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RD Dropout...

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beatpig
beatpig Posts: 97 Member
in Social Groups
Anyone experienced failure of RD drop out?

Causes?

Aside from being AWESOME and POWERFUL*














*may or may not be true

Replies

  • ghost15026
    ghost15026 Posts: 80
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    No experience with it. Was it the derailleur hanger or the actual dropout itself? Hangers unbolt and can be replaced. Older bikes don't use hangers (derailleur is bolted to the frame). Google indicates it's certainly not unheard of (RD breaking dropout)

    Might be time for a new frame to match the power of those beastly legs.
  • beatpig
    beatpig Posts: 97 Member
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    Thankfully it was the dropout, and the frame remains in tact.

    Had to remove links, take off RD and use one gear on the way home. Was annoying as was properly on form!
  • allenhandley
    allenhandley Posts: 134 Member
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    Never had the RD to drop, but had FD break and would have to reach down and move it to different chain ring.

    Wouldn't you know it, that was on a hill ride too. What a pain.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Anyone experienced failure of RD drop out?

    Causes?

    Aside from being AWESOME and POWERFUL*

    What exactly does "RD" stand for?

    rear derailleurs break all the time, especially on mountain bikes. Some can be fixed, generally you just replace it.

    derailleur hangers brake/bend all the time, especially on mountain bikes. Depending on the material and the frame, you can sometimes bend it back or replace it.

    the actual dropout (where the axle bolts/clamps to the frame) can and do break, but this is pretty uncommon.
  • beatpig
    beatpig Posts: 97 Member
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    RD - Rear Derailleur!

    The hanger/drop out sheared right off whilst going up a hill...
  • cccorlew
    cccorlew Posts: 10 Member
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    Clearly AWESOME and POWERFUL is the best answer.
    But even that might be helped along by a previous crash, or just an unfortunate drop of the bike, or a bang on a rock.
    Still, I gotta go with AWESOME and POWERFUL.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    RD - Rear Derailleur!

    The hanger/drop out sheared right off whilst going up a hill...

    So it's the hanger then? The small "tab" that the derailleur hangs on?

    Yea, those are fairly common failure points and are generally replaceable (again, depends on frame material usually). Especially on mountain bikes (was this a trail ride or road?).

    Chances are it wasn't the climb that broke it, but rather lots of general wear/tear/stress. The climb was simple the straw that broke the camel's back.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    I DNF'd a race due to losing my RD. Totally mangled the thing, bent/cracked the hanger, kinked the chain and somehow got it jammed into the spokes. Effing nightmare and a 5mi walk of shame out of the woods, but that's what happens when the frame can't support a high torque engine ;)
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    Me... Break a Dropout... A Cold Forged Campagnolo Short Dropout on a Custom Bob Jackson frameset...

    Just by Sprinting for the line... Dropping the RD into the back wheel, locking it solid and bringing down maybe 10 other riders...

    Could be :wink:

    9606206219_939104afb7_z.jpg
    Dropout by The Big Yin, on Flickr

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