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Gearmechhanger D99 Universal HangerGearmech Hanger D99 Universal Hanger

Gearmechhanger D99 Universal Hanger

8
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Aug 20, 2014

37
£14.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Useful emergency ride-saver if you snap your mech hanger out on the road
Weight: 
12g
Contact: 
gearmechhanger.com
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Snapping your gear hanger off isn't a vanishingly rare occurrence, and it's one of those things that can pretty much end a ride. The Gearmech D99 is a simple and functional way to get you back in the saddle.

The D99 replaces the nut end of your quick-release skewer, and acts as both the clamping point for the skewer and a place to hang a mech from. Your mech won't be in the same place as it was before you snapped the hanger off; generally you'll find that it's a bit further out, and lower than before. That'll mean some fiddling with the cable to index the shifting, and also means shifts aren't as crisp as there's more space between the jockey wheels and the cassette.

What you're left with is a bike that works, though, even if not quite as well as before. I lost one sprocket from an 11-speed Shimano cassette and I had to work a bit harder with the shifting. But that's infinitely preferable to calling your spouse/parent/friend to pick you up from the arse end of nowhere, or shortening your chain and limping home in whatever gear works as a singlespeed.

It's not as good as carrying a spare hanger that's specifically for your bike, and I know people (people who have a habit of breaking mech hangers) who do precisely that. But assuming all your massive fleet of bikes have quick release wheels it's a handy thing to have in your emergency toolkit, and at 12g you're not going to notice it on the climbs. And if you're riding in a group, it could save the ride for one of your friends. Gearmechhanger also do one that doubles as a beer bottle opener for an extra four quid.

Verdict

Useful emergency ride-saver if you snap your mech hanger out on the road

road.cc test report

Make and model: Gearmech Hanger D99 Universal Hanger

Size tested: Blue

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Our D99 Emergency hanger , is a great little product to carry in your back pack / seat bag , for when you are out in a group of various makes of bikes , Ideal for any Cycle guides !

Fully CNC machined , this is a versatile little item , that is worth every penny , when you need it out on the trail ... Do not get stranded !

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
10/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Does a good job. Shifting and mech range isn't perfect but better than the alternative.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Easy to use, good for group rides.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Re-indexing gears, loss of range.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 102kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium 853

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

 

Gearmechhanger D99 Universal Hanger
Gearmechhanger
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

Add new comment

37 comments

Avatar
DavidC replied to farrell | 9 years ago
0 likes
farrell wrote:

I'm not even sure why a "do hangers break" conversation is even happening.

I agree, it is a silly debate. The overriding point that was passed over, regardless of whether hangers break or bend or melt or not, was:

giobox wrote:

This seems a bit overkill to me. You'd have to start riding with a hex key big enough to unbolt the derailleur from the old hanger too, a key which is largely unnecessary for any road side maintenance. All for something that most folks will never have the misfortune to need.

Avatar
farrell replied to DavidC | 9 years ago
0 likes
DavidC wrote:
farrell wrote:

I'm not even sure why a "do hangers break" conversation is even happening.

I agree, it is a silly debate. The overriding point that was passed over, regardless of whether hangers break or bend or melt or not, was:

giobox wrote:

This seems a bit overkill to me. You'd have to start riding with a hex key big enough to unbolt the derailleur from the old hanger too, a key which is largely unnecessary for any road side maintenance. All for something that most folks will never have the misfortune to need.

And the answers are:

i ) Plenty of people have broken hangers, so there is a market for it. There are plenty of situations where this particular hanger would come in handy for many people.

ii) What the hell size bolts are your hangers tacked on with? I'm fairly certain mine only need a 5 or 6mm key to take them off, it's hardly some massive girder type object now is it?

Avatar
notfastenough replied to DavidC | 9 years ago
0 likes
DavidC wrote:
giobox wrote:

This seems a bit overkill to me. You'd have to start riding with a hex key big enough to unbolt the derailleur from the old hanger too, a key which is largely unnecessary for any road side maintenance. All for something that most folks will never have the misfortune to need.

Agreed. Through a lot of years of riding I have never snapped a hanger, nor ever seen nor heard of anyone I've ridden with snap a hanger during a ride, under any circumstances, except for one poor new-guy with a new bike I once found at the side of the road, with a maladjusted derailleur twisted backwards in his spokes — and the hanger still wasn't snapped — for him, his ride was over no matter what.

I'm even having a hard time imagining how someone does this when riding, without completely trashing the bike or body. In either case a drive home would be in order anyway.

I've bent a hanger quite badly, I was making a slow right turn and didn't see the patch of diesel. Front wheel went out from under me and the bike (and 28 went down on the right side. Luckily I was all of 200 yards from finishing my ride, so I just walked home. It could have been much worse though.

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to DavidC | 9 years ago
0 likes
DavidC wrote:

Agreed. Through a lot of years of riding I have never snapped a hanger, nor ever seen nor heard of anyone I've ridden with snap a hanger during a ride, under any circumstances, except for one poor new-guy with a new bike I once found at the side of the road, with a maladjusted derailleur twisted backwards in his spokes — and the hanger still wasn't snapped — for him, his ride was over no matter what.

I'm even having a hard time imagining how someone does this when riding, without completely trashing the bike or body. In either case a drive home would be in order anyway.

The bike in the pic suffered a broken mech hanger when it accidentally fell over.

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to giobox | 9 years ago
0 likes
giobox wrote:

This seems a bit overkill to me. You'd have to start riding with a hex key big enough to unbolt the derailleur from the old hanger too, a key which is largely unnecessary for any road side maintenance.

what, a 5mm?

Avatar
SamSkjord replied to Nick T | 9 years ago
0 likes

To quote Shimano:

There is a mechanism that releases the rear derailleur from the motor in the event of an impact. If the rear derailleur will not shift into every gear, it may indicate that the derailleur needs to go through the crash recovery function. While pedaling, simply hold down the button near the battery indicator light for several seconds until the light begins to flash, indicating RECOVERY MODE. The derailleur will automatically shift through several gears and then finish in the largest cog position and the light will go off.

Spare mech hangers are now and essential part of my saddle bag contents after ripping off a rear mech at the bottom of HardKnott Pass, 150km of the Lake District with one Jerryrigged gear was not the most fun I've had on a bike, it was an adventure though.

Avatar
andybwhite | 9 years ago
0 likes

I once broke my handlebars on a ride, now I carry a spare set in my saddlebag 3

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