How to Find the Correct Derailleur Hanger

Derailleur Hangers, nobody gives them a second thought until they break one. About the only thing that’s a bigger pain than breaking a hanger is trying to find a new one. Because of the large number of hangers out there, the chances of having one in stock are pretty slim and often times you may not be able to source one from the bike manufacturer unless you’re an authorized dealer. That’s why we're here.

As a Customer Service Rep at Launch Sporting, a good part of my day is spent identifying hangers. Our hanger database keeps track of hangers based on the make, model and year of a frame. Often the customer or shop mechanic does not know the exact make, model and year of the frame. Manufacturers have also been known to change hangers mid-season, so one particular model may have multiple hangers.

When trying to find the correct hanger, we always recommend visually comparing the customer's frame and hanger against any potential replacement hanger.

Knowing these difficulties, I tend to fall back on the tried and true method of identifying hangers by eye. Of course, I know only too well that staring at a wall chart or web page filled with hundreds of derailleur hangers can be daunting, so I’ve come up with a system of sorts to help me filter through my choices.

If you know the brand of the bike or frame, you can start from that brand's hanger page. Click the link for the brand you are looking for. This will narrow down the choices to just the hangers we currently offer for that brand.

If you don’t have the customers hanger in front of you try to get photos. The first challenge I often face when trying to identify a hanger is getting a good photo. Below are examples of good and bad photos:

Helpful Photos	Unhelpful Photos

As you can see, the photos on the left let me clearly see the important features of the hanger while the photos on the right just lets me know that this bike really needs a new chain. (Don’t laugh, I get these photos all the time.)

Once I get some good photos to work with I go through a checklist to narrow my choices.

Step 1: Is the hanger a Quick Release or Thru Axle Hanger?

Quick Release	Thru Axle

Step 2: Is the hanger Standard or Shimano Direct Mount?

Standard Mount for GT	Shimano Direct Mount for GT

Step 3: Does the hanger mount to the inside or the outside of the dropout?

Mounts to Inside	Mounts to Outside

Step 4: Does the hanger have any unique features or fine details I should be aware of?

M12x1.25 Threaded Post	M12x1.75 Threaded Post

Step 5: The number and type of fasteners the hanger uses.

As our replacement hanger offerings continue to increase, knowing how to quickly find a replacement means less time sourcing a replacement, and less time spent getting the repair done.