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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from New Mexico
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Signal Peak Race Course | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | shifting, cable routing | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | xt, xtr, lx, stx-rc | | Bike Setup: | daVinci FS, Cane Creek, Action Tec, Avid, Dean, DT Hugi, daVinci, IRD, Inmotion, IRC, SRAM, Race Face, Ame', Delta | | Bottom Line: | So far so good. Replaced my old shimano one which wasn't doing the job anymore. Wanted to try something new, and so far has been great. Good shifting withstood 2 crashes, 1 which fractured my index finger and it is still going. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sensible Nick
a Downhiller
from Shrewsbury, shropshire, UK
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything fast, and near vertical. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | many different places | | Strengths: | cheap, neat cable routing | | Weaknesses: | everything else. the material it's made from, and the pivot points/pins.
They snap like carrots. | | Similar Products Used: | loads of mechs, the best so far is a standard LX one, meduim priced, and long lasting. | | Bike Setup: | not important. Had many bikes, and used the mechs on many. full boing-full rigid. | | Bottom Line: | any large landing makes the returning (lower) part of teh chain drop, and it pulls the mech tight. SNAP!!!
don't do it. spend more money on a better Mech.
I bet that everyone who's snapped one has a tiny peice of plastic left on the Pivot bolt, and the rest of the mech in perfect condition (cos it's so damned new)
I've snapped 3.
They suck. Badly.
If I could mark lower than 1, I would.
Sachs... if you read this.. Try TESTING things before you put them out on the market. Prats.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
paul
a Cross-Country Rider
from netherlands
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
cable routing | | Weaknesses: |
looks, heavy shifting, reliability under muddy conditions | | Similar Products Used: |
Suntour Accushift Shimano Alivio
Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: |
Cannondale Super-V | | Bottom Line: | The Centera was mounted on my new Cannondale Super-V, together with the Sachs Neos shifters.
First few rides in dry weather, no problem. The next ride in very wet and muddy conditions, I had to readjust it along the way (after 10 miles or so), after that it still didn't work good, but at least I had a few gears that I could use. After cleaning, lubing and readjusting the thing at home it still wasn't working like it should. Even my old Alivio ('95) worked better, and the 8-speed XT/X-ray combo on my other bike is 10 times better. I like to use turn-shifters and I'm no shimano-fan, but I'm already fed up with the Centera and ordered a 9-speed XT with better shifters to replace this setup. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil
a Downhiller
from Hampshire, UK
Date Reviewed: April 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bucklnad Rings (Steve Geall's jump spot) | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Bottom Line: | I USED to own Sachs Centera Front and rear mechs. However the pivot pins (the ones that hold everything together) used to work their way so loose that they very nearly fell out.
The Bottom line: NEVER EVER BUY THESE! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Racer
from Cambridge, MA
Date Reviewed: April 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Tantalus Manoa Valley Trail, Honolulu | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Pulley stays close to cogs
Relatively light | | Similar Products Used: |
XT 8spd rear,
Sachs NEOS rear, mid size cage | | Bike Setup: |
OCLV hardtail, LX 8spd Rapidfire shifter | | Bottom Line: | This things works fine. I've had it 8 months. Had it in my toolbox, was thinking about returning it AFTER reading all these reviews in August '98. Broke my derailleur in 24 hours of new england, and needed to use it. Had the SRAM mechanic install it because I was way too tired. Boy am I glad I had him do it. Setup is funky. The cable housing needs to be way short. I suspect that that is the reason most people had shifting problems. It has a neat tiny Roll-a-ma-jig thing to route the cable. Seems to work to reduce friction. Was installed with a night crawler to keep the cable clean and dry. I've adjusted it once since August, with moderate riding throughout the fall and some in the spring. It has worked very well. The best thing about this design is that the top pivot is right at the top pulley so UNLIKE shimano designs, the pulley stays close to the cogs to get maximum chain wrap. Makes a lot of sense to me. For now, 5 stars.Sachs NEOS (not made any more) works well on my cross bike, but doesn't seem to match excatly with 8spd barcon spacing. Has been durable through the muck of cross. This would be 4 stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin rungø
a Cross-Country Rider
from aarhus, denmark
Date Reviewed: March 15, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
shifts well.
light weight. | | Weaknesses: |
the quality of the pulleywhells are very bad.
The plastic isn´t strong enought. The first derailleur smashed by a chain suck. | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: |
cannondale F800 | | Bottom Line: | Hey dudes. Don´t buy this derailleur. The first one lasted for only one month until it snapped like a dry stick of wood. The second one shifted OK, but the pulley-wells lasted only for a couple of month. So the money you saved buying this cheap derailleur, you will for sure use on pulleywhells, and that sucks. Buy shimano XT. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin B.
