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Shimano
Alivio Rear Derailleur
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Submitted by
ctbarron
a Weekend Warrior
from Annandale, VA Date Reviewed: September 28, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Reliable entry level RD, low price | | Weaknesses: | Entry level - it isn't the fastest, smoothest, lightest... | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SLX, Deore; SRAM X-5, X-7 | | Bottom Line: | I've found this to be a good entry level derailleur. It is reliable, has chewed up sticks, and taken a few minor hits. It has been cranking along for about 18 months. It is also pretty easy to adjust, and I'm not mechanically inclined.
On the downside, it is slow, especially shifting outward. It is also not the smoothest and makes a lot of noise when in slow-mode.
Bottom line - entry level (cheap, reliable). Good for light XC, trail riding, on a hybrid, etc. For harder/faster riding, go with something higher up the food chain. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
warpig
a Cross Country Rider
from west hartford, ct Date Reviewed: August 16, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | dick's sporting good | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | see below* | | Bike Setup: | diamondback coil EX (dick's sporting goods department store special lol) | | Bottom Line: | used it 6 months on extreme cross county, 2 -3 times a week
-constantly skipping up and down gears
-slooooooow shifting - i'd be 1/2 way up a hill before it would even downshift
-cage is long and bends if you look at it wrong
-weak metal that sheared and finally collapsed (the limit screw contraption thing, forget it's name)
-unless you're riding around your neighborhood sidewalk spend a little extra money and get something better, you'll be glad you did | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JPritchard
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester,England Date Reviewed: August 6, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | XC | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$575.00 | | Purchased At: | Leisure Lakes Bikes | | Strengths: | Cheap | | Weaknesses: | Horrible!!!
Crunching gear changes when trying to select a higher gear, jumping on every gear and It only let me select 3 gear max towards the end. | | Similar Products Used: | Sram x5
Shimano Deore
Shimano Slx | | Bike Setup: | Specialized hardrock sport frame
Hayes sole brakes
Hope pro 2 hubs on mavic xc717s
Mx pro eta forks
answer pro taper carbon bars
stock crankset
DMR V8 pedals | | Bottom Line: | I was going down hill at roughly 25mph flicked down a gear and the bleeding thing jumped and snapped into 2 pieces, which caused me to nearly come off as it fell straight through my wheel!! The steel literally just snapped!!
If you want something that is cheap and it gets used once or twice a month with LIGHT pedalling then this would be ok, but after this experience I shall be buying the proper stuff and not saving the pennies on cheap and cheerful.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
aswplease
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: June 13, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | New Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Does what it's supposed to
Inexpensive | | Weaknesses: | Not good enough for everyone, clearly! | | Similar Products Used: | Bike stuff | | Bike Setup: | Two wheels, some gears, handlebars | | Bottom Line: | Basically, if you can be bothered to maintain your bike - give it a wash, adjust gears and brakes and stuff, then this will do the job. It is a little rattly in a few gears and, I'm pretty sure, it won't hold up to smashing it into tree roots or concrete slabs repeatedly, but then your eyes are there to see those things and the bar at the front that you hold on to should help you avoid them!
You get what you pay for - a bit of care and patience will make this work and last. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
beanaritadotcom
a Cross Country Rider
from Texas Date Reviewed: May 25, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | BikeWorld | | Strengths: | Didn't need adjustment very often, held up and shifted under stress and pressure. | | Weaknesses: | Didn't do well with mud. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4300 disc. Only modification is Specialized - The Captain tires. | | Bottom Line: | Bought my bike new about a year ago and it came with the Shimano Alivio rear derailleur. Over the last year I've gone over some tough trails and put a lot of stress on the component - and it held up great. Only needed adjustment 2 or 3 times (that was mostly in the first few months of riding when everything is stretching and needed adjustment anyway).
A few days ago I was riding through some thick mud. The derailleur got clogged and broke in half - the metal that holds it on the bike snapped. Up until that point (and before my 5 mile walk home), I had no reason to be unhappy with it. This is probably my fault though - after researching it, it's not built for heavy mud use. I'm going to replace it with something a little more high-end (haven't made up my mind on what to buy yet) - and also stay out of the mud. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
etiennem
a Weekend Warrior
from Burnaby Date Reviewed: March 30, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | None in perticular | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Caps Cycles New West | | Strengths: | Considering my luck with it, none really. | | Weaknesses: | This derailleur was actually on my girlfriends bike, i wanted to initiate her to the trails, and before we even got there, the whole thing broke off at the mount point. The steel literally broke! I got it on a Specialized Hardrock Comp Disc bike. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This Derailleur is the biggest disappointment ever! I've never seen a derailleur break off while pedaling on a gravel trail (Walking path). I'm SUPER disappointed and i really hope my LBS will replace it since it was only used 3 times (never on a rough trail).
I strong advice avoiding this product at all cost! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TrailX316
a Cross Country Rider
from Kanata Canada Date Reviewed: December 21, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur is probbaly one of the best rds for the price. I believe it was 30 dollars, and it performs like an SLX. With proper tuning and use it on the terrain suited for it, it really will surpass your expectations. I do light trails and it never gave up. If you're on a tight budget, buy this one, It'll out perform the deore and deore lx. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kirbyfreek
a Weekend Warrior
from Earth Date Reviewed: September 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Oreos | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | Never gives up. If plastic cracks, one can still limp it back home while pedaling.
| | Weaknesses: | Surprisingly easy to damage. | | Similar Products Used: | CRAPPY CHINA BIKEZZZ | | Bike Setup: | Stock 2007 Trek Mountain Track 240 | | Bottom Line: | Fine with moderate conditions. The bike fell downhill backwards still on its wheels because I failed going up a 47 degree slope. But it still worked with the help of my brother (but not so well, but it worked). Happy face = Alivio :D | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rockin downhiller
a Downhiller
from California Date Reviewed: September 7, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | dead campers | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Friend | | Strengths: | Good street derailer | | Weaknesses: | Does not work at all for downhill or freeride. It shifts randomly on trails or skips in certain gears. The cage is too long and I hit it all the time | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | iron horse yakuza sohon bucho | | Bottom Line: | dont get it if you ride downhill or freeride | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bender
a Racer
from Duluth, MN, USA Date Reviewed: August 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Hartley | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Ski Hut | | Strengths: | Not much upkeep needed.
| | Weaknesses: | Snapped off after 4 months of riding.
Can't handle rough trails or steep hills.
| | Bike Setup: | Specialized Rockhopper 08 | | Bottom Line: | Good if you dont like tending to your bike. Not durable enough for someone who is a serious rider. Cheap is good though, it performs great for the price. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matty oy!
a Weekend Warrior
from NY Date Reviewed: July 18, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | the next....FACE PLANT | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durable | | Weaknesses: | none really | | Similar Products Used: | all other kinds of derailleurs | | Bike Setup: | alivio shifties, jet pack, v8 engine on my bicycle | | Bottom Line: | this is a pretty good derailleur, if your lazy like me and dont like to do proper maintenance then you might have some issues with it because of dirt, cables, etc. But if you have everything set up right then no problem. Currently I am compromising with a little bit of adjustments and I sort of have to pick and choose which gears I want the derailleur to work on. Then again not all combinations of 24 speeds are supposed to be used anyway...
