Your rear derailleur is a technological marvel. First invented in 1906, it was clunky, unpopular and had two speeds. They’ve come a long way since. The best mountain bike derailleurs today are durable, easy to tune and can shift smoothly even under load.
You should buy a new derailleur for the same reason the first one was invented: Because you want to climb better. Inventor Paul de Vivie, a writer known as Vélocio, designed it for Alpine bike riding. He became a cyclomaniac, quit trading silk and moved to Saint-Étienne to open a bike shop. He advocated for his now-ubiquitous device for 30 years before it became popular.
Like Vélocio, one of our goals at The Adventure Junkies is help you pick your gear. This guide will help you find the perfect derailleur, whether you want to conquer the Alps, win Strava segments or just get climb a little quicker.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FIND THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR
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MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEURS 101
7 THINGS TO CONSIDER TO FIND THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR
1. NUMBER OF GEARS
If you want a new derailleur, you’re probably looking to change things up or just replace a broken part. Either way, it’s time to consider how many sprockets you need, and what your current setup can handle
Unless you’re buying new shifters, you’re likely limited to what you had before. Most shifters work with a specific rear cassette size — usually 9, 10, 11 or 12. If you buy a 9-speed derailleur and mate it to your 12-speed shifter, you’ll probably end up breaking it or a spoke by over-shifting.
If you’re looking for a new shifter, too, your options are open, and you probably want to go with an 11 or 12-speed derailleur. This is the modern standard, and it’s ubiquitous in bike shops and easy to buy cassettes, chains and cables for.
This 2013 blog from Performance Bike is slightly dated, but worth reading. They accurately predicted the transition from 9- and 10-speed to 11. The biggest change since then?
Virtually every wheel comes designed for 11- and 12-speed cassettes. You’ll need to use a usually included adapter if you want to stick with a 9-speed derailleur.
2. ELECTRIC OR MECHANICAL?
Both Shimano and SRAM have released electronic derailleurs that work with electronic shifting. If you’re upgrading to this, it’s a whole re-build as you’ll need compatible brakes, shifters and a front derailleur.
The innovation of faster, more precise shifting came to road bikes first and now appears on mountain bikes as well. Cycling Weekly breaks down the benefits and makes an argument that all riders can appreciate the upgrade, but I’d note that price is a big barrier to entry.
If you’re happy with mechanical shifting, then don’t make the switch yet. This equipment starts at around $1,200.
3. SHIFTER AND FRONT DERAILLEUR COMPATIBILITY
The compatibility issue will limit your options unless you’re doing a full rebuild of the drive train. Front derailleur, shifters and cassette all must match. Some rear derailleurs can be thrown on with a wider range, but most are very specific.
Shifting uses fairly old technology, but it’s incredibly precise. Make sure that you’re buying a rear derailleur from the same company, and usually even the same line of that brand. Each of the derailleurs we chose has its compatible partner listed on the shop pages we’ve linked to.
If considering a full overhaul, see our guide on mountain bike shifters to help get the best shifter for your new setup.
CAGE LENGTH
Most derailleurs come in your choice of three cage lengths: short, medium, or long. Short cage lengths are great for single front chainrings, medium for doubles, and long for triples. UK retailer Wiggle has a detailed breakdown on cage lengths and clutch technology, something I’ll explain in the next section.
If you’re looking to buy a new front derailleur and crankset, we have a guide to cranksets to help you make your selection.
SHIMANO OR SRAM
SRAM devotees describe their shifting as slightly snappier to explain their preference, but it’s very subjective. Go with your favorite, or just stick with what’s already on the bike.
Remember that you can’t mix and match, so if you go from one to the other, you’ll need to replace the shifters and front derailleur, too. Campagnolo is a third option for roadies, but they don’t make many components suitable for mountain bikers.
The closest they come is in their cyclocross offerings. We’ve included a derailleur from a small company, Box, which is compatible with Shimano.
INDEX SHIFTING VS FRICTION
Derailleurs can be used with index or friction shifters, so this choice won’t limit you. It’s all in how you set it up.
4. GEAR RATIOS
If you’re buying a new derailleur, it’s probably time for a new rear cassette, too. Check out this helpful calculator to plan the perfect ratio. It considers wheel size, cranks, front chainring, and rear cassette, to show you how many useful options you have.
