Blew out my rear derailleur pulley wheel on a group ride yesterday

I was about 15 miles into a saturday morning ride with some guys from the local shop when my shifting just went to hell out of nowhere. Loud grinding noise and then the chain started skipping bad. Pulled over and saw the upper pulley wheel on my Ultegra derailleur had basically shattered, like three teeth just snapped off. Had to call my wife to come pick me up with the truck, felt like a total idiot standing on the side of the road. Got it home and took the derailleur off, the bearing inside the pulley was completely seized up and rusty. I ride in the rain a lot here in Portland and I guess I never thought about greasing those little bearings. Anyone else ever had a pulley wheel explode on them? What do you use to keep yours running smooth?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor6682mo ago

I mean, is it really that big of a deal though? Idk, seems like a pretty minor thing to have to call your wife over.

eva9081mo ago

Have you ever considered what happens when it's not just your phone that's broken, but the person you're married to? @michaelchen brought up a good point earlier about being in that situation, and I think it goes deeper than just fixing a screen. When you call a repair shop, you're paying for expertise and a warranty, not relying on someone who might be tired or distracted after a long day. It's not about being unable to fix it yourself, it's about respecting your spouse's time and energy by not making their hobby or good will a free service for your convenience.

michaelchen2mo ago

Yeah but have you actually been in that situation before?