Devastated- Ribble R872 Ultegra damage to rear dropout

Question

Please see attached photo of damaged frame where rear wheel locks in. The rear derailleur hanger snapped clean off, so it did the job it is supposed to but there is damage to the frame. I’m being quoted up to £1000 to fix this as bike will need to be stripped down and sent off to be repaired. I simply cannot afford this. Can anyone offer advice as I’ve hardly used the bike due to a partial knee replacement? I’m broken too.

Answer 1

So the hanger is a separate component to the frame, but was stronger than the frame?

I'd start by contacting Ribble and ask about warranty. The hanger is supposed to break before the frame, for this exact purpose. The frame did not perform as designed. Hopefully you're the first owner.

What is the warranty on the frame? The frame carries a 3 year warranty. All other parts have the standard manufacturer’s warranty.

3 years goes by quickly. Get onto this option today, now. At least make a first contact with Ribble so you have a date/time stamped message.

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If you're stuck with this broken frame, for repair the only option looks like replacement of the dropout, which means proper carbon fibre repair for this bike.

Curiously, I see at https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-r872-disc/ that this bike "starts at £999" so one option is to buy the entry level bike, move the frame over, and end up with a brand new set of spare wheels/groupset.

Answer 2

I would consider trying the following. You could get the replacement hangar, bolt it on, clamp the rear wheel in, then check if you can wiggle the hangar. If not, go for a test ride and check the shifting. The hangar takes whatever lateral forces are generated by the rear derailleur. Additionally, the quick release clamps the entire assembly in from the sides, so the hangar is not moving. Finally, in the worst case, you should be able to feel the derailleur not shifting normally and you can abort the test.

I can't tell exactly how much of the dropout structure is compromised, and when carbon delaminates (term of art for fracture), the delamination can propagate. However, you may only have compromised the end of the dropout. The dropout itself is probably only under compression from the skewer. If the part of the dropout where the skewer sits is not compromised, then having not much to lose, I might try this first.

This is more risk tolerant than I would normally advise. It is based on a similar (not identical) situation that the UK firm Carbon Bike Repair highlighted in this YouTube video. The end of that bike's dropout had broken off, and the presenter demonstrated that it would not affect the RD hangar at all. If you feel the dropout is cracked all the way through, don't do it. Again, I would only do this if just the end was compromised.

Answer 3

Can anyone offer advice as I’ve hardly used the bike due to a partial knee replacement? I’m broken too.

I do not want to be your financial consultant, but this is a typical case of cost/benefit analysis.

First: if you are thinking in terms "the bike was worth some hunderds pounds before the accident and now it is a liability that will cost me xyzy £ to repair" you are wrong: used bike market is flooded of pandemic-bought bicycles, even if the bike was in perfectly working order the value of the bicycle is a fraction of what you think (check this well known auction site for price of similar items recently sold, do not see the high values but focus on the more frequent low values around 350£, because those are the value you would probably get).

Then, what does "hardly used" mean in objective metrics? how many miles per day, how many days per month was the bicylce used?

Finally, what is your budget for mantaining the bicycle?

• 20£? buy the replacement part as suggested by a commenter and ride carefully the bicycle (I am not endorsing this option, the responsibility lies fully on you);
• 20 - 80£? with the help of youtube videos and bike co-op or similar "not for profit" mechanics and community workshops you will be able to strip down the bike of all the parts ... and then you will find some local handyman that somehow fixes it (I am not endorsing this option, the responsibility lies fully on you);
• 80 - 150£? sell the bike for parts, you should be able to scrape 30/40£ and this brings us to the next point;
• 150 - 998£ ? sell the bike for parts, buy a similar specced geometry for ~250£ and be happy;
• 999£ or more? either fix the bike if the bicylce fit was perfect and if the derailleur thing did not happen because of a crash, or buy the very similar model on offer as written in the other answer...