i_am_you

I just put together this bike today from Bikes Direct and haven't even been able to ride it one foot yet, because the derailleur is actually clipping against the spokes and the bike won't even move forward.

Please tell me there is a fix I can do at home for this, I don't drive so I don't have a way to get to a shop. I *might* be able to use my girlfriend's car. And no I don't have a spanner tool thingie. Thanks you guys, I'm dying to get on the road, I've been bikeless for the last month after they stole my sweetheart

bradtx

It looks like the replaceable hanger is crooked on the dropout and has a slight curve.

Brad

bikeman715

Derailleur's hanger is bent . It a5 mins fix at your LBS .

FBinNY 

How could you ask hanger OR derailleur? The hanger is very obviously bent, so the real question is whether the RD is also. I doubt it, but that's just on general principles, there's no way to tell until you straighten the hanger, and then see how things work (or not).

If there's a bike co-op, or shop that does reasonable priced repairs within riding distance, you have 2 options.

1- ride it the way is, but be careful to set the low gear limit so it can't get anywhere near the wheel. You won't have the use of your lower one or two gears, and it may run noisy and shift poorly, but it will probably be rideable.

2- remove the RD from the hanger, and fit an adjustable whench over the hanger, spanning the RD mounting hole (critically important that you do so), and gently bending it straight. Aluminum isn't tolerant of repeated bending, so don't try to get it perfect, of go beyond and back. Just get it better, then mount the RD, adjust the limits on the safe (tight) side, and ride to the co-op to have it dialed in.

ThermionicScott 

What is it with all the young carless guys who depend on their girlfriends to drive them around?

FBinNY 

They're single so they can't ask the wife or inlaws, and obviously don't have kids to do it yet.

Andrew R Stewart 

I rarely use the hanger alignment gage/lever tool at work It's much quicker to use a 5mm Allen in the mounting bolt and a screwdriver placed behind the hanger, bearing on the hanger and the end of the cassette/freewheel. Since most of the bent hangers are in the vertical plane very little twisting is needed. I see rear ders with cages that are not square with the parallelogram or mounting bolt. So using a hanger gage is not a perfect compromise every time. i align the hanger with an eye to the cage aligning to the cogs. I'll select a few different cog/ring combos to get a feel for the real pulley alignment needs.

I've owned a campy "N" tool, various Parks and extensively used the Shimano alignment tools and still feel that my freehand method is more then good enough, unless the customer is watching. Then I'll reach for the fancy tool, take more time and still do a fine tuning freehand after. Andy.

FBinNY 

Like you, I do very well with eyeball adjustments, and on my own bikes can use the limit screws as confirmation since they were correctly adjusted before.

I didn't suggest this method to the OP, because his RD has a lsender arm or plate between the upper body and hanger, and I didn't trust it (or the OP).

bikepro

Take it to a shop or get the right tool: https://www.masherz.com/products/park...FYxcMgodsREAhg

You can probably find it cheaper, and its a one-in-a-lifetime investment.

HillRider

The OP said it a new bike from Bikes Direct. They should provide a new derailleur hanger if it's replaceable or a new frame if it isn't.

onespeedbiker

Yes, but the the OP needs his bike working right now. I would remove the wheel and rear derailleur, take a 12" adjustable wrench or bigger, tighten the jaws around the derailleur hanger and bend the hanger straight. Even if you overbend it a little, it will at least keep the derailleur out of the spokes..

GuyWood

That's exactly what I'd do, too .

Retro Grouch 

Yeah - but think back to FB's first post about spanning the derailleur mounting hole. If you don't, the hole area is the easiest place for the hanger to bend only the hole might not be round when you finish.

HillRider

I understand the urgency but if the OP does a jury rig correction, Bikes Direct may refuse to honor the warranty.

Retro Grouch 

My point exactly.

jolly_ross

If you're going to attempt to straighten it by eye then I'd do it with the wheel out (as others have said). That way you can get the spanner jaws all the way up over the thread hole so that the bending happens higher up on the hanger. You could check the result by holding a straight edge on the dropout and seeing that the hanger is at least in line with the dropout.

Much better to find someone with a hanger alignment tool though.

onespeedbiker

Good point by all. If the OP is confused by "spanning the hole", jolly-ross is explaining it here. The weakest points of the derailleur hanger are on either side of the threaded derailleur hanger hole. Make sure the jaws of the wrench are large enough to cover the hole and the metal on either side and some metal on top of the hole, so it will not bend at the middle of the hole..

fietsbob

only crudely, Index shifting requires better to work well.
and that takes the dropout being a parallel plane in all axis

to the wheel and center-line .. up/down., fore /aft.

you may get it close enough to have one gear to ride it into the bike shop, careful not to shift into the spokes ..
and then pay a few$ for them to make it right.


Being Bikes Direct , you can Return, that one, and have them ship another one
and hope the handling is better in transit next time .

might be able to make a damage in shipping claim against the shipper, to recover those costs,

... but that would take more documentation to argue your case.

Andrew R Stewart 

I would never suggest a replaceable Al. hanger be straightened without the axle in place. To try without something in the drop out can very easily allow the hanger to bend/break at it's weak point which is likely where it's mounting bolt is located. often the hanger is only half as thick in the section surrounding the axle slot and above to the top. In this thinner portion sits the hanger mounting bolt. So without bolting (usually thought as having the wheel in place) the two (the hanger and the drop out) together the straightening action might just transfer the bending point to a portion of the hanger you really don't want to stress.

The simple solution is to reverse the wheel so the non drive side of the wheel (without the cassette) is on the frame's RH side. This both secures the hanger and drop out as well as allows enough access to the hanger with a wrench to fully cover the der mounting hole. Or another option is to take any bolt (or old axle) and use it to tie together the hanger and drop out via the axle slot. Andy.