If you’ve ever bent or broken a derailleur hanger and been stuck without a replacement for days (or weeks!), then you know why this is long overdue. SRAM has introduced a Universal Derailleur Hanger concept, and word is Trek and other major brands are on board. The idea is simple: Create a single hanger design that works on any bike for any derailleur. In reality, the mounting point and shape for the derailleur interface has been standard forever. But bikes have not, with every brand using their own design. And sometimes multiple designs. Which means it’s virtually impossible for bike shops to stock everything you’ll need. Which means it’s often days or weeks before you can get a replacement. Which is why we always recommend having a spare on hand at all times, anyway.
The UDH, or Universal Derailleur Hanger, from SRAM is brand agnostic, and they want that to be clear. This isn’t a SRAM thing, it’ll work with Shimano, Box, MicroSHIFT, TRP and every other modern derailleur out there. And soon, there should be more big bike brands signing on. Which means there may come a day when you can walk into any shop and grab a replacement in minutes and get back on the trail.
We talked to a SRAM rep at Eurobike to get the scoop, and this video tells a little about how it can work…right after a few other updates for eMTB fans. But this UDH isn’t an e-bike specific thing. It does, however, appear to be primarily aimed at mountain bikes for now.
What makes this concept even better are the built in safety features it has. Hit something hard, and it can rotate backward to help protect your derailleur. It’ll also ensure perfect alignment during installation, and help the chain skip back onto the cassette should it fall off the small cog. It’ll be interesting to see it in action, updates as we get them…
