...interruptus

Yeah, with all due respect, I call B.S. on your claim, Gevenalle.

Gevenalle markets their derailleurs as extra-tough, built for the cyclocross market, where a regular road derailleur can't stand up to the mud, strain, and other conditions that are so demanding of cyclocross racing.

Their branding is that these are "B.U.R.D", Blatantly Upgraded and Rebranded Derailleurs. The mounting bolt on mine broke after 7500 miles and less than three years of road riding. And folks who have ridden with me will verify that I don't have such a strong pedal stroke that I should break through a derailleur bolt.*

I planned to go on Laura OLPH's ride today from the Pig...

... when, about ten or twelve miles in, I felt the pedals get stiff, apparently because a shift on the rear hadn't completed correctly. Then, the shifting felt generally wonky, and I resolved to adjust the cable when we got to a stop.

But fourteen miles into the ride, on Wertsville Road, the derailleur bolt gave out. The derailleur came loose and rode up the chain, and the pedals were limp against the wheel.

In the last couple of pictures, you can see the rear derailleur hanging off the chain.

There was no way I could continue or ride back. I tried to get a Lyft, but there were no vehicles. Peter G called up an Uber... but when the driver came, he refused to sully his pristine trunk with my greasy bike.

I called The Excellent Wife (TEW), and she picked me up.

Before she did, I was able to remove the bit of bolt from the derailleur hanger on the frame.

Above, you can see the broken off piece of bolt to the right. It's supposed to be connected to the bright bit just below the jockey wheel on the derailleur.

I've got another derailleur in the garage that should fit (of course I do), and even if it doesn't, I've got the other bike, the Krakow Monster, to do tomorrow's ride.

Hi ho, hi ho, a-wrenching will I go...

* That said, I still like the Gevenalle shifters better than any other I've tried. I'm lucky they'll work with other brands of derailleurs.