Nearly each bike that may shift gears has a small, unassuming half that goes unnoticed 99.9% of the time.
But within the uncommon moments when it turns into a problem, it may be a large headache that may positively finish a trip, and presumably even put a motorcycle out of fee for days or even weeks.
A derailleur hanger is a small part that fastens rear derailleurs to a motorcycle’s body. It is a single level of contact important to creating a drivetrain work, because it holds the derailleur within the place required to hyperlink up with the cassette and chain.
If it breaks, your trip is over.
The Derailleur Hanger Problem
For a very long time, this part has been difficult to take care of or change. It tends to bend when it takes hits, which immediately throws drivetrains out of whack. It may even snap utterly, a characteristic fairly than a bug.
Derailleur hangers are supposed to interrupt away within the occasion of a major affect to save lots of the body and derailleur itself, each of which value way more to interchange.
When that occurs, riders don’t have any alternative however to select up a brand new derailleur hanger. However, as a result of there hasn’t been a historic normal for this part, most riders discover themselves in a Cinderella predicament, attempting to find the glass slipper of a derailleur hanger to suit their bike.
Because almost each model has proprietary hangers that usually differ from bike to bike, bike outlets not often hold them in inventory.
SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger
This difficulty grew to become significantly pronounced in the course of the pandemic when huge shortages in bicycle componentry hit the market. A damaged derailleur hanger may imply a very long time out of the saddle.
However, in 2019, the parents at SRAM launched a probably game-changing part with the chance to make swapping out a derailleur hanger as straightforward as throwing on a brand new chain.
SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger, or UDH for brief, is an try to create a normal derailleur hanger appropriate with any bike or derailleur.
SRAM designs the platform to work throughout builds and types and permits others to make use of and barely modify their design — supplied it nonetheless meets the specs to suit.
“A bike brand may want to make their own, slightly different derailleur hanger with different features. This is OK,” stated SRAM.
“However, in order to mark their frames with the UDH trademark, they must conform to UDH frame and hanger specifications. This ensures that if a rider breaks their hanger, it can still be replaced with a standard UDH hanger.”
Universal Derailleur Hanger Compatibility and Features
SRAM’s UDH just isn’t actually “universal” simply but. But a litany of bikemakers — that appear to have seen the worth in providing a normal, easy repair to an issue that has plagued customers for many years — have come on board.
Brands that equip bikes with the Universal Derailleur Hanger embrace the massive guys like Trek, Giant, and Specialized, together with different high-end producers throughout the globe, together with Canyon, Cube, Ibis, Merida, Orbea, Santa Cruz, Scott Sports, Transition, and plenty of extra. Check out SRAM’s in depth checklist for a full listing of bikes prepared for the UDH.
SRAM places the variety of bikes appropriate with the UDH within the a whole lot and says extra are becoming a member of every day.
SRAM’s design isn’t just a easy normal derailleur hanger. It additionally incorporates a couple of cool options to assist mitigate a couple of widespread, irritating issues each rider experiences.
First, the UDH has a lip that meets the bike’s body, stopping a sequence from dropping onto the body. Instead, it forces the chain again onto the cassette, avoiding these wince-inducing sounds of a sequence raking throughout a body.
Second, the UDH can rotate backward if it takes a giant hit. That means it might take way more power than a standard fastened hanger with out snapping off or sending a derailleur into the spokes of a rear wheel.
Why the UDH Matters
Compatibility is an issue within the biking world. Almost numerous part choices, from cassettes and chains to shifters, backside brackets, and hubs, make constructing and sustaining bikes difficult even for seasoned cyclists. Creating normal elements is a straightforward manner to assist riders spend extra time on their bikes and fewer time mulling over spec sheets and measurements.
Similar issues are taking place on this planet of hookless rims. Many producers are attempting to determine a normal that may enhance compatibility with a sometimes-temperamental product.
It’s solely been a handful of years because the UDH went reside. As extra manufacturers undertake it, it may eradicate a nagging drawback for cyclists.
