Bike degrading, need help!

[Millzy]

Ok, I bought my Specialized allez 18 last year for a charity event that basically never happened. I also used it for commuting the 11miles to & from work every day, which I'd like to do again. Trouble is, it's a bit worse for wear at the moment....

I work at the top of a big hill in Warminster, when cycling up it (obviously bits were under strain) the bracket that the rear derailleur attaches to snapped, sending the derailleur flying into the rear wheel, bending spokes & the derailleur cage (the rear wheel was also buckled but I doubt it was the cause of this incident...). I took it back to the shop I purchased it from & they replaced the bracket.
I bent the cage back into shape & re-fitted the chain. Ever since this incident, the gears click/crunch as if the chains missing the teeth on the front cog & the chain keeps snapping!

I haven't used the bike since as the constant crunch/click/snapping chain & the turning weather. now it's warming up again I'd like to start using it again!

Basically (Yes, there is a question here somewhere!

), any idea's what it could be? Or should I jsut bite the bullet & replace the rear derailleur, chain & buckled wheel?

Also, if I wanted to upgrade from the Tiagra set it currently has to a 105 set, what other bits would I need to get to make it compatable?

Thanks in advance

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Oh heck, where to start?

1. There was a reason the derailleur hanger failed. Cycling hard uphill would not cause it.
2. If you have manually "straightened" the derailleur cage, a pond to a pinch of dung it is mis-aligned.
3. This is supported by the fact that the chain keeps breaking.
4. Ye gods, man, don't ride on a buckled wheel. It could spit you off at any time.

This bike needs a thorough inspection by a good bike mechanic. I can't believe the shop you bought it from merely replaced the hanger and then sent you on your way.

To change to 105, you would need cassete, chain, rear mech, possibly front mech and certainly shifters. Very pricey.

Whatever you do, get the bike checked by someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[Millzy]

Aye, I thought as much, which is the main reason I haven't used it since. Lack of funds prevented me from getting it sorted earlier (plus I didn't see the point with the crappy weather etc.)
Now I'm at a point where I can (& more importantly WANT TO) get it sorted as I do enjoy a good cycle.
Don't suppose anyone know's of any such bike mechanic around Trowbridge in Wiltshire? lol Obviously I could google the hours away, but it's nothing on personal experience in my opinion

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Did the shop offer any reason for the accident? Did they blame anything you did to cause it?

If the bike was new, and if you did nothing to cause it to happen, if I were you I would ask the shop to fix and repair everything under warranty, or at least a contribution to such.

I think chance is that the rear mech and the chain need to be replaced, and the wheel trued and hanger alignment checked as a minimum.

 

[Millzy]

I should have said. I'd been training for an endurance sponsored cycle (Around 80-120 miles a day for a week :S) So I'd racked up a fair amount of miles so the bike wasn't 'new'. They didn't replace the hangar under warranty as there were scuffs on the rear derailleur, suggesting I'd fallen off (to be fair, I had a few times, took me ages to get used to the clip in pedals

), possibly leaving hairline cracks in the hangar. So when it was under a lot of strain (in this case pumping it a bloomin' big hill) it failed & snapped.

So the wheel's not written off? That's good, wasn't aware they could straighten them

I've looked on eBay for bits & found Tiagra rear derailleurs for about £25...Just need to source the chain....

 

[the snail]

Millzy, you are a hooligan! I don't know anywhere in Trowbridge, but John's Bikes in Bath have a good workshop, and know their stuff. If your wheel is a bit out of true it can be fixed, but if it's buckled then you might need a new rim or wheel. If the rear hanger gets bent it's better to get it straightened by a shop with the proper tool, if you try to bend it back with the derailleur on, then chances are you will bend the derailleur cage and make things worse.

 

[Millzy]

Millzy, you are a hooligan! I don't know anywhere in Trowbridge, but John's Bikes in Bath have a good workshop, and know their stuff. If your wheel is a bit out of true it can be fixed, but if it's buckled then you might need a new rim or wheel. If the rear hanger gets bent it's better to get it straightened by a shop with the proper tool, if you try to bend it back with the derailleur on, then chances are you will bend the derailleur cage and make things worse.

Haha! I admit, I probably went a bit mental by getting a £600 odd bike for my first. Should really of investigated a bit more about maintenance too. Oh well you live & learn!
Cheers, I'll give them a look see

 

[Tynan]

if you don't know what you;re ding with the running gear I'd leave it to a professional, it's fiddly and it wants to be just right to work properly

maintenace you can and should master

 

[frank9755]

It most likely happened in the first place because the mech went out of adjustment. Either the limit screw will have slackened off, allowing the mech to move into the spokes, or the mech will have taken a knock at some point (eg bike fell over) that pushed it out of proper alignment.


Normally new bikes come fitted with a plastic disc (officially called a spoke protector but more commonly known as a 'dork disc') between the cassette and spokes to prevent this from happening. You could ask the shop you bought it from why there wasn't a spoke protector fitted...?

 

[Gerry Attrick]

It most likely happened in the first place because the mech went out of adjustment. Either the limit screw will have slackened off, allowing the mech to move into the spokes, or the mech will have taken a knock at some point (eg bike fell over) that pushed it out of proper alignment.


Normally new bikes come fitted with a plastic disc (officially called a spoke protector but more commonly known as a 'dork disc') between the cassette and spokes to prevent this from happening. You could ask the shop you bought it from why there wasn't a spoke protector fitted...?

With respect Frank, not too many bikes are fitted with these discs. In any event, there is no guarantee that such a disc would have prevented the OP's problem.