a cross-country rider
from Akron, Oh
Date Reviewed: February 22, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
....A follow up to the problem of the Sachs Centera...I quote... its plastic man...Plastic ! ...I should have followed my instincts...and that of the earlier reviews. As one may guess, I am FULLY dissatisfied....Sachs as a company and their customer service can Shampoo My Crotch...they are not willing to replace my 20 minute old derailleur. Granted, Maybe I expected a little performance...after all, I was convinced to rid myself of all shimano parts....wrong move. I have just rebuilt my OLD xt rear derailleur...it works like a champ...and more than 20 minutes. DON'T BUY SACHS DERAILLEURS....the company claims impropper installation...How the F@$K do you not install a rear derailleur right??At least back your friggin product-happy riding with shimano..... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin B
a cross-country rider
from akron, Ohio
Date Reviewed: February 9, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
The sachs centera.....oh boy. At first glance...sweet its carbon...ummmm... no...its thermo-plastic...errr??? it looked better than my old Xtr...certainly it was more reliable...NOPE. All the long winter of OHIO I have been building my new spooky frame( thanks JB mountain bikes)..finally on saturday night it was all together..I built the bike from the ground up..I am not a tech...but mechanicly inclined I am....so the first ride...not off road..Akron University's campus..with 2 guys on 20 inches...I was the pain...in 20 minutes, my chain snapped due to the pivot pin...and unboyscout-like me..no xtra chain links...so I was then walkin it...when I got home( after taco bell) I figured I better look at this beast...to my dismay...it @**%ing snapped ant the oddest point...ok what the hell, I have an xt new in the box..I will put that on for my sunday ride......it worked well. Century cycles, were the sachs piece came from is trying to get it taken care of...I will keep you all posted. The derailleur i an alturnative to shimano..I thought that stuff was ok...I didn't know how good I had it.If anyone has any suggestions for me PLEASE email me...should I go up to the plasma or quartz?? its not a money issue...its the anti shimano issue....the derailluer shifted awesome for 20 minutes...1 pepper..the service thus far from sarah at century cycles in medina, Ohio is 5 peppers....check back for further developments...... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kristo
a weekend warrior
from Belgium
Date Reviewed: January 18, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Sachs Centera on my Cannondale Super V; my frame is seriously damaged by the chain because of very weak spring, plastic der.wheels must be replaced after 1 month!!, the middle-center of the little wheely was grown so i could put my finger through it!
Sachs der. on Cannondales and other fullys are useless! because of the different way the cable is going out of the der. it isn't compatible with the der.cable on the frame (the cable must make a very short corner to fit in the der. so the force to use for shifting isn't comfortable at all, and i'm using Gore Tex cables!). I'm totally not a shimano freak (because they are using us as living testing labrabbits and ask scandalous prices for there parts) but sorry Sachs i've tried.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a weekend warrior
from Adelaide,Australia
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
After destroying 2 shimano LX & 1 STX rear der. I thought a brake from shimano
was a good idea.Sachs rear (the cheaper one)...looks good...shifted fine
with x-ray...but 2 rides & it snapped..warranty was fine..second try...first
ride,one foot drop...snapped & destroyed my rim..warranty on der fine
but they should have paid for my rim...long live XT rear der & 636 pedals
zero! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jed
a cross-country rider
from Providence, RI
Date Reviewed: December 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
It was time for a new der. after my trusty old XT started to wear out. Now I used this der. for 2 years and it was pretty banged up, but had always worked well. I was originally going to get an XTR, but was attracted by the Sachs Plasma's lighter weight. I decided to give it a try since I have great luck with other Sachs products. On my first ride I loved it - light, quick shifting, neat looking. By my third ride I hated it - ghost shifting, and it got all twisted up in a minor crash that would not have phased my XT. Overall I am very displeased with its performance. If you are looking for a new der, buy a shimano. They work and are cheap enough. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a racer
from Hamilton, NY
Date Reviewed: December 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased a Sachs Plasma rear derailleur at the beginning of last year (98)based on the initial trade magazine reviews that raved about the product. As previous reviews have stated, the derailleur performed flawlessly in normal (read little or no mud) conditions. I did not experience the ghost, premature or delayed shifting that was reported in other reviews. The first signs of trouble in paradise was a spring mudfest race in Central NY. The derailleur become mud-bound and stopped shifting at all. I had fouled Shimano derailluers in similar conditions before without loosing all shifting capabilities. A friend of mine had purchased the Centera model and had his hinge pin back-out during the race. This happened twice to the same individual during different races with differnet derailleurs. My Plasma met its fate during a not so muddy race after I picked up a stick in the chain. I felt/heard the stick become caught in the drive train and ***soft*** pedaled. The derailleur snapped in two. So here's my analysis: the product (Plasma) works very well in dry conditions. The derailleur is ***NOT*** made of metal and therefore will not have the strength to endure events such as driveline stresses due to sticks, stump whacking, rock rubbing, etc. One final VERY IMPORTANT note: SACHS (ERIC ? ) took care of me once I spoke to him about what had happened to my derailleur. I sent it (the pieces) to SACHS and they guessed it right...over-stressed. They stand behind their product and they appreciate feedback...they need it to mmake their products better !! Five chilies for customer service, three for the product...that makes four. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Hedin
a cross-country rider