BOTTOM LINE-fly around on a magical JET PACK then you'll have no worries, nor any sanity | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Illuminatus
a Racer
from Amsterdam, Netherlands Date Reviewed: June 19, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | The Dutch countryside | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Presto, Amsterdam | | Strengths: | Inexpensive product, seems reliable & easy, smooth gear change | | Weaknesses: | Occasional slip, took the bike to the shop of purchase for it's 1st free service recently and now works great. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bottom Line: | I bought a Stevens Galant lite which is a lightweight touring bike, I do 40Km every day for work and long runs at weekends in all weathers.
The bike has all the Alivio components including the V-brakes, so far in 6 months I've only had the very occasional gear slip, everything else has been fine, but then again I'm in Holland which is flat as a pancake and with a very well developed smooth surfaced cycle path network throughout the whole country, I would recommend the Alivio for flat & easy terrain but I don't think it would perform so good on hard hill climbs or heavy off road use.
For me it's been very good, maybe I might upgrade to an XT or something in the future when the Alivio eventually dies out.
Good value. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clay
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Date Reviewed: April 4, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Pembina | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Sampsons | | Strengths: | Works all the time | | Weaknesses: | May be a little heavy | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Hard Tail Marin | | Bottom Line: | This product has worked everytime I have taken it out, slight preventative maintence (change the chain change the pulley wheels) and keep it clean. I have used my bike as a daily bike for going to work and have clocked easily 7000 km and no problems. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
corey
a Weekend Warrior
from se usa Date Reviewed: February 8, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt and rock | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | price function value | | Weaknesses: | bling factor weight | | Bike Setup: | one with two wheels | | Bottom Line: | this derailleur works.... period. Once your cables are broken in and everything is re-adjusted, your good to go for a while. may need to tweak the barrel adjuster a half turn every few hundred miles, but so what.
if your cables, housing, derailleur, cassette, and chain are clean and lubed properly, which they should always be, and you have shifters that work properly, this derailleur works great. If you need a derailluer and need to save a few bucks, this one will work.
the people that say it skips, or won't shift, etc, have OTHER PROBLEMS IN THEIR DRIVETRAIN. If you don't clean, lube, and maintain the drivetrain you can bolt on a 250 derailleur and it is not going to work. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Dowling
a Cross Country Rider
from Leedstown, Cornwall, UK Date Reviewed: August 31, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Bodmin Moor | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Original equipment on my Diamondback Response | | Strengths: | Once the cable has stretched in, very little upkeep required. Good solid changing and easy set up. This is where the Deore was when it first appeared. Rugged. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly slow down shifts. Indifferent cassette clearance adjustment. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, XT. | | Bike Setup: | Full mountain hardtail frame, XC wheel set. Alivio front and rear, with alivio rapidfire shifters. Marzocchi Bomber forks, 170mm discs front and rear. | | Bottom Line: | This mech offers very good value for money, being resilient and easy to maintain. After bending the jockey wheel cage on mine, along with the dropout and straightening them both as much as possible, the alivio continued to work flawlessly after readjustment. Replacing the dropout necessitated fully readjusting the mech, which indicates that it is sensitive to alignment angles, so the need for proper setup cannot be underestimated. Recommended, especially for entry level users. Not really suitable for dirtjumping and serious downhill. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zak Kennedy
a Weekend Warrior
from PC Date Reviewed: August 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | None | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Horrible but if adjusted properly can work farely well when shifting. Did me good on drops and ramps untill it broke! CHEAP.. | | Weaknesses: | Shimano,, got to be bad. After riding on it, it starts to skip alot. Bends easily. | | Similar Products Used: | NONE I use to ride bmx. | | Bike Setup: | Norco Rival 2 front rings 8 in the back | | Bottom Line: | Not a great derailer unless you are not having problems with it and can buy a new one every soo often.. With me it got caught in the spokes as i was riding and broke and it also broke alot of my spokes in my rim..:( | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jimbo
a Downhiller
from australia Date Reviewed: August 25, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | came with my bike | | Strengths: | well for how much it costs pretty much everything | | Weaknesses: | doesnt work well with a guide at the front. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bottom Line: | for the price of this you cant go wrong. If i buckle it or break it its not really gonna matter, same cant be said for an x0-break it and thats $400 wasted. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Cedar MN USA Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Theo Wirth | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | skips out of all high end gears I have an eight speed Giant Rincon and can't shift out of 4th without it slipping. | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Giant Rincon pretty much stock as far as mechanical goes.
| | Bottom Line: | If you do any serious riding upgrade to a better derailleur. I have used Shimano components for many years. This product is a disgrace to the Shimano name | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug Clarke
a
from ridgeway, ON, canada Date Reviewed: July 17, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | ridgeway dirt jumps | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | steves bike shop | | Strengths: | shifts smooth adjusts easly, once your cable is streched and it is adjusted corectly it will run smothly | | Weaknesses: | has to be kept pretty clean or runs sorta rough when you back peddal | | Similar Products Used: | shimano tourney, on another bike | | Bike Setup: | giant stp 2 with single ring in front | | Bottom Line: | i need to replace mine because i had dumb kids that dont listen screw mine up but before they touched it it worked amazing i would recamend this part just dont let anyone land on it | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SilverStraty
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas Date Reviewed: July 4, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | any trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on my Ironhorse (Northface) Kichatna | | Strengths: | Very quick shifting, cheap, easily adjusted | | Weaknesses: | Not many so far, just a little tick sometimes in high gears | | Bike Setup: | 2005 Ironhorse (Northface) Kichatna.....Truvativ X-flow crank, Truvativ handle bar, Manitou Liquid Pressure front shock, Shimano Alivo gearing, and speed disc braking | | Bottom Line: | Anyone who says they have a problem with this system either doesnt take care of their bike or they dont know how to do proper upkeep and maintance like adjustments to their rear derailer and their bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas Date Reviewed: July 4, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | any trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on my Ironhorse (Northface) Kichatna | | Strengths: | Very quick shifting, cheap, easily adjusted | | Weaknesses: | Not many so far, just a little tick sometimes in high gears | | Bike Setup: | 2005 Ironhorse (Northface) Kichatna.....Truvativ X-flow crank, Truvativ handle bar, Manitou Liquid Pressure front shock, Shimano Alivo gearing, and speed disc braking | | Bottom Line: | Anyone who says they have a problem with this system either doesnt take care of their bike or they dont know how to do proper upkeep and maintance like adjustments to their rear derailer and their bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gavin Davies
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: May 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Llandegla | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | bought at shop | | Strengths: | Very cheap, it came with my Kona Scrap. I was suprised such a low cost rear mech was on a bike like this. | | Weaknesses: | Skipping gears Constant clicking Need maintenance | | Similar Products Used: | LX, XT and XTR much better. | | Bike Setup: | Kona Scrap with standard issue parts. | | Bottom Line: | This product does its job. For weekend occasional use remember that you need to use lube and clean correctly every 2 weeks.
I've had a few problems and on going ones that I cant seem to correct even after reading numerous instructions on how to tweak the mech.
