Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

Where is the derailleur on a bike?

4 min read

Asked by: Kerri Loveless

The derailleur is the device that changes gears by moving the chain from one sprocket to another. There are two derailleurs: one on the rear and one on the front. The highest ratio (when the bike can go fastest) is produced when the chain is on the biggest sprocket in the front and the smallest in back.

Where is the rear derailleur on a bike?

The rear derailleur is positioned below the rear cassette and secured to the bicycle chassis by means of a bracket. It consists of a spring-loaded linkage mechanism known as the parallelogram. Connected to this linkage is a ‘cage’ that houses two pulleys.

What is a derailleur on a bicycle?

April 2021) A derailleur is a variable-ratio bicycle gearing system consisting of a chain, multiple sprockets of different sizes, and a mechanism to move the chain from one sprocket to another.

How do I check my bike derailleur?


And hangs down and your rear derailleur attaches to that it. Does exactly what it says on the tin. It's a rear derailleur hanger quite simply when the hanger is straight.

How do I know if my derailleur needs to be replaced?

Here are a few things for you to check let's take a look make sure throughout the shifts that the cassette and pulley wheels are aligned maybe all you need is adjustment to the rear derailleur.

What is front derailleur?

The front derailleur is the mechanism that shifts the chain on bike with more than one front chainring. There are many different makes and models, but they all share the same basic design and functionality. Front derailleurs are attached to the bike with either a clamp or bracket. Clamp mounted derailleur.

How much is a rear derailleur?

If you take your MTB into a local bike shop the average price to replace a rear derailleur is going to be $110. If you DIY replacing a derailleur will cost about $50 (plus your time) This price will depend a lot on the actual derailleur needed. Usually a bike shop will also take care of other problems.

Do all bikes have derailleurs?

Most modern bikes are equipped with a derailleur gearing system – stay with me, we’ll get to the terminology – where the chain runs between many different cogs.

How do you fix a derailleur?

Pull the chain out and you're ready to remove the old derailleur. Most railers are fastened on with a hex bolt. So you'll need your allen keys for this most of the time you can reuse your shift cable.

How do you adjust a derailleur?

While pedaling the bike, shift one cog larger by clicking the shifter lever. If the derailleur doesn’t move the chain into the next cog or hesitates, add one-quarter turn of cable tension (counterclockwise on the barrel adjuster) and try again until the derailleur easily shifts into the next cog.

How long does a derailleur last?

Good quality rear derailleur can last between 3 to 5 years, when unbranded or low-quality ones can last for 2 years, no matter what the durability of the rear derailleur the jockey wheel will wear after time and it can be replaced very cheaply with new ones, on the other hand, front derailleur can last almost …

How often do you need to replace derailleur?

3 Answers. Show activity on this post. Derailleurs will last almost indefinitely. The jockey wheels will wear out in time (tens of thousands of km) but the rest of the mechanism shouldn’t see significant wear.

What causes derailleur hanger to break?

Some common reasons for it breaking are: Hitting an obstacle (e.g. tree branch) Going into the spokes (badly set low limit screw or the derailleur was wobbling enough for some reason to get caught in the spokes) Chain too short.

How do you fix a derailleur hanger?

It's not always so obvious when it's straight but what you can do. If you really had to is pop an adjustable spanner onto. The hanger like that and from the back of the bike.

How do you fix a broken derailleur hanger?

I would say is far too bent try straighten on the trail. So I'm actually just going to replace that whole thing. So I'm going to flip my bike over laying the handlebars down somewhere nice and soft.

What is a rear derailleur?

The rear derailleur is the mechanism that shifts the chain at the rear sprockets. There are many different models but they all share the same basic design and functionality. Derailleurs are secured to the bike with a mounting bolt to the frame’s derailleur hanger.

Are all derailleurs the same?

A derailleur for your mountain bike should match the specifications on the original derailleur. That is, while it doesn’t need to be the same model of derailleur, it does need to be the same brand, in almost every case. It also needs to match the number of gears, or have more intended.

How does a derailer work?

A derail or derailer is a device used to prevent fouling (blocking or compromising) of a rail track (or collision with anything present on the track, such as a person, or a train) by unauthorized movements of trains or unattended rolling stock. The device works by derailing the equipment as it rolls over or through it.