from Berwyn, PA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had big problems with my Sachs Plasma DIRT rear derailleur:1) Lots of chain slap due to weak spring.2) Ghost-shifted on fast, rocky/bumpy terrain when jamming in big ring. I wasn't sure if this was the derailleur's fault, or due to the movement of my rear suspension (Ellsworth Truth).3) The metal cable guide elbow on the derailleur chewed through the cable and the cable snapped while I was out riding on an *easy* trailwith my girlfriend. I was very surprised that this happened as I've never had a cable break due to abrasion. Seems like a poor design to me, they should have a roller or a Teflon-lined noodle, IMHO.I finally ditched it for an XTR rapid-rise and all the problems have been solved. No more ghost-shifting, no excess chain-slap, and so far no problems with cable abrasion. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a cross-country rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: October 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I am proud to say I do not have a Shimano part on my bike! I am riding the Sachs Quarts mechs w/ the Sachs extreme shifters and have bee for 2 years with no problems! This stuff shifts flawlessly and performs well in the mud we ride in up here- Plus it is nice to look at. Sachs Quartz is not cheap but nothing is that works this well. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a weekend warrior
from Beaverton,Or USA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Have to agree with the complaint about the lack of Sachs catagories,but that aside this is a great site. Now on to Sachs. I was talked into buying a Quartz by a top end wrench who can make even Shimano stuff work well,but not as tightly as my Quartz does! In good conditions this baby just snaps the chain up and down the cassette,and in the mud, rain, and wind that occassionally bless our state it still ROCKS!!!!! Hope SRAM keeps this cold forged beauty out there for you to try!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mario
a weekend warrior
from Marin, Cal
Date Reviewed: September 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Sachs Centera Rear Derailleur:
1)Had for two months now, needs ample lubrication of pivot points and chain to work properly and quietly.
2)Looks differently from the rest. Prefer the SRAM ESP der. but they only work with their shifter.
3)This derailleur needs more attention than any shimano part I've dealt with.
4)However, once the thing was set up correctly, I've had no problems. Just remember to lube it once in a while.
5)Liked its design philosophy enough to order the Plasma for a bike I'm putting together. A lot of sceptics question the use plastics in mountain-bike parts, but plastics are also being used in guns, and never heard of one failing yet.
6)Keep your equipment fairly clean and it should last. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale
a cross-country rider
from Abq, NM
Date Reviewed: September 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I like this der.(plasma) alot but must admit I had a few problems at the start. The orig. instructions were, to say the least, crap. And my first der. snapped like a twig 'cause of bubbles in the mold. The 5-10mm spacing is best. There also seems to be some confusion over the housing length also. If you use the chart given you will have the housing way too long (at least for my seat stay routing). The longer housing causes the B-tension bolt to stop moving the der. at some point and the 5-10mm is hard to achieve. Nobody has mentioned chain length either. This is also critical in this setup. Too long and the B-bolt will never work, too short and you cross chain. Not all der. have same size cage, so new der.=new chain. blah blah blah, these chain tips are critical to all drivetrain setups. Basically for the Plasma if you have the housing length right and proper chain length the b-bolt will work (if you don't strip it) and you can get great performance even w/o gortex.
Only 4-chilis because of bad instructions and tiny bubbles. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Francisco Caetano
a cross-country rider
from Portugal
Date Reviewed: August 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Sachs DiRT - Neos
Hi! I'm here just to say that I'm extremely pleased with my new Neos.
Used to ride a Alivio and the diference is ENORMOUS. Besides from being lighter (much more), it's faster and more precise!
I´m riding also whith a Power Grip Extreme and the final result is faster shifting and beter control on the bike (so I can worry more about the track and not the shifting).
One negative aspect: It's kind of hard to get the best performance without serious adjustments to the b-screw (I've had some specialized help to get it right).
Other than that...Perfect (considering the price)PS. No need to say that you MUST use a Sachs chaim with it to get the best performance. I'm using the new PC-89. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
big daddy
a racer
from chattanooga tn
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
do not buy plasma rear der. buy LX much cheaper and better. this rear der. has excess play after only a months use. also on rough terrain,actually not so rough terrain it tends to shift on its own. seems i am not the only one having this problem. cheap looking plastic,way to expensive,oooops. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
big daddy
a racer
from chattanooga tn
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
do not buy plasma rear der. buy LX much cheaper and better. this rear der. has excess play after only a months use. also on rough terrain,actually not so rough terrain it tends to shift on its own. seems i am not the only one having this problem. cheap looking plastic,way to expensive,oooops. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Nilsson
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: July 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, actually it´s not that good. It looks plastic and it IS plastic. I had an XTR before they stole my old bike and I thought I would give the DiRT Plasma a chance. I have had the Plasma adjust about 3 times now its not perfect. It shifts gear very slowly, the XTR is much more distinct. I tried a friends bike with STX components and it worked alot better than my DiRT Plasma. It´s a shame it doesnt work any better because ever effort made trying to take some market from Shimano is worth encouraging. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
yuri
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: June 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Plasma DIRTFirst, the good points:
- light
- works pretty well even when covered with goo
- strong return spring (gripshift compatible)
- works well once dialed in (see disclaimers below)
- looks funkyNow, the negatives:
- overpriced. Buy a Centera, order the Plasma's alloy pivot bolt, and you have a superior derailleur compared to Plasma.