I'd avoid it if you can afford LX, XT or XTR. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marvin
a Weekend Warrior
from Glendale, CA Date Reviewed: April 29, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Verdugo Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Great and Durable, Never failed on me. | | Weaknesses: | after putting about 1000+Miles on it, it is starting to down and up shift bad, skips gears if not tuned very well. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX Rear Derailleur | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4300 Hard trail, Disk, LX Front Derailleur, LX rear Derailleur, Rock shox 318 Front Fork, cat eye micro wireless speedometer. | | Bottom Line: | For an entry Trail biker, its not as bad as what others might say, i mean it has lived for 1000+ Miles with me and i am sure it can handle more, but not for me anymore as i have started doing more mountain trail and down hill rides and it was time for me to upgrade! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hrvoje
a Downhiller
from zagreb,croatia Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | woods | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | markoprojekt | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Cheap by the built,performance and looks | | Similar Products Used: | Sram sx5 | | Bike Setup: | Norco rival 06 stock | | Bottom Line: | Alivio is made for people that seats on their bike once or twice a year for that its perfect.For all the other riders who want anykind of performance from their changers by anything(!!!!) else | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott b
a Weekend Warrior
from apple valley ca Date Reviewed: January 14, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Ibex.com | | Strengths: | it made out of metal, Easy to ajust. | | Weaknesses: | It seems to skip gears and shift when you don't want it to. | | Bottom Line: | Its pretty much bottom of the line, Its not soild on road nor esspcaily off road(on Smooth fire roads) theres a very good chance this product will fail on you. You will be kicking your self. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from CANADA! Date Reviewed: October 30, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | looks good (i guess ) fast shifting when tuned | | Weaknesses: | dosnt like mud or KMC chains | | Bike Setup: | KHS dj50 avid bb5 brakes rukton cranks | | Bottom Line: | great derailer for xc but to loose for dh&fr | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kenny Redman
a Weekend Warrior
from B.C. Canada Date Reviewed: September 1, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | N/A | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Experience Cycling | | Strengths: | its an ok derailleur for most people who ride there bike light and dont ride there bike that hard but for a person like me who rides there bike hard i would not get this derailleur | | Weaknesses: | its to long sticks get cought in it alot, also it broke today so now i dont have no 1st gear and no 4,5 gears are gone also | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | 06 Santa Cruz Jackal, manitou sherman break out plus, double track rims | | Bottom Line: | this is not a half bad derailleur for a person who does not ride there bike that hard but if you ride you bike hard every day i would say not to get this derailleur | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik Lavergren
a Weekend Warrior
from b.c. canada Date Reviewed: August 20, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | hells highway | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | works good. tune it just rite so it shifts: QUICK!!! | | Weaknesses: | i tuned it and wen i`m my shifter is in 7th its acually in 6th. | | Bike Setup: | 06 fisher mullet | | Bottom Line: | the derailleur is a good 1. i wood recomend it to any 1. but mite want to upgrade to a deore or a lx, xt. Overall its a good derailleur. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony Willetts
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt leonard | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | came on b ike | | Strengths: | great shifting, solid, doesnt get in the way when doing drops or jumps | | Weaknesses: | none that i can c | | Similar Products Used: | shimmano altus and shimmano Deore LX | | Bike Setup: | shogun floater, hussefelt crankset | | Bottom Line: | great derailer, i have used this derailer from 1.5m drops and sk8parks/DJ to XC and it has always worked perfectly, shifts awesome and stays in gear even over really ruff terain. i had a Deore LX which i baught for my old bike and that now sits in my shed but im not bothering to swap it ova because this works just as good as that ever did. If u need a new derailer save the extra $$$$ u would have spent on a deore or XT and go for the alivio which is much cheaper and works great!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ryan sermon
a
from perth western australia Date Reviewed: July 12, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | everything | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | everything it has taken everything - bmx track,skate park, freeride jumping park fences, kurbs mega rim bashes -indestructable | | Weaknesses: | mm only the fact that the bottom bracket looks crap | | Similar Products Used: | many shimano sis- hah not even capable of changing gears- rip off ov a shimano- fell off on my first mtb when changing gears, shimano tourney- base line derallier (xcluding sis) acera- faily good only for curusin or soft of road, shimano deore allright only for cross country, deore lx and xt best of the best and lastly the shimano XTR best of the best doesnt handle the rim bashes that well. havent yet to try the saint or hone | | Bike Setup: | giant stp2 06 - mazocchi 125mm djpro, ft alivio, rt alivio, double wall rims | | Bottom Line: | indestructable and good for average riding dont go any lower than the alivio | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike
a Weekend Warrior
from boulder creek, california, usa Date Reviewed: June 18, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | my street | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1860.00 | | Purchased At: | cycle works | | Strengths: | it shifts fast and smooth | | Weaknesses: | i went off three foot drop off and it got caught in the spokes and broke | | Similar Products Used: | every shimano Derailleur me and my friend have had has broken | | Bike Setup: | 2006 norco shore 3 stock, 2 days old from shop | | Bottom Line: | dont get it if your gonna go off any jumps drop offs. Its great if your just cruising around a park | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roy Scoggins
a Downhiller
from Eureka Date Reviewed: June 14, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Kneeland | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | Revolution | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | its a shimano, thats it. its crappy as hell. if you ride road, its fine, but XC, and freeride, downhill. yeah it is bad. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM! the best. | | Bike Setup: | yeah. | | Bottom Line: | dont buy, its cheap, but not worth it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik Lavergren
a Weekend Warrior
from B.C. Canada Date Reviewed: May 16, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | The derailing is really good. it looks really cool. it works really fast. | | Weaknesses: | I had to take it over to the shop to get it adjusted because when i was in secind it skipped to first. But thats really it. | | Bottom Line: | It works really great. The bad thing is that it may skip when you are in second but if it does that take it over to the shop to get it adjusted. Overall it is a really good deraillear I would recommend it to any rider. Shamino deos a really good job. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zach Davis
a Cross Country Rider
from Scotland, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: May 4, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | too many | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Ancaster Cycle | | Strengths: | Shifts great after a year of almost daily use. XC, DJ, Trails. May not shift as crisply as high end, but i dont notice a big difference . Never bent, works well. | | Weaknesses: | none really | | Similar Products Used: | Acera, SIS, Altus, XT, Deore | | Bike Setup: | Giant Rincon, upgraded | | Bottom Line: | great derailler, ill ride it till it dies, and it hasnt yet looks good and costs little | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Ney York Date Reviewed: April 11, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Inexpencive Reliable for its class, shifts quickly if proporly adjusted and when used with HG or equivilent rear coset. | | Weaknesses: | entry levle | | Bottom Line: | I Upgreaded to thies becuse I snaped my old one off. they work smooth and fast when you use an HG or equivlent Rear sprokets. Havent wrecked them yet in 4 months over very technical trails and 1-3 foot drops. has had sticks and other stuff run though them and they still work. good value | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
