Wrench success!

I had an odd mechanical failure over a month ago when the bracket holding my front shifter/derailleur just snapped off. This happened while I was pedaling slowly up a steep incline leaving the parking ramp I use during the day. Somehow the chain caught on the derailleur and the derailleur bracket and even the chain both snapped. I carry a chain tool with me, having been through similar situations before, and used it to remove the broken link. I then tied off the loose derailleur cable and rode home on one chainring, not being able to shift but able to ride reasonably.

It turned out that this was the easy part. I will spare you the details, but I went through a lot of research figuring out what kind of replacement derailleur would: a) fit my bike, b) be a reasonable choice given riding style/price point, and c) be compatible with the bike's thumb shift lever. I mean A LOT of research since I am a newbie to fixing the bike and the world of bike parts is...er...not exactly as well organized as it could be (NAPA auto parts it ain't).

After a few different online parts orders, a failed attempt to revive the old derailleur, a misfire trying to reuse the old shifter cable (note to self: not worth it trying to save the money), and letting a week go by just because I was sick of staring at the bike, I finally got everything put together. Voil-la, I can now shift on the front chainrings! Wee!

The best part of this is I learned a lot about how the bike works, which is probably the best reason to do some of your own repairs. It is time consuming and sometimes frustrating. But, the sense of independence at being able to do my own repairs and the independence of being under my own pedal power while riding is a great combination.