- requires serious modification to work with chainstay cable routing (nothing like attacking your new derailleur with a hacksaw blade and a round file) or else you get a lot of cable drag
- fiddly to get the b-screw set and the screw uses the plastic - should be in a metal insert in the derailleur
- the direct cable routing snags branches. This kinks the cable and results in bad shifting/lots of cable drag. I've replaced my cable 3 times and the piece of housing about 5 times in 4 months.I would recommend buying Gripshift's 9.0SL or Quartz. This product needs a redesign and a major drop in price. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Strawhorn
a cross-country rider
from College Park, MD
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
PLASMA D.I.R.T. - Don't Invest, Really Trashy
At first I loved this thing, it was light and different and most importantly, it worked better than my XTR. That was about a month ago though. After many wet rides and a crash, it has become sloppy and worn out. I should have listened to that voice in my head saying It's plastic man, PLASTIC!!!!
Junk - light junk | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Lighthall
a
from racer
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After 2 years of excellent performance I finally trashed my Quartz derailler at an expecially gnarly, muddy race in central NY. It was an extreme test for all shifting systems. I have been using the Sachs unit with their shifters along with a Rolamajig and life was sweet. I recently dismantled the derailler and inspected it for wear and was amazed at how tight things were--virtually no slop. Even better then the old Shimano XT--prior to Light Action BS. The failure was my fault--I tried to grab 3 gears on a muddy climb at once when the system was packed with mud. The chain got sideways in the pulleys and it ripped the derailler back with it. I had two friends with the Plasmas fail for much less abuse. One just quit shifting due to mubpack and the other dropped the spring pin. Final advice? As many of these prior reviewers have discovered, what works under ideal conditions doesn't when things get extreme. Buy the Quartz, it is stronger (in strength and spring tension) than anything out there. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sunny
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: June 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The PLASMA rear derailleur has serious flaws.
1) Without the B-tension system (combined with the weak spring), the derailleur does not rotate backward easily, causing the parallelogram portion to bounce more in the rough. This leads to auto-shifting when pedalling in the rough (actually, it doesn't take much for it to start) 2) Again, wihtout the B-tension system, the derailleur cannot swing back enough to allow wheel removal (on an Ellsworth Truth) without deflating the tire first! Granted, some hanger maybe shaped differnetly, allowing more rotation but, the hanger on the Truth looks pretty standard to me.My LX worked better (and is back on the bike) than this piece of crap. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luc
a racer
from Ayer's Cliff, Québec, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
E-mailed performance about the problems that I had, and they told me to return it.5 good chilies to Performance for customer service.1 poor rotten chili to Sasch for quality control and testing.Whoa,Your review needs to be 50 words or more. (current word count is 32)Since we'd like to give more detailed reviews to our viewers, please click the 'back' button and edit your review. Tell us what
you like or dislike about the product. Compare it to others that you've tried. Tell us what riding conditions you tried it in. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: June 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Two months ago I installed the Sachs Plasma DiRT rear derailleur on my '94 Specialized M2 Stumpjumper with Gripshift X-rays. I had been riding with a '94 XT and was waiting to upgrade to a '98 XTR. Instead, I took a chance with the Plasma after reading poor reviews on the rapid rise.I find the design and workmanship of the Plasma to be outstanding. The movement of the derailleur is simple as compared to Shimano parts and more precise. Having a undergraduate degree in Engineering, I continue to marvel at its design.With my XT, I had to constantly adjust the derailleur because of constant ring skipping. I have not had to adjust the Plasma once since I first installed it. While riding if I do feel a gear skip, I just slightly twist my shifter and the chain falls into place. I couldn't be happier with its performance, weight, and looks! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a racer
from Carlisle, PA
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a follow-up to a previous review of the Centera Dirt rear derailleur. It is also a plug for Performance Bicycles and Shimano XTR. I sent the remains of the shattered derailleur back to Performance with a friendly explanation and requested a XTR Rapid Rise derailleur and gladly paid the difference. Performance took the Centera back without a hitch and quickly sent out the XTR. Shimano has a winner here. This is the best shifting derailleure I've ever used and is an excellent choice for those of us who ride in extremely technical terrain. Enough about the XTR and Performance Bicycles, I have learned a valuble lesson: stick with the proven designs and spend your time riding, not tweaking. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
LUC
a racer
