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I started using clip-ins shortly after purchasing my Jamis Aurora Elite earlier in Summer 2010. I've only fallen twice due to my clip-ins (surprisingly) in the past 5 months, but in both cases, I ended up bending my rear derailleur hanger which required adjustment at the bike shop. The frame is steel so the rear derailleur hanger just bent. Is this normal? Does a carbon or aluminum frame get ruined rather than bending like my steel frame does?
Replaceable derailleur hangers ARE very much intended to be sacrificial ...
Whether they are intended to protect the rear derailleur or the frame is, however, debateable ... I believe replaceable derailleur hangers are intended to save a significant frame repair.
As far as why a derailleur hanger bends on a steel frame ... well, it's not so much an intended design but a byproduct of being a relatively unsupported tab which can be leveraged by the additional length of the rear derailleur OR by the tool which is subsequently used to re-align it.
BTW. There is something that is decidely wrong if a person is continually bending the rear derailleur hanger on a Road bike ... at least, IMO ...
It sounds as though, in addition to the falls which have been described, you/(wj109l7) may have actually carelessly (?) dropping your bike on the pavement/sidewalk/wherever more than noce rather than the brunt of the damage occurring when you fell over with the bike ...
Because if you were falling to your right while still clipped in, I would think that the odds of a significant enough impact on the rear derailleur-and-hanger would be low because your body would more-than-likely be receiving the brunt of the fall ... maybe not, I suppose!?!
So, if-by-chance you are in the habit of dropping-your-bike ([COLOR= #808080]OR, if you are allowing it to fall onto the ground OR if you normally lay your bike on the ground on its drivesdie[/COLOR]) because it is leaning against a wall, then lean it so that it falls on the non-driveside BECAUSE if you bend the derailleur hanger enough times (probably, dozens for a steel hanger) it will eventually break and cause the derailleur to (probably) flop into the spokes.