when you buy a new bike/frame do you also buy a spare hanger just incase? or do wait until the old one has been snapped off taking half the back wheel with it?

for those of you who think ahead, do you carry it round with you everywhere you go on the bike?

yes, and mostly yes.

spare hanger sits in the bag otherwise it’s a pointless exercise for something so light (extra light weight monkeys will disagree).

Yes, and yes. And I’m also carrying around one for the Carrera I never ride, and the Ragley I sold last year 😉

Yes, and yes (if I’m using my camelback, or yes and no if I’m not)
When I last checked my camelback I also had a five spot one (not used for a year and split down) and an intense spyder one (broke three years ago) a salsa full suss one (the wife’s) and one I’ve got no idea what it’s off…. 😕

Makes sense to do both, surely.

I always buy a spare hanger and keep it in my camelback should it get bashed.

Apart from my evil sovereign which has steel dropouts/hanger that I dont think I could bend even if I tried 😀

Yes, and yes. And I’m also carrying around one for the Carrera I never ride, and the Ragley I sold last year

I reckon I must have 8 or 10 different hangers – non for current bikes though 😕

yes and yes, although I lapsed didn’t have one for my Zen recently and it ruined a good ride. Otherwise, always!

Always get one with a frame/bike but only carry them on multi day trips. Tempted to get one of the universal ones for the camelbak.

Yes and yes. Daft not too, given my track record of clouting rear mechs on big pointy rocks! They cost bugger all and save you a long walk back to the car

Always have a spare in the Camelbak, daft not too. 😉

I find that the best way to avoid breaking a hanger in the first place is to carry a spare, once you get a spare you’ll never need it, fail to get one and yours will break at the most inopportune moment.

nope. ended up running my DH bike chainless for about three months as a result.

Yes, no. No idea what some people do to rear mechs.

hmm, having just replaced my old frame that didn’t have a hanger I never had to consider this before but with an upcoming trip to the Wicklow mountains I’m worried I’ll be left up a certain creek without a paddle. Problem is the new frame is an Evil Sovereign which doesn’t use a standard size/weight hanger. Any other sovereign riders out there want to throw in their two cents?

Tempted to get one of the universal ones for the camelbak.

Got a link to one?

Isn’t there a high end German frame builder that has a spare hanger that screws in a space under the bottom bracket?

Yep.

I keep a universal “get you home” spare in my Osprey, and then proper ones at home.

Normally yes and depends where I’m riding. If it’s going to be a trail centre or somewhere near home, I might not bother. If I’m going to be several miles from civilization then I’ll almost always have one with me.

More to the point has anyone ever been in a situation when having a spare mech hanger with them on a ride has actually been necessary/useful?

I’ve seen a one or two hangers snap, it’s very rare yet every time its taken the mech maybe even some spokes with it. A spare hanger is no good if you also snap the mech that hangs off it.

Isn’t this just another pointless spare to carry everywhere for no reason?

jfletch – Member

More to the point has anyone ever been in a situation when having a spare mech hanger with them on a ride has actually been necessary/useful?

Several times, yep (and also on rides where people haven’t had them, but needed them, and ended up having to remove the mech and chain)

Most of the time, when I’ve bent one I could’ve probably bodged it back into shape and carried on with crappy shifting, but since it doesn’t take much longer to fix it properly, I do that (then unbend the hanger later)

More to the point has anyone ever been in a situation when having a spare mech hanger with them on a ride has actually been necessary/useful?

yep. This was fixed trailside on a 10 day Trans Sardinia holiday:

Paul’s rear mech! by brf, on Flickr

Bloody phone!

I have a spare one for the Scandal but never think to take it with me when I go out on it…oops.

Bought a rear deraillieur once off ebay and the guy sent it still attached to the hanger. Asked him if he wanted it back and no reply.

A few months later a mate with a Trek Fuel destroyed his RD and bent the hanger. Local sold him a slightly bent one they had in but I noticed it wasn’t quite the right shape. Tried the one that came from the ebay guy and it was the correct one – bit of a coincidence.

Yes and yes, coupled with a good quality Allen key (correct size) and the special chain ring bolt doing up tool.

I am on my way to buy one as on essential kit list for weekend’s skill course!

Seems odd not to carry one as I have snapped two off this year leading to long walks home.

Any suggestions on types to buy. Captain, interested in your “get me home” version.

Have a spare for each bike and carry it with me

broke one once and had a 15 mile walk home

Never ever broken one since

Bought a rear deraillieur once off ebay and the guy sent it still attached to the hanger. Asked him if he wanted it back and no reply.

I wonder if it was from a carelessly dismantled, stolen bike then?

I keep a universal one in my Camelbak, on the basis that it’ll work for anyone I’m riding with. Should probably carry a specific one for my bike, too.

Don’t carry them tbh. The cycling Gods have smiled on me such that I’ve never broken a rear mech (or even bent one that I can recall).
I could destroy it this weekend of course (and probably will now that I’ve said this), but until that happens I guess I lack the imagination to cater for it.

Spare mech hanger in my bag for the Soul. No point carrying it really as i overtightened the existing one and rounded the head on one of the tiny almost grub-like screws, so no idea how i’d get it off anyway. 😕

jfletch – Member
More to the point has anyone ever been in a situation when having a spare mech hanger with them on a ride has actually been necessary/useful?

Yup, on the PPDS this year, bent the mech back in to shape, fitted the new hanger and finished the day. I’d have been mighty pished off had I not had a spare. But as above, there’s always ne in my Camelbak

Northwind – Member
Yes, and yes. And I’m also carrying around one for the Carrera I never ride, and the Ragley I sold last year

+1, I also take my shock pump when I’m riding coil forks too.

I wonder if it was from a carelessly dismantled, stolen bike then?

I wondered that but I always check out who I buy from to see if I get a bad vibe. He just appeared to sell the occasional bike part and didn’t seem be that savvy with bike parts so I put it down to that. He sold a Trek frame a few weeks earlier so I guess it was off that.

Just bought this ‘Emergency Hanger’ as a backup:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221032923833

Yes, it’s one of the essential spares that I thought just about everybody carried at all times. Those things that would cause you a long walk home if you forgot them.
Mine are:
Mech hanger, gear cable inner, disc pads, a few magic links, two tubes & tyre boot (even though tubeless).
Probably a spare mech too if it’s a big day out in rocky & remote places.

Blimey…

always used to carry one – even used it once when i was 100yrd from the car and snapped the hanger.
Bought a new frame didn’t bother getting a hanger then recently snapped it while trying to straighten it :/
It took me nearly 2 weeks for the new one to arrive & got the last 2 in the country.

No don’t have one. I did for the old bike but never carried it round with me. I also don’t carry a chain cutter so a snapped chain would also snooker me on a ride.

Tubes / pump / basic multi tool is all I carry.

I pray to the Gods.