Any emergency hacks for loss of rear shifting on a bicycle? (Mechanical derailleur, no electrickery)
I went to shift into an easier gear, felt a sort of "click", and it changed into a harder gear. 馃く馃槫
It was now in the hardest gear, so not the easiest to ride, particularly from a stop, or uphill.
So, as I walked it up a hill, I tried to think of what options I had. At this point I was guessing that some piece of plastic in the brifter had snapped.
1) adjust the limit screw way, way out to force the derailleur up a gear?
2) physically pull the cable? housing? by hand?
3) ah-ha moment - loosen the cable clamp at the derailleur, push the cage over, pull more cable through, and tighten the cable clamp. This would keep the chain in a much easier gear.
This worked. For about 2 seconds! Then the cage sprang back out, pulling heaps of cable with it, and I now suspect I've got a broken cable, not shifter.
4) ah-ha moment 2. Can I use something to pull on the derailleur similar to the cable pull? Shoelace, shorts waist string, zip tie, electrical wiring from random broken toy beside the path?
The last option worked enough to get me home, and I'll now be carrying some zip ties in my toolkit.
Are there any other hacks I could have tried?
