Replacing Simplex Derailleur Pulleys
The pulleys on Simplex rear derailleurs were notoriously brittle and would crack and break. And they got worse with age. The pulleys on my vintage Peugeot UO-8 were broken and chewed down to nothing. But like many other things on French bikes, they were made to different size specs than most other bikes. The bolt …Read more »
Long Cage vs Short Cage Derailleurs – Which Do You Need
I have had viewers asking me whether they need a long cage or short cage derailleur for their drive train changes. I explain how to calculate the number of teeth worth of chain that you need to match to the total capacity (aka chain wrap) in the derailleur specs.
Bike Noises – Find Them To Fix Them
Bikes can make the strangest noise. Squeaks, creaks, clicks, grinding, whirs, ticks, clunks, etc. The first step in fixing a noise on a bike is to locate where it is coming from. But noises can tricky. They can sound like they are coming from one place, but are actually coming from another. I talk about …Read more »
Destroyed Derailleur/Bent Twisted Hanger – I Can Fix This!
I found a free Trek dumpster bike with a broken mangled derailleur. It was ripped in half! And the derailleur hanger was twisted around almost 45 degrees. The bike was trashed, but hey, it was free! I am guessing the derailleur hit something, and the cage was torn from the body. Maybe the cage got …Read more »
Fix Bike Rear Derailleur That Won’t Shift Into Highest Gear/Small Cog
I show the steps how to diagnose and repair a rear derailleur that wont shift to the high gears/small cogs.