marco
a Weekend Warrior
from massachusettss Date Reviewed: October 8, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | singletrack! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | wheels n reels | | Strengths: | it works?....works after bein bashed up | | Weaknesses: | dont know how...but the derailleur is bent inward towards the rim...so gear 3 and under causes the rim to hit it but i've been told it can be fixed. also, the fine tune adjustment snapped off so all the shifts are a whole gear off, and the derailleur really feels like crud | | Similar Products Used: | toys r us | | Bike Setup: | raleigh ram 1.0 | | Bottom Line: | its ok...it was probably my fault the derailleur bent...but in the first 2 months this thing was nice | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicholas Gum
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Date Reviewed: September 30, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Locals | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Excellent shifting from Shimano | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't tighten chain when hitting rocky terrain, resulting in chain falling off or hitting chainstay = damadge. | | Similar Products Used: | Huffy Derralieur on a huffy bike..... :P | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Excellent derralieur for light XC, but not designed for DJ, FR, DH, etc | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nima Jafari
a Downhiller
from melbourne, victoria, australia Date Reviewed: September 28, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | balwyn | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | hasnt stuffed up yet, allright shifting | | Weaknesses: | nothing | | Similar Products Used: | sram 5.0 | | Bike Setup: | rocktrail, cable disc, 2.35", double walls | | Bottom Line: | works well, but more der... are better | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Weekend Warrior
from Central Colorado Date Reviewed: September 26, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Good upshifts. | | Weaknesses: | Slow, clunky downshifts; cheaply made. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM 5.0 | | Bottom Line: | The Alivio rear der came standard on my '05 Trek Mavigator 200. Didn't like it's downshifts at all- slow and clunky. Upshifts were good, but that's only half the battle! Had my LBS upgrade to the Deore LX recently and am much happier now. The Alivio will sit in my parts box for emergencies only. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Denis
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: August 28, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Good shifting, looks good, seems very responsive and bombproof. | | Weaknesses: | adjustment screw for jockey wheel/rear cog clearance seems to not function properly. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, XTR, SRAM 5.0, RC-STX, XT | | Bike Setup: | 05 IH warrior sport | | Bottom Line: | This is the 2005 model. This derailleur seems to work very well. Actually it works better then my Deore or XTR did!! The xtr had lightning speed response but to fragile for hard riding. Some people's reviews say it shifts slow... mine doesnt at all, and shifts well underload and trust me i'm a load lo 240 lbs 6'1. 5 flamin turds for value 4 for the bum screw. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterloo Canada Date Reviewed: June 10, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Very durable. Ridden through mud and dust and heavily salted winter roads for 3 years now, and with haphazard oiling the shifting is still definite and reliable. Unkillable. | | Weaknesses: | A bit slow and clunky on the shift; gotta be on your toes to ride tight or steep trails, because you won't be easily shifting on the climbs. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore LX | | Bike Setup: | stock marin trail/mtb | | Bottom Line: | If you want serious performance, look elsewhere. If you want value via durability, my experience has been very positive. I expect that most people buying MTBs, including those who tell themselves they're going to ride really hard, will find the Alivio all they need. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Davo
a
from Australia Date Reviewed: January 23, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | cheap not only price but also quality | | Weaknesses: | shifts too slow, hits frame, ghost shifts sometimes when doing jumps and dosnt shift well under stress | | Bike Setup: | stock stp2 | | Bottom Line: | get something that can shift under stress and that shifts faster | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wesley Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Lakeside,CA Date Reviewed: November 3, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | my house | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Zumwalts College Cyclery | | Strengths: | It is is durable and hasn't broken yet. | | Weaknesses: | It shifts way too slow when pedaling and it misses shifts when pedaling to hard or it makes a loud clunk sound when shifting under stress. It is starting to shift even worse now and i've only had it a year. | | Similar Products Used: | This is the only product i have used
| | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | It is a good product-when it is new. It doesn't shift right and gets worse over time. If your a person who just likes to cruise its good,but if your are a downhiller or dirt jumper it is not so great. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX Date Reviewed: October 6, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | They work and are durable | | Weaknesses: | Slow shifting | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS, Deore | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4500 Stock | | Bottom Line: | These are fine for a recreational rider who isn't going to need to make and quick shifts. They shift far too slowly and mis-shift under too much stress. On the other hand, they have been very durable. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Terence Lam
a Downhiller
from Sydney, NSW, Australia Date Reviewed: September 28, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Lasts quite long... | | Weaknesses: | Shifts slower than many other derailleurs i've tried.
| | Similar Products Used: | none. this is the worste. | | Bike Setup: | Norco 125 | | Bottom Line: | This is a bigish downgrade from the Deore series, it is only a bit cheaper than the Deore aswell! I'd advise paying an extra $20 and getting a Deore. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Arnaud F.-R.
a Weekend Warrior
from Charny, Quebec, Canada Date Reviewed: September 15, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | street | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | Action velo ski | | Strengths: | nothing | | Weaknesses: | all, slow shifting, breaks easily, crap in mud, disajusts rapidly | | Similar Products Used: | acera | | Bike Setup: | norco bushpilot, wellgo metal pedals, sr xc 60 75 mm, cartridge headset, weinmann rigida zac 2000 rear wheel comp spokes 4rox sealed hub , alex ace 18 front rim formula hub | | Bottom Line: | this is not a good derailleur . You should not buy it but if it comes with the bike keep it until it breaks. it should be "correct" if you just roll in the street but if you go a little wilder it is not very good. dont buy it new go for a deore xt | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fred
a Weekend Warrior
from Kewick, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: September 2, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Spoke O Motion | | Strengths: | Great performer specialy coming stock. | | Weaknesses: | Does not like to shift under a heavy load, and slow. But still it gets the job done. | | Similar Products Used: | XTR | | Bike Setup: | Norco Chaos - Look on the web site. | | Bottom Line: | Great part specialy coming stock. Done some pretty stupid things on this bike and its still holding together unlike my peddles which i had to upgrade. Besides those two flaws mention above, its a great product. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rubén García
a Cross Country Rider
from Madrid (Spain) Date Reviewed: May 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Every XC | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Price- value, reliable, doesn’t need many attention, durability. | | Weaknesses: | Weight, shift with problems if there are too much tension in the chain (up hill); sometimes not very precise | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SiS (Crap!), STX-RC, Deore, LX | | Bike Setup: | I use it in my Univega Grove City Bike. It has a mix of Acera and Alivio, no front shock
| | Bottom Line: | My comment is for the 1999 version (with the big A). Correct, you cannot expect too much of it. For the proposal in my city bike it is Ok, but I use it also in easy off-road paths and there it has some problems, especially up hill.
Sometimes it is difficult to shift down, it makes a strange noise and needs too many time. It is quite difficult to tune. Best of all: It has the same problems as the first days after more than 3 years of using, also, good durability.
