Originally Posted by
vmoore
omg I know the cables are bad we tried replacing one and it didn't work properly. lol that was on the list of what to buy. no If I have had someone In person that has worked a bit on this bike tell me to replace the derailleurs shouldn't I replace them?
Just because they think the derailleurs are the problem doesn't mean the derailleurs actually are the problem. If your friend has lots of experience working on many bikes, then there is a decent chance they are right. If they only have a bit of experience, then they might only have a slight idea of what they are talking about.
From what I can see, the derailleurs look fine. To check if the rear derailleur actually is fine, put the chain back onto a chainring and a rear cog, then look at the rear derailleur and cogs from the rear end of the bike. If the pulleys on the derailleur appear to be parallel with the cogs then it is probably fine. If the pulleys are not parallel with the cogs, then the derailleur is bent, though it might be worth trying to straighten it before reaching for a replacement. As an example, here is a derailleur where it's hanger is obviously bent.
