Spent 2 hours chasing a ghost shift because I forgot to check the derailleur hanger alignment

Bike felt fine riding around the block but under load it would skip gears no matter how much I adjusted the cable tension. Checked the chain wear. Checked the cassette. Even swapped cables. Turns out the hanger was bent like 3mm. Straightened it with the tool and it shifted perfect on the first try. Anyone else ever wasted half a day on something that dumb?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.sean24d ago

Ever check the cable housing? That one got me for hours once.

the_lee23d ago

Three out of my last four rides had that exact same issue. Turned out the housing was pinched right where it bends into the frame. I just couldn't see it until I pulled the whole thing out. Replaced the cable and housing together and it fixed the shifting right up. Not sure I'd call it hours of trouble though, maybe twenty minutes tops if you know what you're looking for.