from Ayer's Cliff, Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Final review on the Sachs Centera rear derailleur. Went on a ride last saturday, dry and fast. With all the tinkerin' I've done( see my 2 prev. reviews), it worked okay, just okay.1 hour into the ride all hell broke loose ... a parralelogram rivet was missing. A %?$*$$* pin unriveted itself. I've never seen that before.Anyway, seems that Sachs has to go back to the drawing board and check their quality control dept.I wonder how much testing was done before this botched excuse of a derailleur was sent to us guinea pig.For that, I'd love to take back the 3 and 2 chillies I gave previously.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Nilsson
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Currently I am using Sachs Plasma D.i.R.T. on my Cannondale Raven and it works ok. Its not that good and its not better than XTR, the Plasma doesnt seem to be so smooth and exact as the XTR. Perhaps the Plasma needs some more tweeking and time to settle in so I will give it two more weeks(had it for two weeks now) and if it doesnt work any better I will replace it with a XTR. Too bad, because I like Sachs stuff. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luc
a racer
from Ayer's Cliff, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Here's another review of the Centera, as promise, two weeks later.After a couple of late night shifts in the basement, these are my conclusion on this damn derailleur. I wanted to like it. It's gorgeous, cheap, and I hate being ripped off.I really tried to make it work. I installed a Bassworm, changed cables, housing, played with the adjustement a LOT. What's wrong ?1.- The B-screw cannot extend the derailleur enough. The top pulley is WAY too close to the top gears (on an 12/32 cogset). The derailleur wraps too much, causing delay in shifting. I even put a longer screw. No luck.2.- The upper pivot is too loose. When you shift to a smaller cog, the pivot moves, but not the derailleur.3.- The spring tension is so weak, I had to put 3/4 of an inch of an old grip to put more tension on the parrallelogram, it helped, but not enough.4.- The cable makes a very thight U-turn. It may not be a problem on the more expensive Plasma, with its machined grooved, but on the Centera the cable really sticks.Finally it's an okay derailleur if you ride light. For racing, training, mud riding, I really think that you should consider something else.I'll contact Sachs. I'll keep you posted. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luc
a racer
from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a Centera rear derailleur from Performance, based on looks and price (under $35.00)Sachs did a great job designing it. the derailleur is unlike anything on the market.There's still room for improvement. Although the instruction manual is very complete, it is a pain to install (and I like to work on bikes). Since there's no upper pivot tension spring, the B-screw has to be adjusted perfectly. In the book they say that you have to have 10-12 mm between the top pulley and biggest cog on a 12/32 cogset. however, they've dumped a flyer in the box saying that you now need 5 to 10 mm ....Humm ... I can't go farther thant 6 mm; even with a longer screw, (more on that later). Seems that this is a last minute panic change from Sachs.Puzzling.On my first ride, a mudfest, the derailleur behaved weirdly. Ahhhh needs adjustements I thought.Once home, and with the bike cleaned, I played a bit with the B-screw: I stripped it. There was no aluminum or steel sleeve, the screw is tapped in plastic!I replaced it with a longer one, since the problem seemed to come from insufficient spacing between my 32 cog and upper pulley.I had to put some kind of bolt on the underside of the derailleur for my screw to hold. I tried Heavy Loc-tite. Didn't work.Anyway, it still didn't shifted as good as my old setup (1994 XTR w/Rollermajic).The cable has to do a very sharp bend at the back and it seems to cause lotsa friction.I finally installed a SRAM Bassworm, and it seemed to help.I'll post a review in two weeks.I'll give 3 chillies, but buyer beware. Ya gotta be some kind of techwiz to play with it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a racer
from Carlisle, PA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a review of the plastic bodied Centera D.I.R.T. rear derailleur. I ordered the Centera from Performance (under 35 bucks, back-ordered for several weeks) based on a glowing review by Mountain Bike magazine. It finally arived last Monday. I installed the Centera Monday night and anxiously awaited Wednesday evening's ride. At first the bike shifted nicely: quick, accurate shifts, and light action with XT rapid fire shifters. Then things got muddy and the shifting deteriorated. I couldn't adjust it to satisfaction out on the
trail, and chalked it up to cable stretch. I also noticed a tendency for sticks to find they're way into the derrailuer -- the design requires a precisely cut section of cable housing that hangs out to the side slightly and angles forward. I noticed more stick incidents on that ride than in a season of riding with the trusty XT that the Centera replaced. So I re-adjusted things, cleaned and lubed the drive train, and revisited the same trail on Saturday. This time the shifting was more consistent, even in the mud, but I still seemed to be flirting with a lot of objects trying to get into the drive train. While coasting down a moderately fast stretch of singletrack I felt the rear of the bike twitch for what seemed the third or forth time on this ride and instinctively locked the rear brake and quickly dismounted. The derailleur was destroyed! It was completely shattered; the body'd snapped in half at the pivots, the metal
part of the pulley guide had bent in half, and its plastic co-part shattered. The culprit was the same kind of stick I've pulled out of my drive train numerous times on rides in this region (central PA) without damage to the XT. Now I know that mountain biking is hard on equipment and that one cannot base reliability on isolated experiences. But this derailleur truly demonstrated an unusual tendency to suck sticks, and ultimately was easily broken leaving me with a long walk back to the car and time to contemplate my unwise switch from my reliable, and durable XT unit. I've had Alivio, LX, and several XT rear
