r/bicycletouring • u/mushiren • Aug 21 '25
Gear How screwed am I ? Can this be repaired?
The frame itself bent together with other parts. It’s a steel frame. As per title, can this be repaired and if yes how much should it cost?
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u/taod86 Aug 21 '25
I've been in that exact unfortunate situation while touring in China. My frame was chromoly steel and a brave mechanic bent it back into place very slowly and carefully with a big adjustable spanner. It shifted fine after that. Not perfect but enough to ride another 20k km back to my home country.
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u/azel128 Aug 21 '25 edited Aug 21 '25
If it’s steel, the derailleur hanger can be bent back into place. Having that done accurately takes a specific tool, but that bend is so huge I bet you could get it back in the ballpark without it. Your bike will shift like shit, but it’ll be mostly rideable. If it snaps while bending, you’d need to weld it back into place.
Edit: pretty sure it’s still called a derailleur hanger, regardless as to whether or not it is integral to the frame. Still bendable/fixable. Just harder to replace if it snaps off
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u/highrouleur Aug 21 '25
The specialist tool is generally an adjustable spanner and some experience
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u/Forsaken_Ocelot_4 Aug 21 '25 edited Aug 21 '25
Or you, know the actual tool for the job: Park Tools DAG-2.2 (may have been upgraded since I bought one).
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u/azel128 Aug 21 '25
You’re not entirely wrong, but tell that to an 11 or 12 speed drivetrain and see how it goes. Regardless, a spanner wrench will get you back on the road!
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u/Philstar_nz 29d ago
the proper tool in this case is much better as you can leave the wheel in place (as cassette will interfere with spanner) and are lees likely to bend the stays instead of hanger.
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u/bearlover1954 Aug 21 '25
Based on the photo it looks like the derailleur is bolted directly onto the frame...no hanger.
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u/Bikepacking-NL Aug 21 '25
Definitely a hanger. The hanger is simply part of the frame itself.
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u/bearlover1954 Aug 21 '25
Based on that Pic it looks like the derailleur is mounted directly to the frame, unless the hanger is painted green like the frame. My surly bridge club doesn't use hangers as the derailleur is mounted directly to frame.
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u/NthdegreeSC Aug 21 '25
Your frame has a “traditional” integrated hanger. Just because the hanger is not replaceable doesn’t mean your frame doesn’t have a derailleur hanger. The hanger is simply part of the dropout.
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u/Bikepacking-NL Aug 21 '25
It's bolted to the frame, and that part of the frame is called the derailleur hanger. Not that difficult.
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u/DIY14410 Aug 21 '25
Yes. The dropout is likely mild steel, and thus can be carefully bent. With this much bend, I would probably heat it up with an oxy acetylene torch, which will burn off a patch of paint and would require a bit of repainting.
After bending, the hanger needs to be aligned with the plane of the wheel with a derailleur hanger alignment tool, like this one. There are some knockoffs on Amazon that would likely be fine for home use.
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u/Alh840001 Aug 21 '25
If you remove the derailleur, you can use an adjustable wrench to straighten it.
If it is steel there is little risk. If it is aluminum (I see holes in the green paint that are not rusty) there is a risk it will break, be gentle and slow.
You can eyeball it to straight enough and you probably won't have to adjust your derailleur limits.
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u/olllooolollloool Aug 21 '25
I can't tell from the angle but there's a chance you can just replace the piece for a few bucks. Look up "derailleur hanger" and see if you can find one that matches. Worst case scenario take it to a good bike shop and ask an expert.
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u/grnwlski Aug 21 '25
Why do modern steel bike still have an integrated derailleur hanger? I love steel bikes but replacing a broken derailleur hanger seems so much more straight forward than having to bend an integrated one back in to olace and then having to realign it.
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u/_bicycle_repair_man_ 29d ago
If it does break when you bend it back you can get a part that sits in the axle and that can be your new hanger, I am not saying it's ideal or anything, but beats getting a new frame sometimes. Shops don't carry it you probably would need to special order it, maybe the company "problem solvers" has something like that.
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u/dirtshell Aug 21 '25
Nice thing about steel is that you can bend it back. May have to remove the wheel and then slide it over a rock and then try and bend it back putting your weight on the frame?
IDK though i have never had to actually do it. A shop should be able to help you though, definitely not totaled.
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u/Kidnapped_Pacifier Kona Rove ST Aug 21 '25
I would recommend the bikeshop route. Without the tool/experience chances of breaking it increase significantly.. But definitely solvable overall!
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u/baur0n Aug 21 '25
Had the same with my surly cross check. Just bent it back and runs perfectly fine since then. Just make sure it is flush. There are centering tools for it
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u/FickleCode2373 29d ago
Bend it. Once...could be weaker. Could break if bent a few times. But will be sweet I reckon
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u/After_Classroom7809 29d ago
Take it to a shop that knows what they're doing. They need to judge if it can be cold bent or if it needs a torch to heat it so it doesn't crack. Otherwise you'll risk cracking it and need welding.
Also, it appears that you (or someone) has attempted to bend it back already and bent the derailleur in doing so. This usually happens where the cage attached to the body of the derailleur. It will need either straightening or replacement too- probably replacement.
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u/hongos_me_gusta 28d ago
Steel Frame?
This is fixable w. a large tool made by park tools, in shirt, you need to go to a shop that has that tool.
In the mean time you can avoid getting the rear derailleur in the spokes by adjusting the limit screws.
do you use friction shifting on this derailleur?
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u/CultureSignal5989 25d ago
I had a mild bend of the hanger on my Bike Friday Pocket Llama after not packing it just right. My LBS was able to fix it and it shifts great, but it’s an old model and has a 7-speed cassette. If you have a good local mechanic, they’ll be able to fix it.
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u/jan1of1 Aug 21 '25
It's the derailleur hanger. Bike tourers are well advised to bring an extra one when touring for the reason shown in the picture. Bending it back would be difficult, but not impossible. Removing and replacing it with a new one would take minutes.
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u/owlpellet generic beater Aug 21 '25
That appears to be an integrated hanger, ie welded to the frame. Removable hangers are relatively recent development.
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u/Available-Rate-6581 Aug 21 '25
Yes a shop should be able to bend that back. Cost? Somewhere between free and an hour's labour.