Originally Posted by
unterhausen
I think taking the rear derailleur off the hanger is the way to avoid derailleur issues. It's just a matter of removing one screw. It will still be in adjustment when you get there and put it back on. Whereas if the derailleur is on the bike, there is much higher chance of having a bent hanger when you get there. That's a much more serious repair.
My shifting problems in 2011 weren't due to the derailleur, I packed my bike in such a way that the adjuster at the head tube broke and shifting was a lot less precise.
Oh, huh, I was assuming I'd have to completely re-index it if I took it off; if that's not true then that's less of a big deal. (I miss the sturdy indifference to maintenance of friction shifters, but I also like my modern drivetrain.)
I'm not averse to doing my own wrenching, I'm just extremely clumsy (no, seriously, my proprioception measurably sucks) and have never gotten the hang of doing this one thing. (Well, I'm still getting the hang of adjusting my disc brakes, too, but that's the touring bike.)