derailleurs
Bicycle gear mechanisms
Derailleurs are the mechanisms on a bicycle that move the chain between sprockets to change gears.
The front derailleur shifts between chainrings near the pedals; the rear derailleur handles the cassette at the back wheel.
The name comes from the French for "derail"—the device literally derails the chain onto a different gear.
I need to adjust my rear derailleur; it's been skipping gears.
Pedal-powered two-wheeler
- chainLinked segments forming length
- cassetteMagnetic audio cartridge
- sprocketToothed wheel for chains
- chainringBicycle's front sprocket
crankset · drivetrain · shifters · cadence · gearing · climbing · pedaling
Barred confinement structure
- pivotPoint of rotation
- hangerCloset garment support
- pulleyGrooved wheel for rope
- tensionerMaintains strap or chain pressure
spring · mount · bracket · linkage · guide · parallelogram · clutch
Systematic organization for retrieval
- upshiftingSwitching to higher gear
- downshiftingLowering gear or pace
- gear ratioTeeth count relationship
- trimRemove unwanted edges
Alteration to improve fit
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- cleaningRemoving dirt and mess
- lubricationCoating to reduce friction
bicycle
Pedal-powered two-wheeler
chainring · crankset · drivetrain · shifters · cadence · gearing · climbing · pedaling
cage
Barred confinement structure
tensioner · spring · mount · bracket · linkage · guide · parallelogram · clutch
indexing
Systematic organization for retrieval
- upshiftingSwitching to higher gear
- downshiftingLowering gear or pace
- gear ratioTeeth count relationship
adjustment
Alteration to improve fit
rotor
Spinning mechanical assembly