The rear derailleur is one of the most exposed parts of a bicycle, leaving it very susceptible to taking hits, either causing a misalignment or, worse, incurring damage. While the latter will probably require buying new parts, the former can be easily fixed with some fine tuning. Provided, of course, that you actually know what you’re doing. In case you don’t, the OTTO Tuning System should prove a lot of help.
A tuning system for a bicycle’s rear derailleur, it will automatically evaluate the part’s shifting alignment all on its own, then tell you any exact adjustments you need to make. Really. That way, you don’t have to spend hours watching YouTube videos while making calculated (but probably wrong) guesses to properly tune your derailleur all by your lonesome – just use this thing to get precise instructions on what needs to be done and follow it.
The OTTO Tuning system consists of two engineered guides and an accompanying smartphone app (iOS only). To use, simply attach the guides to your bike and use your phone’s camera to take a picture of the resulting assembly. From there, the app will go to work, evaluating the alignment within a minute and offering detailed verbal prompts for any adjustment you need to make, so you can tune it with professional precision. And, yes, it can even tell you if the derailleur hanger is bent, at which point you’ll need to remove the darn thing to get it straightened out. It’s compatible with Shimano and SRAM 9- to 11-speed derailleurs.
Available now, the OTTO Tuning System is priced at $39.