of the spokes where they attach to the hub on the drive side (behind the cassette) this is where the chain is most likely to chew lumps out of any spokes if it was jammed in the wheel .


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## Motozulu (16 Nov 2012)

Cheers will do - last night tonight then 9 off to get into it. Derailleur arrived today from chainreaction just waiting on the hanger now. So - what sort of grease/lube am I using when putting all this together? ie on the main bolt that fixes derailleur to the hanger? any loctite required anywhere? skewers look a bit manky - clean and lube em?


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## lulubel (16 Nov 2012)

I got my grease from my lbs. It's some kind of marine grease, I think. (The tube has a picture of a boat on it, anyway!)


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## Motozulu (16 Nov 2012)

Cheers Lulubel, I'll have a chat with him - got to go in anyway as I'm gonna see if he can source me a spare hanger - the one I ordered is coming from Asia and may still be a week away yet - Doh!

Be a good idea to have a spare anyway but the main reason is I don't think I can go a week without going out on the bike. You don't realise you have an addiction until you are denied something - Mrs Zulu is right - I'm bitten big style.


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## Motozulu (20 Nov 2012)

Right, bits here, bit of trial and error but have got the gears changing pretty sweetly through all cogs on the stand (spent all afternoon on it, splitting chains, fitting hanger and rear mech etc - all of this totally new to me) - test ride tomorrow - only concern I have is that no matter what I do with the B screw there is no discernible change in jockey wheel position - so I've settled for about halfway in. I know this is a crucial part and the jockey wheel is'nt touching the cassette but should I expect to see some movement of the jockey wheel up or down when I adjust the B screw?


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## GrumpyGregry (20 Nov 2012)

If the end of the B screw is connecting properly with the mech hanger the movement of the mech should be obvious when you turn the screw. Or at least it has been on the umpteen bikes I've adjusted B screws on. So if you can't see it move that implies something isn't right. Without the B screw what is there to stop the top wheel and cassette coming together or jamming the chain.

Are you adjusting it with the chain in largest rear smallest front?
Is the cage on the new mech the same length as the cage on the old?
Is the new chain the same length as the old or at least the right length?


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## Motozulu (20 Nov 2012)

Like for like mech, same chain (just with a quick link in) I think I need to go back and check I did it with largest rear, smallest front and make sure the screw is actually screwing against the hanger - cheers Greg.


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## lulubel (20 Nov 2012)

Motozulu said:


> I think I need to go back and check I did it with largest rear, smallest front and make sure the screw is actually screwing against the hanger - cheers Greg.


 
Did you make sure the screw was against the hangar when you fixed the mech on? From what I recall - it's a while since I built the Surly - it's possible to attach it "crooked" so the screw doesn't reach the hangar.


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## Cubist (20 Nov 2012)

lulubel said:


> Did you make sure the screw was against the hangar when you fixed the mech on? From what I recall - it's a while since I built the Surly - it's possible to attach it "crooked" so the screw doesn't reach the hangar.





Motozulu said:


> Like for like mech, same chain (just with a quick link in) I think I need to go back and check I did it with largest rear, smallest front and make sure the screw is actually screwing against the hanger - cheers Greg.


Lulubel may have it... I was about to say the same.


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## GrumpyGregry (21 Nov 2012)

lulubel said:


> Did you make sure the screw was against the hangar when you fixed the mech on? From what I recall - it's a while since I built the Surly - it's possible to attach it "crooked" so the screw doesn't reach the hangar.


entirely possible to do that, it's all about the angle of the dangle when you first bolt the mech on the hangar.


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## Motozulu (21 Nov 2012)

Thanks for that - just had a last look and although for the life of me I could'nt actually see any movement - when I adjusted the B screw, after checking it was engaging the tab, I could hear a faint 'rumble' as I turned the crank - I assume this was the jockey wheel rubbing on the big ring - as I eased it back the noise disappeared and there is a healthy gap between jockey and ring. I've had it on the stand (£11.99 - Halfords ) and been running it up and down the cassette in all 3 chainrings and it changes pretty slickly - just got to get it out on the road for some more strenous testing...but have you seen the piggin weather?  but thanks again all - the video tute was very helpful too.

I think you all deserve a

Edit -I been out up and down the road and the changing was perfick - obviously yet to really 'load' the chain - I'll be doing that tomorrow on the Sherbrook trail, but all seems good.

Ps Lulubel - still looking at bikes and I can see why you had a Cube - some fantastic deals around just now on 2012 models over here and the spec looks really good on all of 'em. Trying to persuade a dealer to give me 0% on a sale bike but the beggars are'nt having it, well, 6 months is the best so far on a £1,000 bike - I think Mrs Zulu would have something to say on the £150 a month going out of the account!


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