5. WEIGHT
How much does weight matter? It depends on the rider. Some people will think nothing of paying hundreds to shave off a few grams; others never even look at the weight.
If you’re racing, we’ve highlighted the lightest of the bunch. For general riders, all of the rear derailleurs we’ve picked should be good as well.
6. TUNING AND ADJUSTING
Different companies have different reputations for tuning and adjustment difficulty. Shimano is said to be slightly easier to tune and adjust. Box is even easier. This shouldn’t have a lot of practical implications for your ride, but it’s part of why some people prefer Shimano.
VIDEO: TUNING YOUR REAR DERAILLEUR
Whichever you get, make sure to include it in your routine maintenance, covered in our mountain bike maintenance article.
7. CLUTCHES
Clutches are an innovation in mountain bike derailleurs which keep the chain on the gears even over bumps and jumps. Typically, quick changes in weighting and force can cause the chain to go slack, which makes noise and may result in a dropped chain. The clutch aims to solve this problem by keeping appropriate tension on the chain at all times.
Every manufacturer has their own system. SRAM has Type-2 and Type-3, and Shimano has Shadow Plus. When the technology debuted, they were somewhat unreliable and could make wheel changes difficult; they’ve since gotten easier to adjust and come with locking features for easy wheel removal. They are quickly becoming mainstream for all mountain bikes.
Photo by http://ift.tt/2q2hjDq
MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR REVIEWS
1. BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEURS FOR ALL AROUND
SHIMANO DEORE XT RD-M772
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Jenson USA
BEST FOR: Trail riding on a quiet 9-speed derailleur designed to avoid hitting rocks and stumps
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 227 g
PROS: Versatile front chainring options, durable, smooth
CONS: Limited lowest gear options
SHIMANO DEORE XT RD-M786 SGS
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Jenson USA
BEST FOR: 10-speed derailleur featuring Shimano clutch technology, designed to avoid hitting obstacles
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 258 g
PROS: Versatile front chainring options, durable, smooth
CONS: None we could find
SRAM X.9
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Jenson USA
BEST FOR: Great 9-speed rear derailleur that can work with double or triple front derailleurs
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: No
WEIGHT: 215 g
PROS: Supports 7, 8, or 9 speeds, accurate, precise, price
CONS: Loud, no clutch
2. BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEURS FOR ELECTRONIC SHIFTING
SRAM RED ETAP
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon
BEST FOR: State-of-the-art shifting without wires
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: No
WEIGHT: 239 g
PROS: Wireless, precise, smooth, accurate
CONS: Price
SHIMANO DI2 XTR M9050 REAR DERAILLEUR
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Jenson USA
BEST FOR: State-of-the-art shifting from the company that started it
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 289 g
PROS: Precise, smooth, accurate, range of front chainrings
CONS: Price, wires, weight
3. BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR FOR MAINTENANCE
BOX ONE
Check out the latest price on:
Jenson USA
BEST FOR: An easy to install and tune single front ring 11-speed derailleur from an independent company
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 265 g
PROS: Easy to maintain, unique, Shimano compatible
CONS: Only for single front rings, price
4. BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR FOR LOW WEIGHT
SRAM XX
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon
BEST FOR: Racing on the lightest 10-speed derailleur
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 181 g
PROS: Weight, quality, precise
CONS: Price
5. BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR FOR 12-SPEED
SRAM XX1 EAGLE
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Jenson USA
BEST FOR: Anyone riding a single front ring setup who wants a wide range of useful gears
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 265 g
PROS: Better range than 2×10 setups, quality, precise
CONS: Price
6. BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE DERAILLEUR FOR BUDGET
SHIMANO M640 ZEE
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Jenson USA
BEST FOR: Budget users who want to run 1×10 or 2×10 setups with latest clutch technology
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 268 g
PROS: Clutch technology, durable, precise
CONS: No triple support
SRAM GX TYPE 2.1
Check out the latest price on:
Amazon
BEST FOR: Budget users who want single, double, or triple front rings
SUPPORTS SINGLE FRONT: Yes
WEIGHT: 302 g
PROS: Clutch technology, compatibility, precise, accurate
CONS: Less durable, weight
The post MTB Derailleurs 101 appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.
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