In any case, it makes his work. I would recommend it for relaxed riders, who ride in easy tracks, even in off-road. For more serious or intensive off-road using, I would upgrade it
Sorry for the writing mistakes! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bryan
a Weekend Warrior
from BFE, IL Date Reviewed: April 24, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | local singlerack, tech stuff | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$335.00 | | Purchased At: | oem on Mesa GS | | Strengths: | Smooth, dependable, relatively low maintenance. Flat black appearance, but hey, that's subjective. | | Weaknesses: | a little slow, doesn't shift as well under a load | | Similar Products Used: | XT, Suntour XC, Misc. crap | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock '01 Mesa GS | | Bottom Line: | I bought the bike 'cause of the price and the fairly decent frame. I figured, what the hey, the 7005 frame was worth almost the complete bike price $335 and was well worth upgrading when the oem stuff went south. So..... 2 years later this derailleur is still kickin'. I was kinda surprised, because I ran an XT on the last bike, and wasn't expecting much here. Bottom line is, as long as you use a litte common sense, it should last awhile. Basically, clean the muck out on a regular basis and don't shift under a big load and it shold be ok. Sure, it doesn't shift as quick as an XT, but it has been very stable and predictable. Overall, not as hot as XT/XTR, but plenty ok for everyday trail riding. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joseph
a Weekend Warrior
from Athens Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Works well when new. Dependable when dry and clean (rare). | | Weaknesses: | Slow shifting... needs constant maintenance with cable tension. If you take your bike off road, you will get it dirty... it doesn't like that. Jockey wheels may warp after 500 miles. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Diamondback Topanga - Avid disc with Sun Ringle Disc Jockey wheelset. | | Bottom Line: | The Alivio will take care of the casual rider. Don't worry if you like to ride through neighborhoods and such. But if you want to go on real trails, look out for muck (good luck). The grit will stall the shifts and sometimes lose extreme gears. I've noticed that this model requires some narly cable tension and will need almost bi-weekly maintenance to maintain reliability. My Jockey wheels are now worn and wobble. I have 650 miles on this bike and to my knowledge derailleurs should last longer. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D-Bert
a Racer
from Bethlehem, PA Date Reviewed: March 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Local Singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | Internet | | Strengths: | Shifts, no mystery shifts | | Weaknesses: | Slow shifts,about a second delay depending on my cadience. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XTR XT LX | | Bottom Line: | This derailer came as a replacement on one of my beater bikes after the first one grabed the chain and wouldn't let go. Tacoed my wheel. Anyway it shifts smoothly and does its job. But it seems to shift very slowly, depending on my cadience about a second. Since its on a bike I seldom use i don't want to waste money taking it to a repair shop. I tensioned the cables and that didn't help at all. My theroy is that the spring in the derailer is extreamly weak. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from West Windsor, NJ/St Louis, MO Date Reviewed: March 2, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Mercer County/Clayton/Castlewood | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | stock | | Strengths: | Keeps on ticking, unless pushed hard, doesn't miss shifts. Usually quiet. Only part on my Trek that I'm sad to see go. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, no respect, weak on harder terrain | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM ESP 9.0, LX | | Bike Setup: | Trek 820, soon to be XT/Judy/Avid equipped- nice urban assault/beater/cross country bike | | Bottom Line: | For nearly seven years, this derailleur has been old reliable. The front derailleur is an Altus that's been patched up so that it somehow works (my neighbor helped with that after my mechanic friend said it was time to replace it), the crank is massively worn out (and gives impressive chainsuck at times), but the Alivio out back just keeps on chugging.
The bike's been used for around town riding, cross country (at Mercer County and Clayton in NJ, Castlewood in MO), light urban assault (stairs and stuff), and road work (does 30 miles at a stretch count?). As long as the chain's properly lubed, the Alivio shifts with barely a whisper on the road/around town, and while it's not as fast as my other bike's ESP 9.0, is acceptable on the trail- as long as it's not pointing up and as long as my legs aren't cranking. Of course, the problems up front are far more noticeable.
After a few thousand miles, it's having a bit of trouble upshifting (with new cables, tension properly adjusted), and as I'm rebuilding the thing with newer/better stuff off eBay, I decided to spend the $20 on a used XT RM-750.
As said below- if this came stock on your first "real" mountain bike (as this one is for me), it'll work fine out of the box. In fact... it might be the only thing working after a few months/years. For the price (I'm seeing that people paid about $15 for it), it's cheap enough to break without worries- unlike X.0 or XTR. Alivio is probably the best idea for a kid who thrashes his bike or a freeride/urban assault person who hasn't had much success keeping higher end components. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lexa Doig
a Cross Country Rider
from Philippines Date Reviewed: January 21, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Andromeda | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$14.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Cheap, works well | | Weaknesses: | Plastic parts | | Similar Products Used: | Altus, SunRace, etc | | Bike Setup: | Fork shock / rear shock full suspension, with suspension stem and suspension seatpost on a suspension beam with a suspension sprung saddle and suspension padded shorts and gloves and cushy foam grips, suspension briefs LOL, on low-pressure balloon tires. | | Bottom Line: | My only complaint is that plastic elbow. That part is metal in Deore and up. At any rate it works well and I'm satisfied with it.
Alivio is the minimum acceptable rear mech, anything below is crap, read: acera and altus. Get at least alivio, or better yet Deore...
5 bloody fingers for value.
4 overall (5 if they were decent enough to make it all-metal). | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison, WI Date Reviewed: November 21, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Hmmm...It's cheap so you can buy it. Its reliable. Pretty durable. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, ugly. When it gets dirty, shifting becomes very sloppy and slow. Keep away from mud and rain | | Similar Products Used: | Everything, I work at Trek Bikes | | Bottom Line: | It good for your kid or your wife on a nice paved or gravel trail. My first bike had an alivio, it was Giant. I still have it and i love the bike even tho its nothing compared to the bikes i work with everyday. The derailleur still works after many miles of intermidate to expert single track and crashes. But if u are serious about riding please get a deore LX or higher. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tu plang
a Weekend Warrior
from brisbane, australia Date Reviewed: October 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | stock derailleur | | Strengths: | shifts well. reliable. absalutely no complaints until now | | Weaknesses: | got itself caught in the wheel while riding to work (not on a trail) and as u would guess it needs replacing | | Bike Setup: | 2003 kona stuff - stock, soon to be lx/xt rear derailleur | | Bottom Line: | good stock derailleur, probably not an upgrade option. im guessing some sideways movement in the cage. if it comes on ur bike upgrade straigh away or run it till its broken. dont upgrade ur bike to an alivio r/d. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pootie Tang
a Cross Country Rider
from California Date Reviewed: August 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Sycamore Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Works | | Weaknesses: | Looks cheap, heavy | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, Deore LX, Acera, Shimano SIS (worst derailleur that has ever been made... that is the one that you find on Wal-Mart mountain bikes.) | | Bike Setup: | why do you care | | Bottom Line: | Works ok other that after cable strech it hasn't been adjusted and is still working fine. I fell really hard today and my bike went up in the air and landed on the rear derailleur and everything else was messed up on the bike.. the front wouldn't shift along with other crap but the rear was fine all i did was put the chain back on the right cog and started going..
So really.. This derailleur can take a good hit and because it is so cheap it would be easy to replace I would recommend it, but not as a upgrade. If you bike came with this just keep it until it wears out or you find a good deal. If you want a good derailleur just skip the Alivio and get a deore or deore LX trust me you will be happy.
