Rear derailleur i think its done

[SQUIREJIM73]

Hi all, novice at fixing bikes, I can do the essentials but am stuck but refuse to go to local lbs as they cost fortune but mainly are rude. Yet the other shop in a posher part of town are lovely. Anyway, I want to try and diagnose then attempt a fix first. I have had a few offs lately and the most recent one caused bike hangar to snap as it should. I got a new hanger installed it but there is /are still fundamental issues.
I believe my sram force derailleur has had it. The B screw is bent and I cannot either screw it further in nor unscrew it out to get replacement screw. I don't have hacksaw and just worried I will mess things further up. With the existing rear derailleur on the new hanger I cannot align the gears at all. The moment I turn the pedals on my bike stand it wants to change gear. There is resistance and ultimately the derailleur / jockey wheels / guard gets stuck. Ive tried just leaving the chain om one cog but the bike wants to change gear.

If I buy a replacement rear derailleur, like for like so the B screw is straight and will work. Do you think this will allow me to properly index my gears as im thinking perhaps the derailleur itself is bent....

Can I upload pics/vids here to help show what im talking about?

Thanks in advance
Mark
Ps I didn't know bike radar had closed 😳

 

[Sharky]

They seem pricey!
Try put a plea into the "Wanted" section on here. You might be lucky.

 

[SQUIREJIM73]

Lbs will be pricey but rear derailleur think ive round an eBay one for £27. Still expensive to me...!!

 

[SQUIREJIM73]

Can you spot the issue? Obviously the cable not attached nor chain. But does derailleur look bent? Damaged?

 

[Big John]

Your recent off, which broke the hanger, is unlikely to have damaged the frame. Now you've fitted a new hanger providing your RD wasn't damaged everything should work after the gears have been indexed. As that's not the case, and before you go and buy a new RD, it's worth getting your LBS to check the hanger alignment. They can't charge the earth for doing that because it doesn't take long to check it. They'll have an alignment tool which I doubt you have in your tool kit. If they say it's fine then the problem is your RD, if they say the alignment is out the tool they have is able to correct the problem and they will offer that service. When you know the hanger is positioned correctly, and put the RD back on, if it hasn't cured it then the RD is at fault. You can either buy a new one or bend it into shape yourself providing you know what your doing. I'd advise going for a new.

Edit : I've looked at your photos and can't tell if the RD is bent. I'd need to see it from various directions on the work stand.

 

[davidphilips]

Have you tried adjusting the cable? the high and low adjustment screws are just stops for high and low gears? The B adjustment screw sets the top jockey wheel to cassette distance and unless changeing to a different size cassette need not be adjusted.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Derailleurs very rarely bend, and symptoms described don't really match either, though it's all a little vague.

Have you followed setup instructions? Park tool have an excellent guide and video.

https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I have had a few offs lately

Also this...

...falling off routinely is not normal!

It's worth understanding why and changing that, otherwise poorly indexed gears will be the very least of your problems.

 

[Ajax Bay]

1) Looking from behind with bike vertical, does the cage of the RD look vertical? If so ( ie visually good enough) this is probably not a hanger alignment issue.
2) If it is alignment, a new RD will make no difference. Getting the hanger vertical and its thread horizontal is achievable but.
3) It's possible your SRAM Force RD has been bent somehow, but this is unusual (as @roubaixtuesday says) unless its cage has had a chat with the spokes. The hanger is designed to be the weak link.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If your local bike shop if expensive and rude them someone on here might know of a better one

if you post your location someone might reply and tell you where to go - in a nice way

and it won;t be Halfords!

 

[SQUIREJIM73]

Thanks all! well since I have been to the LBS they have a new staff member who couldn't have been more helpful. She did say that they would have to book my bike in as I couldn't just "use" their alignment tool as it involves taking off the RD etc. OK fair enough.

Howber she did say have I changed the cables and if not try changing the cables first. Also with the cable off out the chain back on amd then just run the pedals on stand and see if that runs OK. She said its a good way to get the alignment just right without the cable.

My next question having never changed cables before but watched a few videos on YUT. What cable "set" do I need. I need a shifter cable plus brake cable plus I understand outerhousibg with some special items that help with feedibg the cables through.

Please can anyone recommend ideally one item which has everything I need for a focus izalco pro with SRAM force groups set etc.Any help gratefully received. Thanks in advance!

 

[raleighnut]

You can't just fit a new hanger, it needs to be aligned to the frame. The more gears the more critical

 

[Ajax Bay]

Hi all, novice at fixing bikes, . . . focus izalco pro with SRAM force groupset

Think a picture of your pride and joy from the drive side and an image from directly behind the cassette with the chain on small/large would be good.
Indexing rear gears can be a pain. So jumping to 'think the RD is bent' (unlikely) could be accused of blaming tools.
I really wouldn't change the cable at this stage (sorry if that's not the advice you received in the LBS). The symptom described is not one caused by a sticky cable. And be aware that internal cabling as you have on your Focus is a 'personal development tool'.
If you do, all you need to buy is a gear cable (one of, and a cable 'end') : leave the front one well alone. I guess you have not got a cable cutter, so you need that - normal pliers are unsatisfactory. It's good practice to replace the cable outers atr the same time as a new cable, but you want to get this bike back on the road. I'd get on with it.
Look at @roubaixtuesday 's Park Tools video ( ^ ), unclamp the cable and start from scratch.

 

[cyberknight]

is it 10 speed ?
try searching for pretty much any 10 speed rear mech sram branded as afaik they are interchangeable as i used to use apex but now i have 10 speed rival on the winter bike with apex shifters.