derailleur on my bikes in 5 years of mountain biking, losing one XT to breakage that my dealer felt it was a metalurgic failure very unusual to Shimano derailleur, it was at least two years old and had survived many an incident before it failed. I don't think two rides beforea total failure is indicitive of a dirt worthty product. Two things to consider if you are considering this derailleur: 1) plastic body (I was unaware at time of mail order purchase)
seems fragile for serious mountain biking, 2) while the cable routing and oversized design seem to result in smooth shifting, for some reason it is a stick magnet. Based on my experience I'm giving 4 chillies for shifting and interesting design, but 1 chillie for the plastic Centera's construction and durability. Overall 2 chillies. I will repost after an opportunity to contact Performance and/or Sachs about this unusual incident. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Danno
a cross-country rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: April 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I enjoyed about five months of great shifting with this derailleur and it seemed to hold up pretty well. However, when I was riding Friday I did a double-jump and landed it slightly askew and somehow the derailleur literally ripped in half. The composite plastic just shredded to pieces and seemed to disintegrate. I am positive that if I had my metal XTR derailluer on at the time, the XTR would have survived this. I am very leery of plastic parts on my bike.Four stars for the trickness and performance of the derailleur while it lasted but 1 star for durablility (I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and give it three stars, since not everyone gets crazy in the air). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Pardue
a cross-country rider
from Nashville
Date Reviewed: April 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
We use Sachs Quarz deraillers front and rear with Power Grip Extreme shifters on a Dirt Research King's Canyon tandem - many happy miles. The standard drive front derailler is specced at 26 teeth difference... it can handle more. Smooth shifting under power. Sachs chains used on both drive side and timing side. Craig Superlinks work good with this chain - also used on both sides. Since I began using Sachs products I am not as impressed with the other two S companies offerings. I build wheels, setup and maintain my own equipment and I can promise you that you cannot go wrong with Sachs products. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas Malmgren
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: April 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I changed from an -96 XT to a Centera with the result that, finally, everything works just fine!!! And this for half prize too!!!
Only problem is that it is harder to adjust wire tension due to the lack of adjusting screw.I use Rapid fire triggers because they work, unlike Gripshit and other twisted gadgets (In Sweden we have MUD!) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Morten Boldsen
a cross-country rider
from Denmark
Date Reviewed: April 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've bought the new Sachs Plasma DI.R.T. rear mech, and use the Sachs Powergrip Extreme 8 speed shifters, and have been using it for 3 months now. I'm extremely satisfied, because it works very precise and fast, and it doesnt matter if it is all covered in mud. It doesn't run as quiet as the XTR, but quicker and more precise. It's the best stuff I've ever owned | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a weekend warrior
from Yorkshire, UK
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had a Centera rear mech for about a month now. its the budget version of the Plasma, using a lot of black plastic (& sexy red jockey wheels!), but that's fine by me. I'm using it with Suntour thumbies, & the shiftings great: better than my old LX rear mech, with noticeably easier upshifts.The forward facing cable stop seems like a great idea (less affected by mud) and seems to work well, setting it up was a breeze, its lighter than the old mech, and it was cheap (cheaper even than stx-rc).So no complaints, its gets the job done, and looks a bit different (don't know about long term durability, but at the price it doesnt really matter).
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a weekend warrior
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: March 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Recently got Sachs Extreme 8sp shifters, and a Plasma rear mech, and the thing is hot poo poo.... I was running STX rc before so Id expected an increase in performance, but its much better than I had anticipated, and totally light into the bargain!!If you like the Sachs shifters, this mech is a Must Have to put on your list | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrik Etschmayer
a cross-country rider
from Switzerland
Date Reviewed: February 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased a Plasma Derailleur a while ago and it works great. The shifting-force is really small (I use it with Sachs Shifters), it is precise and it is killer-light. Apart from that it looks cool and it is completely rebuildible. I think the plasma is one of the coolest parts around and I just hope that SRAM will not screw up that product.
A budget alternative is the Centera DiRT derailleur. It is a little heavier but works almost as great as the Plasma. Ideal for those who hate LX on the bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from Tallahassee, Fl.
