Catastrophic drivetrain failure

[benb]

So on the way home, with no warning, my rear wheel locked up and I came juddering to a halt.

It was on a 40 limit dual carriageway, so I was pretty lucky I think - the car behind me was some way off.
Somehow I managed to unclip and stay upright, and hobbled over to the side of the road.

My rear mech was in the spokes.

I can only assume that the chain partially broke, jammed, and dragged the mech up into the spokes.

In retrospect, there had been a faint clicking once a chain rotation for about 5 minutes.
Is there anything I could have done? The chain is fairly new - it really shouldn't have failed like this.

Lucky I haven't got round to selling my hybrid yet.

 

[Matthew_T]

That is catastrophic! You must have legs like a machine to have bent the mech that far out of place! It looks like you hit a landmine!

 

[Drago]

Holy Cameron! Never seen anything like that before. Glad you survived uscathed.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Hell's Teeth!

 

[Cheshire Celt]

Bit of muck off on that and it will be good to go lol

 

[benb]

Thanks all.

Will take it to the LBS on Wednesday. Hopefully not too expensive to fix.

 

[Matthew_T]

Will take it to the LBS on Wednesday. Hopefully not too expensive to fix.

I think the LBS will leave his job when he see's that mess.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

That is catastrophic! You must have legs like a machine to have bent the mech that far out of place! It looks like you hit a landmine!

Ben's legs are special.

 

[screenman]

Those little plastic discs that go behind the cassette do work, even if they do not look cool.

Sad about the bike, certainly not a good time of year for spending more than needed. Glad that you are OK though.

 

[craven2354]

The same thing happened to me when I was half a mile short of my first 100 mile ride :/ I don't know what caused it the guy that fixed it couldn't work it out either

I ended up on the floor though I was half way up a hill and the bike just stopped and I went sideways has

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I did the same on my MTB by doing a bunny hop to try and seduce my wife.

It didn't work.

It really didn't work when she saw the repair bill.

 

[screenman]

Normally it occurs when the stop screw is not adjusted properly, that combined with the flexing of the rear triangle. there may of course be other reasons.

 

[AndyRM]

Chain looks a bit slack...

I did the same thing a few months ago, giving it some to carry a bit of momentum up a hill. Very annoying!

 

[Globalti]

Same thing happened to Gti Junior when his plastic-bodied cheap Campy derailleur snapped and wandered into the spokes. He had been hearing a clicking noise for a few minutes before and he ignored it, then bang. It was fairly catastrophic.

 

[ianrauk]

Ouch.
Same thing happened to me on a SMRbtH from Brighton.
Caused by my saddle pack bursting open and shedding my Montane jacket into the gears.
I had just turned off a dual carraige way doing about 30mph when it happened.
Jacket wrapped around the cassette and tore the deraiileur in half and twisted the chain.
Not a happy bunny.

Tried to single speed it but no good.
Luckily there was an Evans close by who took the bike in there and then. Supplied and fitted a new derailleur, chain and cable within half an hour.