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Long or Medium Cage rear derailleur for the road?

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  • 14-08-2007 10:45pm
    #1
    zoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 198 ✭✭


    What are the advantages/disadvantages of getting either a long cage or a medium cage rear derailleur for a mountain-bike-style cycle which is only used on the road?

    Would one be better than the other?

    Thanks!


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    #2
    Membrane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭Membrane


    Cage length determines what range of sprockets on the cassette and chainrings you can use. For a given cassette and chainrings there is no point in changing the cage lenght (provided that it was suitable for the gearing in the first place).

    Btw, MTB's are not efficient on the road, you'd be faster without the suspension and the extra weight.


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    #3
    zoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 198 ✭✭zoe


    Thanks Membrane,

    the bike has 21 gears. So 3 on the front cassette and 7 on the rear.

    The bike does not have any suspension.

    It currently has a long cage.

    It needs a new rear derailleur. I suppose there's no advantage in getting a medium cage instead of another long cage?


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    #4
    Membrane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭Membrane


    zoe wrote:
    The bike does not have any suspension.

    Then it's not a mountain bike, probably a hybrid.
    the bike has 21 gears. So 3 on the front cassette and 7 on the rear.

    It currently has a long cage.

    How do you know? It sounds like you have a low end hybrid, these are often equipped with a Shimano Tourney rear derailer which is unlikely to be a long cage version unless the bike has a mega range cassette (34t largest sprocket).
    It needs a new rear derailleur.

    Why?

    If it really needs replacing I'd suggest replacing it with the same type.


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    #5
    Titiritero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40 ✭Titiritero


    Membrane wrote:


    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zoe
    The bike does not have any suspension.

    Then it's not a mountain bike, probably a hybrid.

    Why? One of my mtbs has a rigid fork. I prefer it, as I don´t like the wasted effort and weight of the suspension, and I love the direct feeling of a rigid fork.

    About the 3x7, it might be an old mtb (pre 1996 maybe? Before only XT and XTR had the luxury of 3x8).

    About the long or short cage, what´s the size of your biggest sprocket? That will tell you if the derailleur will cope or not. A maximum of 28 will be your limit. Some of my friends use road derailleurs because of their faster response, reduced weight, and bigger distance to the ground (stones). In general, durability is not much different. Shimano had a short cage XT in the 90´s, but they stopped producing it when they increased the range of gears to 8 and 9 and a wider range of sprockets was released...


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