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought the Sachs Plasma in November and waited to do the review. Have about 400-500 miles on it. Gentlemen, this is it. I hope Sram doesn't mess with this shifter because it's the best one built. Works with the GripShift X-ray but I preferred the feel of the Sachs Extreme shifter. Have not tried the Attack. Short throw, crisp,light. I use the Shimano xtr 12-32 non-ti cassette, sachs chain and have had no problems. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a cross-country rider
from Palmdale, CA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just read that Sachs has been bought out by Sram. I've been using the Sachs Extreme shifters and theyve been great. It seems that their greatest rival was Sram with their GripShift which has seemed to be inferior by what I've read on the postings here. Now they have one-upped their superior rival and the biking world will be screwed in my opinion. Now I am sure that Sram must make some good components but I hate to see the end of Sachs. Too too bad for us. I'll give five stars for the Sachs of the past. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
j
a cross-country rider
from ma
Date Reviewed: December 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I currently have f and r quarz with a sachs chain, cassette, and shifters. this is the best system Ive ever used. shifts smoother and faster than XTR, works great in mud, and actualy looks good to boot. I used a neos rear derailler for 8 months before the quarz. worked better than the xt that I has before it and cost $10 less. Break away bolts are available to fit sachs deraillers, I think alloy accents makes them. there arent enough chilis in mexico to rate scahs stuff | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SPIKE
a weekend warrior
from Seattle, WA Good Ol' USA
Date Reviewed: December 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Anyone have information/availability on the new sachs plasma der.? Have Quartz front and rear for 2 years, excellent shifting, never skips (rear) but have has monor shifting probs with front dropping to the granny. Has worked especially well with grip shift, although has anyone tried out the Sachs shifters? I would be interested in reports on their reliability | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a racer
from usa
Date Reviewed: December 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
new product review doesn't work right now, so...Kind of a pain in the butt to set up; if you don't like reading instructions, you bette learn to like it cuz this derailleur requires precise installation and setup.Crisp shifts when dirty and muddy. Feels like a rollamajig/xtr setup (my old one) and is relatively lightweight.Great owner's manual (what?!) comes with it. Make sure you own a good housing cutter because you will definately need to recut the housing to get it pretty darn close to the perfect length for the rear derailleur to shift like it should.I like the looks of it. But your aftermarket breakaway pivot bolt will not fit it due to the diameter of the bolt hole being huge.$90 shipped at speedgoat.com | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dennis romeo
a weekend warrior
from santee ,ca
Date Reviewed: November 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
sachs frt.@rear derailures | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruce
a cross-country rider
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: November 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have both the front and rear Quarz mechs. They have been on my bike since January and so far I have only tiny, stupid little thing to complain about - I keep snapping the rear indexing adjustment screw. But hey that's not the end of the world, and it is overcome by adjusting the indexing on the shifter. I run them with XT shifters over an Xt block and the shifts are superb, smooth and quick. At first I thought that they were a little over-priced but now after 2500miles, including two months couriering in New Zealand and some sport racing I think they are the dog's wotsit. XTR - who needs complicated reverse springs and puley mechanisms on teh back that will snap? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Flying Rudnicki
a racer
from Denmark
Date Reviewed: November 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
As a member of the Volvo-Cannondale devo. team I've been lucky enough to be riding with the Sachs component group, and I liked it, it is functional, works good, not great, but good! looks very nice, but I've recently gotten the new Sachs D.I.R.T Plasma derailleur, and that is the best piece of shifting equipment I have ever ridden. It shifts great, better than XTR, is very light weight, and looks absolutely beutiful. The best derailleur out there!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruce
a cross-country rider
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: November 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have both the front and rear Quarz mechs. They have been on my bike since January and so far I have only tiny, stupid little thing to complain about - I keep snapping the rear indexing adjustment screw. But hey that's not the end of the world, and it is overcome by adjusting the indexing on the shifter. I run them with XT shifters over an Xt block and the shifts are superb, smooth and quick. At first I thought that they were a little over-priced but now after 2500miles, including two months couriering in New Zealand and some sport racing I think they are the dog's wotsit. XTR - who needs complicated reverse springs and pulley mechanisms on the back that will snap? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Olaf
a weekend warrior
from Austin, Texas
Date Reviewed: October 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I had Sachs Quartz both in the front and rear. I lived in rain and mud for a year.
Great. Outperformes Shimano. Clean: Shimano is superb and Sachs is only
good. Muddy and dirty: Shimano fails and Sachs is still good.
I know when the rear Sachs Derailleur will fail: downhill on trail, 20 mph,
cranking, ramming a 1.5 inch Oak branch into the rear derailleur and wheel.
If you plan on doing that regularly, get a cheaper derailleur, cause the Sachs
won't stand that. Other than that, its perfect. Now, living in sunny wheather, I put
a cheaper XT in the rear, and without any mud that one is good too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T. Wrecks
a cross-country rider
from Bohica Falls, KS
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The review before this one of mine leaves me numb. Yoghida? Thanks for the one pepper review of a part you obviously no nothing about. You also do not understand the purpose of this site. Its for our reviews of parts we own. These obtuse responses make the average come out wrong. No big deal, I guess, however it is messed up.
I am going to try to fix this a little by giving a REVIEW. I have a Sachs Quartz front derailluer on my steed. It has a seperate mounting ring (available in different sizes) that attaches to the seat tube. The derailleur then mounts to this ring. The reason I used the Sachs is that the frame I have has ovalized tubing near the bottom brackett and the Shimano stuff would not fit with their low mounting point. The Sachs mounts higher up (like the old Shimano) where my tube is more round.
This is a tough product with a straightforward design. The quality is excellent, it only cost $32, and it shifts beautifully. It is made in France by a German corporation. I would have bought the Quartz rear derailleur but it costs $110 and I think the Shimmy XT rear is just as good at $40. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yogida Sawmynaden
a
from France
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Dear Sir/MadamI should grateful, if you could send me some information about your range of transmission products (Derailleur etc) and their price as well. I will give you my address if in case you can not send it to me by email.Thanking you in advance.Yours faithfully
Yogida Sawmynaden | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: August 9, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Just sold my six month old XT derailleur with tons of play in it for the SACHS Neos. I've been grinning ear to ear ever since. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D
a cross-country rider
from NC
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have recently put a rear new sucess on my previously lx equiped bike. The shifts to a lower gear are smooth and predictable, to a higher gear so smooth, I have to sometimes check as I am in doubt...then, all of a sudden the thing just starts to shift irradically sometimes on its own! It seems that the adjustment screw doesn't want to stay in place through a whole ride...i.e. 8 to 25 miles. If I could fix this problem, this derr. would be tits!!! Any suggestions? I have thought of using lock tight, but want to be able to adjust the thing occationally, how about bees wax? Oh, by the way...an Avid Rolamajig does fit, and works quite fine on this derr. Solid construction, smooth action, if I can solve this problem a solid 5, otherwise 3. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Schultz
a cross-country rider
from Wrocester,MA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
If it looks new, it works new. Last about one-derailleur per year.