* 4 for value because if you were to buy one they are cheap and they can take a good hit and keep on going
* 3 for overall becuase they look cheap (because they are) and they are pretty heavy | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Janovetz
a Cross Country Rider
from Wausau WI, U.S.A. Date Reviewed: July 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Nine Mile Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Rib Mountain Cycle | | Strengths: | cheap and it works fine | | Weaknesses: | not a great as an xt or xtr and not even close to a sram X.0 but it works fine. | | Similar Products Used: | decore, xt, and sram | | Bike Setup: | specialized hardrock comp | | Bottom Line: | it came stock and it works. i wouldnt buy it to put on my bike but its not bad. it hasnt let me down or ticked me off. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Roseville, MN, USA Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | price, looks, value | | Weaknesses: | weight | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS, Altus, Deore | | Bike Setup: | '03 Giant Rincon, Alivio rear derailer, Acera front derailer, RST Capa TL fork | | Bottom Line: | This is a good rear derailer for anyone on a budget. Sure it probably isn't as good as a XTR but it isn't meant to be top of the line. For the price it does a great job. I haven't had any problems with mine. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Goose
a Downhiller
from Alabama Date Reviewed: June 14, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | Good | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | LX | | Bike Setup: | ALIVIO XT | | Bottom Line: | GOOD! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn Anderson
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: June 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Galitia Trail, Fish Creek Park | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Bow Cycle | | Strengths: | Shifts well, cheap, tougher than more expensive light components | | Weaknesses: | I have been lucky and havent had a single problem despite kicking the living hell outta my bike, i would say probably a bit slower on the shifting while going uphill | | Similar Products Used: | Deore LX, Acera | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Specialized HR Comp FS | | Bottom Line: | Frankly This is the way it goes in the biking world, more expensive parts are usually lighter and perform better however they have a magor drawback which is the lighter they make the part the easyer it breaks. Personally as a person with a budget the Alivio performs better for the money than any other derrailler. If you want something a bit faster go Deore cause they are the best and they dont break but dont go out and buy a XTR or some other expensive piece which will snap in half cause it was made to be so light | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kevin Bikeman
a Weekend Warrior
from clemmons,nc,united states Date Reviewed: March 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | hobby park, in top 25 in US, 10 miles from my house | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Its tough, can take a beating, its ghetto, hardcore, cheap, does an alright job shifting in the lower gears | | Weaknesses: | Shifting between the highest gear usually ends a derailment of the chain, its really annoying, usually have to manually put it back on. | | Bike Setup: | standard issue 2001 Specialized HR comp, nice bike, lite, and strong | | Bottom Line: | Keep your alivio derailleur and chain oiled, keep out mud, ride on brother | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from sali,nc Date Reviewed: February 28, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | cheap | | Weaknesses: | heavy shifts slow | | Bike Setup: | trek y3 rst 351tl alvio | | Bottom Line: | the derailer shifts well for any one who wants to get out and ride and play around(great for younger kids). its to heavy for a racer. but for a midrange part it does fair | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
daniel garia
a Cross Country Rider
from t.o Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | i dont now | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | velo teck | | Strengths: | hmm.. looks pretty well for how much it is. I think its a nice looking derailler if you fall a few times on it. Then it will look crashed up and ugly. Im just a beginner so works for me. | | Weaknesses: | umm.. it hard to change gears on the hard up hill but oh well. | | Bike Setup: | aluminum frame wit rst shock and alivio derailler, mostly just plain aluminum parts with it. | | Bottom Line: | a pretty good derailler but if you ride alot and do jumps and hard cross country maybe wanna go up a bit to lx or even xt. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Russell Ruggiero
a Weekend Warrior
from West Windsor, NJ, USA Date Reviewed: January 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | R&D | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | Jay's Cycle | | Strengths: | Shimano Name | | Weaknesses: | Weak Shifting | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, Deore LX, and Deore XT | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4500 | | Bottom Line: | Dear Reader
I own the following Trek's:
STP 200 (LX/XT) 4900 (LX/XT) 4500 (Alivio/Alivio) 4300 (LX/Deore)
The Shimano Alivio products are well built, but perform badly in all respects. In my opinion, Shimano Deore represents a true MTB product offering in the Shimano product line. Hence, Deore or better is the logical choice.
The Alivio products leverage the Shimano name. In a nutshell, great marketing that promotes a bad product. Don't waste your money, go right to the next step in the Shimano product line.
Sincerely Russ
PS: The Alivio components on my son's 4500 will be replaced with the killer LX/XT combination. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack Day
a
from Dorset Date Reviewed: December 23, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Cheap Works | | Weaknesses: | Looks cheap | | Similar Products Used: | LX | | Bike Setup: | Kona scab, P2, Sun Ditchwitch | | Bottom Line: | These are very cheap stuff but it works very well. It is even better in my view than the LX version. But at the end of the day they still look very cheap and amatureish. I am going to get a new mech and a new shifter because I dont like the look but hey, if you shop at safeway in lycra and dont care what anyone thinks of you, This is perfect. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a Cross Country Rider
from uk Date Reviewed: October 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Solid piece of equipment for general use, doesn't need adjusting ALL the time | | Weaknesses: | A bit slow for riders needing fast changes | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Ultegra and Dura-Ace products | | Bike Setup: | Modified Barracuda Bandit | | Bottom Line: | Good reliable Derailleur for most users | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob Hart
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: August 28, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Sturdy, Cheap, Reliable. | | Weaknesses: | Slowish, (but not slow enough to be a real weakness) | | Similar Products Used: | STX, Tourney | | Bike Setup: | Deore, Alivio mix | | Bottom Line: | Good for money. If you can't spare the money for XTR stuff, you can can't go wrong with an alivio rear mech | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
WatchOut Below
a Weekend Warrior
from Fremont, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 12, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Mission Peak | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | My bicycle club | | Strengths: | I like this derailer a lot. I certainly recommed this product for use on steep, dusty, and muddy trails. The performance in shifting, staying in adjustment, cleaning, logevity is solid. And in terms of adjusting, this changer is very easy to adjust for low and high ranges. I got my changer second had and ater cleaning the roller, it keeps on working. | | Weaknesses: | This has a very clean design and does not look chunky like the XT changers. | | Similar Products Used: | XT rear, which is on my 2000 Specialized Rockhopper A1FS Pro. AceraX, on my Specialized Cross Roads Sport | | Bike Setup: | late 1980's Specialized handmade Rockhopper frame w/double butted Chromalloy throughout, 13-34 HG cassette, HG chain, Panaracer SmokeII(r)/DartII(f) tires, Ritchey Advantage rimes, DiaComp7 brake lever, Grip Shifters, Body Geometry Sport seat, System Components heat treated aluminum straight bar, Suntour pedals wi/toe clips. Regular cables, etc. | | Bottom Line: | This is a very acceptable product for use. It's provides solid value for your money and provides a long service life. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Claudio
a Downhiller
from South Africa Date Reviewed: August 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | extremely durable, amazingly good, cheap, excellent | | Weaknesses: | has a cheap name | | Similar Products Used: | xtr, deore, xt | | Bottom Line: | i have used this for urban, downhill and freeriding. its been unbelievably strong. flawless, only a few adjustments every once in a while. i put xtr on my bike now and im adjusting it more than alivio. the only reason i changed is because i wore my alivio down too much, and because i couldnt let my idiot friend have better than me. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: June 20, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Gears | | Strengths: | upshifts and downshifts fast and smoothly, looks great(silver) | | Weaknesses: | shifts could be smoother | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Deore | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Kona Stuff | | Bottom Line: | Great derailler, I get free lifetime tune-ups with my bike when I bought it, so whenever it gets out-of-tune I take it in and they fix it while I wait | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross Country Rider
