Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from New Mexico
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2001
Strengths: shifting, cable routing
Weaknesses: none so far
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.
Submitted by
Sensible Nick
a Downhiller
from Shrewsbury, shropshire, UK
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2001
Strengths: cheap, neat cable routing
Weaknesses: everything else. the material it's made from, and the pivot points/pins. They snap like carrots.
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.
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.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
paul
a Cross-Country Rider
from netherlands
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1999
Strengths: cable routing
Weaknesses: looks, heavy shifting, reliability under muddy conditions
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.
Similar Products Used: Suntour Accushift Shimano Alivio Shimano XT
Bike Setup: Cannondale Super-V
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Neil
a Downhiller
from Hampshire, UK
Date Reviewed: April 27, 1999
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!
Strengths: Pulley stays close to cogs Relatively light
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.
Bike Setup: OCLV hardtail, LX 8spd Rapidfire shifter
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin rungø
a Cross-Country Rider
from aarhus, denmark
Date Reviewed: March 15, 1999
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.
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.
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!!
