subject: Bike Repairing - How to remove bike front derailleur? [print this page] Bike Repairing - How to remove bike front derailleur?
If the front derailleur gets hit or the chain gets stuck when you try to shift, the derailleur can become twisted or bent. If the derailleur moves out of place by twisting on the seat tube, you'll want to move it back into place.
Follow these steps to adjust the position of the front derailleur:
Loosen the derailleur clamp bolt, which keeps it attached to the seat post. Usually a 5mm Allen wrench or 8mm box wrench will do the trick.
Position the derailleur so that its cage is parallel with the chainrings and only 1mm above the top of the largest chainring.
Retighten the clamp bolt.
If the derailleur is bent or damaged, you'll need to remove it and continue your ride without it. Follow these steps to remove the front derailleur:
Remove the screw at the back of the front derailleur cage.
Separate the cage and remove the chain.
Bypass the derailleur and place the chain on the chainring that will best serve you on your ride home.
Remove the clamp bolt holding the derailleur to the seat tube, disconnect the shift wire, and detach the derailleur from the bike.
You'll need to move the shift wire into a position out of the way or completely remove it.
Like the chain, the rear derailleur is a very exposed part of the bike. It sticks out and has very little protection. If you brush up against or hit something while you're riding, you can easily bend or damage it. A bent rear derailleur frequently is the result of a bike that falls over on that side.
Most mountain bikes use a replaceable derailleur hanger that is designed to fail before the expensive derailleur itself would. In this case, buy your bike's replacement hanger, and keep it with you when you ride.