from Northport, AL Date Reviewed: June 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Sokal Park | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | The Cycle Path | | Strengths: | Shifts great and looks good | | Weaknesses: | I aint found none yet | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS, Deore | | Bike Setup: | Stock Trek 4500 just with new tires (panaracer fire XC pro 2.1") This derailleur came on the bike and is great. | | Bottom Line: | Its affordable, so if you break one you wont have to sell you truck to get it replaced. And its reliable and smooth shifting I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good value. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a
from Harrow,Ont Date Reviewed: April 24, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | None | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Dixie Lawn And Cycles | | Strengths: | Kinda weak I broke one already and my second one is already bent a bit outward. | | Weaknesses: | Not enough chain tension | | Bike Setup: | Peugeuot Grey Stone with alivio in back and front | | Bottom Line: | Shifts well cheap to replace and can handle some pretty hard landing without skipping stays adjusted for a long time with no tune ups | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX Date Reviewed: April 18, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Shifts fast, quiet, and accurate | | Weaknesses: | Weight? Im no weight nazi so I really dont care if its heavier | | Similar Products Used: | Old school Deore from 88 DB Apex, Acera, and crap | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Raleigh M60 w/ 2002 Judy SL, RS susp post, Ritchey rizer bars | | Bottom Line: | This came stock on my bike. Alivio is top of the line in Shimano's mtn. recreation sport line, so in the price range, this bike had better components than others I looked at (Acera). The bike was bought still in the box, so $12 later at the LBS, I had both deraillers set up and working great. I was amazed at how fast and quiet the rear shifts. The front is nice too. After one trail ride, it did go out of adjustment, but it was due to cable stretch. Since adjusting the cable tension that one time, it has shifted flawlessly. I am very meticulous when it comes to caring for my toys, so this derailleur stays clean and well lubed which is key to good performance. People seem to think that just because they spend a lotta money on something, its going to work perfectly no matter how much they abuse and neglect it. WRONG!!! This is a perfect derailleur for a beginner someone who just likes to cruise the trails. This item does what its supposed to for a cheap price and it does it well. 5 flamming peppers!!!!!!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CS
a Weekend Warrior
from WI Date Reviewed: March 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | SingleTrack | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | it came on my bike | | Strengths: | I hit it alot on stuff and works fine as long as you use an xtr shift cable or replace your shift cable every other day. | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | ? | | Bottom Line: | I have smashed this thing and it hasent busted yet. Great for the price. Put an XTR shift cable on it and it will work great.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich
a Downhiller
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: March 27, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | cheap, fricking strong, reliable, good looking, and black. | | Weaknesses: | chain slap....just take sum links out of the chain and use a chain guide tensioner thing. | | Similar Products Used: | sram 9.0, stx-rc, deore, lx. | | Bike Setup: | 2002 kona scab, marzocchi DJ 2 forks, xsiv brakes, husslefelt cranks. | | Bottom Line: | This deraileur kicks a$$, I have landed jumps sideways on it, I have smacked it into rocks, I have treated it like utter crap trying to finish it off so I could get a new one, there was no point. so what if the shiftings not quite so slick as a sram just get one of those avid cable pulley things and it works wicked. and the best thing about it is that its pretty much disposable, when I do finally finish it off it wont cost me much to get a new one. I recommend it to the harsh downhiller or a kid (like me) just starting out in it. ya cant go wrong. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke Bramley
a Downhiller
from England Date Reviewed: March 27, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | cyclexpress.co.uk | | Strengths: | its a rear mech | | Weaknesses: | rattles, shifts badly, shifts by itself if hammering it | | Bike Setup: | some Deore - predominantly XT mix | | Bottom Line: | Avoid like the plague
absolutely shoddy
on the plus better then acera and altus!! HA!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
marco alberio
a Cross Country Rider
from italy Date Reviewed: March 15, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | cheaper, precise, solid | | Weaknesses: | must be kept clean and lube | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, Deore XT | | Bottom Line: | I'm not able to see any difference between XT and Alivio except $$$, Alivio seems to be more sensible to dust. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Birmingham, AL Date Reviewed: January 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Oak Mtn, Colonial Hills | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with Bike | | Strengths: | Durable--Its been smacked on many a rock and dented in several places yet still works fine. | | Weaknesses: | a little slow on the shifting. gets slightly better when well lubed and fidgetted with before every ride to make sure it is perfectly aligned. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4500, 01 Manitou SXR's, Thudbuster seatpost, Deore rear, Alivio crank(soon to replace with Hollowtech), etc etc etc. | | Bottom Line: | Good entry level but for a few $$ more you can get a nicer model (Deore) | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: December 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | shifts well when adjusted properly and kept well lubed | | Weaknesses: | chain slap in the rough | | Similar Products Used: | cheap charlie shimano that came with the bike. Deore | | Bike Setup: | Trek 810, Alivio front and rear derailleurs and Alivio Cranks | | Bottom Line: | Works as good as a Deore one but cheaper | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a Weekend Warrior
from Trenton,NJ Date Reviewed: October 27, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | Excellent shifting | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | xt,lx | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4900,KHS Alite 1000 | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur works as well as my xt. Crisp, accurate and precise shifting. Even on steep uphill grinds. Don't be suckered in by a salesman trying to sell you a more expensive unit that "shifts better". It's just not true. The Alivio shifts just as well as an Xt. I know this because I own both of them. After using both of them for a year,I must say that I'm happy with their performance. But if my Xt craps out on me I think I'll replace it with an Alivio. You don't always have to buy "top of the line" to get superior performance. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon Spear
a Weekend Warrior
from Whitman Ma USA Date Reviewed: October 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$42.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Barn | | Bike Setup: | Mongoose XR-750 aluminum frame, RockShox Boxxer front w/disk brake, RockShox SID XC, rear Shimano Deore LX Crankset, and a really cool paint job!!! | | Bottom Line: | SICK AND TWISTED!!! Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!!! a little slow, on downshifting off-road, but no problems! Always stays adjusted and is very quiet! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pritch
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol, UK Date Reviewed: September 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Leigh Woods | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | strong, works | | Weaknesses: | heavy, slow | | Similar Products Used: | LX, STX-RC, Tourney... the lot pretty much | | Bike Setup: | Saracen Havoc '01, now with total LX upgrade | | Bottom Line: | The Alivio rear mech came standard on the Saracen I bought last month for bombing around in a fashion I can't do on my hardtail Marin. The mech works fine on the road but can't really handle fast shifting when it's needed on the rough stuff. My old STX-RC mech is much better. It's a big, bulky derailleur, and it's strongish, but it is heavy as a result. I am going to upgade My dad's tourer to 8-speed with this while I get LX because it can't really cut the mustard with Deore and above. It works fine, though, and is certainly a good upgrade to any bike that comes with the cheapest Shimano parts. It doesn't help that I've been running it with a SRAM 5.0 up front, probably the crappest front derailleur on the planet... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from NF Ontario Canada Date Reviewed: August 23, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Minnising | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | Works on all gears. Shifts easily. Quite smooth. I only tuned it once and it still works just as good as when I bought it. | | Weaknesses: | Low tension. Chain slaps around alot. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS | | Bike Setup: | Infinity Quantum | | Bottom Line: | It is good For Light XC riding. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