Summary: lost 3 x times a pulley, what really sucks, when the others are ready
to dust the trails, and you have to walk. (once at night).
So bring a spare, a shimano will do...
And bummer!!!! I can't belive it. I lost a pressfit pivot-pin!!!!
and the End of the story, the bottem cage-pivot, developed a slope of
3/4 Inch.
Haven't decided yet, between ESP 9.0 or XTR,
The good part, works well with Sachs-Extrem or Grip-shift.
For the money get XTR + stronger spring for GripShift.
use locktite on puley screws, and bring spare. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
richard
a cross-country rider
from lodi ca.
Date Reviewed: May 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the New Success rear and everything was fine until I lost a pulley on the trail. Sachs does not have spare parts like sram or shimano, so after looking at the wieght,parts availability,and durability I have decided to give the new esp a try, i hope I will not be dissapointed in an american made component, after all sachs needs to have a complete line with supply and service to back them up especially at 109.00 for thier rear deraileur | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Manry
a cross-country rider
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the Quartz front and rear ders on a Bontrager RaceLite; also using a Sachs M-90 chain, GripShift, and RideOn Gore-Tex cables. This combination produces very positive, predictable shifts. If you like the action of older-style XTR you will like the Sachs derailleurs: no-nonsense construction and tightly-sprung operation. My impression (admittedly from only 500 miles of riding) is that they will last a very long time.
Note: If you're a fan of those little pulley things that mount where the derailleur cable adjusting barrel screws in, the ones made for Shimano ders (which I think is all of them) don't fit the Sachs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kris Ellis
a cross-country rider
from Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: March 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the Quartz front derailer on my bike. I used to have a Shimano LX, but it could never shift over to the granny during muddy rides; during races I could often be seen shouting Shift Damn-it and trying to kick the derailer over. Now with the Sachs installed I don't have these problems. The tension spring is really strong and it just kicks the chain over to the granny. I think that I may be prematurely wearing out my front shifters however because of the strong spring. We'll see. At any rate, for muddy conditions I really appreciate the reliability of this derailer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jan Patric
a cross-country rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: March 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is the first der. I used (after STX-RC, XT and Paul) that did´nt give up in the bad weather conditions here. It worked well for a year without even cleaning. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wilhelm Ritter
a cross-country rider
from Knoxville
Date Reviewed: March 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently installed the Sachs Quartz f. der. on a bike. It is light, the clamp is neat, the quality of material, construction, and finish just seems better than the XT f. der. on my own bike. It also just plain shifts better than the XT. Great product, good price (around $25). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Sheridan
a cross-country rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: February 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The derailleurs are superb, very well constructed, smooth and durable. The shifters are excellent, and easy to use. Very little maintenance required to keep things shifting well. The modular clamp system of the front der. is an excellent concept, and means you don't have to get a whole new der. if you buy a new frame. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nang Butterworth
a cross-country rider
from Santa Fe, NM
Date Reviewed: October 30, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Since been replaced by Sachs for free it has been lovely. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will Bean
a cross-country rider
from madras, OR
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Love them - put them on my old Bridgestone in place of Shimano LX with top mount shifters, which I thought I would never give up. They work well with Shimano cassettes and make shifting almost a mere mental action. By the way I am fairly anti-Shimano, so if you are too this is a great way to go. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a racer
from Winona, MN
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Best stuff ever. Well thought out. The only way you could break this stuff is if you
were a meathead who doesn't understand the differance between tight and too tight.
I have had no problems despite Minnesota Clay, rain, abuse, stupidity, and neglect.
Set screws can be adjusted with a screwdriver(either), or an allen wrench (in case you
shred the screwdriver part). Very stout. It is also reasonably priced comapred to Shimano.
Reasonably meaning the same or less in comparable price range.
I would recomend this stuff to any rider who is tired of throwing ders away every season
and wants something that is durable-not chi chi or super lite. Basically I recommend this to
anyone who really does ride alot. This stuff is for you. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nang Butterworth
a cross-country rider
from Santa Fe, NM
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
model: front
It worked fin for about I month and then I tried to change my cables.
Tightening the screw that holds the cable resulted in a snap... and the
part is now useless. It broke right where the screw attaches to the rest
of the derailer. I have yet to try to return it to Sachs, but I will. I am not very
optimistic, however. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JEFF VENGLASS
a downhiller
from rancho cucmaonga CAL.
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I LIKE THIS ALOT AND THE WORK GREAT THEY ARE NOT SHIMANO BUT
THEY WORK AS WELL IF NOT BETTER.
VERY STIFF. | | Overall Rating: |
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