SpokEasy

Hang in There!

\"hangHang in there! Or hang on; or something.

Lately my road bike\’s rear derailer hasn\’t been working right. When I try to shift cogs, the chain hesitates and makes clattering noises. I thought the derailer might need adjusting, even though I had the bike tuned up within the last month or so.

I took the bike to the shop. It turned out that the chain needed replacing. They weren\’t busy; so they could take care of it right away.

After a while it began to seem that the work was taking quite a long time. I went to the work-pit; and saw that they had taken the bike\’s rear wheel off. I knew then that something else was going on.

I was right. I\’m not sure how it happened, but the rear derailer hanger had gotten bent. That was why I was having trouble shifting gears.

I\’ve had to have that hanger replaced several times in the past. The first two times it happened, I lost a week of riding the road bike because the shop had to order a new hanger, which is very model-specific. (I asked whether that\’s typical of all bicycle models; and they said it is).

I finally wised up and asked the shop to order two new derailer hangers; one to put on the bicycle, and one for me to take home and keep for the next bent-hanger episode.

Thus I had a spare derailer hanger at home. I went home to get it, and back to the shop. Now the road bike is really to roll!

Oh, and I ordered a spare derailer hanger for next time. I\’ve got to hang in there, you know.