I finally tracked down that impossible-to-find vintage derailleur spring

A guy brought in a classic 80s road bike last week, and the rear derailleur was totally stuck. The tiny return spring inside the pivot had snapped in half. Of course, this part hasn't been made for maybe thirty years. I spent two whole afternoons digging through every old parts bin I have, calling other shops, and coming up empty each time. I was about to tell the owner the whole mech was trash when I found a box of old junk I got from a shop that closed down. Right at the bottom was a sealed bag with a handful of NOS springs that looked close. One fit perfectly, and the bike shifts like new now. That hunt ate up way more hours than the repair itself. Ever spend days looking for one tiny part that should be simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_white1mo ago

Watched my buddy tear his hair out trying to find a carburetor diaphragm for his 70s moped. He called every scrapyard in three states and came up with nothing for weeks. The thing finally showed up in a ziploc bag full of random bits he bought off some guy on a forum for twenty bucks. That little piece of rubber might as well have been solid gold.

clark.alex1mo ago

Read a forum post last year about niche part hunters. They called them 'parts archaeologists' which stuck with me. Your spring hunt is exactly that kind of work. Spending hours on one tiny piece seems crazy to outsiders. But it saves a bike from the scrap heap. That's why we do it.

quinn_burns1mo ago

Calling them "parts archaeologists" is spot on @clark.alex, but that spring wasn't totally impossible. Those NOS bags from closed shops are the real treasure. It's less about digging and more about knowing which old guy's basement to call. The hunt is most of the cost on a job like that.