weather expert
a Weekend Warrior
from iowa Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | oem on trek 850 | | Strengths: | cheap. shifts. | | Weaknesses: | er...seeing oneself using such a part may hurt some ppl's ego, but not mine. | | Similar Products Used: | lx, xt | | Bike Setup: | beater trek 850, probably 96/97 relic. mostly stock | | Bottom Line: | the little cheap derailleur that does. the tension is a bit low so expect some chainslap. other than that, it does what it is built for--shifting. perhaps not as durable as higher end models but it's cheap to replace. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cameron
a Weekend Warrior
from QLD Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$44.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Fast, Smooth, value. | | Weaknesses: | Not much tension - chain slaps a lot. | | Similar Products Used: | Some 10 year old looking Shimano thing that the bike came with. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent value for the performance. Very fast, accurate and not to hard to adjust. Great for the weekend warrior, but don't expect it to last forever if your riding style is downhill bike thrashing stuff. I reccommend a chain stay protector or your paint will be gone in a week. For just riding around a lot, and the occasional race, it gets two thumbs up. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
derek
a Weekend Warrior
from WA Date Reviewed: August 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | dashpoint | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Phils South Side Cyclery | | Strengths: | Inexpensive, | | Weaknesses: | looks very cheep! | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS | | Bike Setup: | Stock Trek 6000 | | Bottom Line: | Its great if you need a derallier fast. I broke my LX off in a trail in Dash Pint and wet right away to get a new one, and He sold me a great inexpensive one! It works great! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ry
a
from sadsad Date Reviewed: March 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | shifts well.......cheap.......strongue | | Weaknesses: | Um its not as light as like deore and stuff............... | | Bottom Line: | Its good but theres better out there | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Dalzell
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: December 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Makara Peak | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | With Bike | | Strengths: | This derailleur looks cool and is reliable and durable. It shifts OK and can handle a ute backing over it (Thanks Dad!). I had to buy a new rim but after a bit of panel beating with the vice and hammer it worked fine again. | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't shift accurately 100% and sometimes it is a bit hard to tune. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Acera, SIS. | | Bike Setup: | Giant Rincon with Rock Shox and Alivio-Acera components. | | Bottom Line: | I would recommend this product to the beginner mountain biker who likes to go for rides on weekends. It works good 90% of the time and thats the main thing. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Garden City, KS USA Date Reviewed: November 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Last Dollar Loop, Telluride | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Rack, Inc. | | Strengths: | strong, shifts crisply usually, cheap, cheap, cheap | | Weaknesses: | can occasionally be picky and will sometimes, but rarely, skip | | Similar Products Used: | lower grade shimano | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Specialized HardRock FS, RS Jett, Acera frnt., Shimano Parallax rear hub, 7-speed cassette | | Bottom Line: | This is a good, low priced derralieur that is good for anyone from novice to entry level racer. i have had very few problems with it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy K
a Weekend Warrior
from N'pton Date Reviewed: November 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Harleston Firs | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheelies Direct | | Strengths: | Cheap Not Acera | | Weaknesses: | Weak Crap Not LX | | Similar Products Used: | Acera, Altus, LX | | Bike Setup: | Kona Scab, DX Brakes, Alivio Rear + Shifters, Kona P2, Sunringle rims, etc. | | Bottom Line: | It's a mech, and it doesn't look crap. It's not Acera so people won't laugh, but it's still crap and shifts a bit slow. DOesn't matter, it's a mech, it does the job. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: November 9, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Value, value and value........ | | Weaknesses: | A bit heavy and not strong enough for downhill and cross-country. | | Similar Products Used: | Acera X, STX RC, LX 97. | | Bike Setup: | TEAM RU 7005 Hardtail Frame RST 281 fork KING headset KORE Expert Headbar Alivio parts Panaracer tires Deore XT 98 V-Brake Acera X hubs | | Bottom Line: | I perfer STX RC, Deore or Deore LX more..... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Johnson
a Weekend Warrior
from Sheffield Date Reviewed: September 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Moss Valley | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | J.E.James | | Strengths: | Cheap, strong and nice looking | | Weaknesses: | Quite heavy | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Acera rear Mech | | Bike Setup: | RST Mozo Pro, Ritchey Headset, Kore Stem, Mongoose Alta xc frame, Mongoose Dualsport tyres, Sram 7.0 brakes | | Bottom Line: | Nice little mech, had one for 2 1/2 years, ran very well until i started jumping, very strong but rather heavy, bought a new one cos it's cheap and i had a problem with the old one | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ricardo
a Cross Country Rider
from Lisbon, Portugal Date Reviewed: September 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Serra do Telhado | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Masil | | Strengths: | Durable. No need to set up for a long time. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Complete Shimano Alivio and RST 461 | | Bottom Line: | The last time I set up the derailleur was 1 year and a half ago. I run 1000 miles since then and everything is ok. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas Date Reviewed: July 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | tyler st pk | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | It works just shut up. its heavy and ugly but it works. | | Weaknesses: | not xtr but at least you get what you pay for here! 20 bucks and it actaully works. | | Similar Products Used: | xt xtr lx | | Bike Setup: | 7speed sunrace freewheel and grip shift on bmx with manitou 3inch fork! | | Bottom Line: | the mf is heavy and ugly as a shaved cat, but it works, don't argue. I have VERY short chainstays on a lg pro-frame bmx with re-worked stays and hanger. I run a 44t in front and 13-26 in rear. No misshifts or dropping. Does not have a lot of chain tension but its long cage and shifts pretty fair. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from Fairmont Date Reviewed: September 2, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Cheap Works pretty smooth | | Weaknesses: | Jumps out of gear if you hit the ground pretty hard. Can get a bit picky | | Bike Setup: | GT Rebound w/ Jett Rock Shox | | Bottom Line: | Pretty good for a novice rider. Might upgrade if it gets on my nerves | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross-Country Rider
from DC Date Reviewed: August 13, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years | | Strengths: | Cheap | | Weaknesses: | Cheap | | Similar Products Used: | LX, STX, XT | | Bike Setup: | A bunch | | Bottom Line: | I've got this on my city beater bike, and it's not that bad. I only paid $18 for it at my LBS when I needed a junky replacement and couldn't find anything used. Whaddaya want for $20? That's why XTR costs more. I'll give it 4 flamin' chilis for the value. Having said that, don't put this on a real bike. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike
a Cross-Country Rider
from Mass Date Reviewed: August 8, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | everything | | Similar Products Used: | none as crappy | | Bike Setup: | piece of crap | | Bottom Line: | it sucks get a new derrailur | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ann
a Cross-Country Rider
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Bottom Line: | Nothing special about this derailleur, but it installed and adjusted easily, and has worked flawlessly ever since. I'm sure more expensive derailleurs shift more smoothly, but I've never missed a shift since I put it on. For the price, I'm not complaining. | Overall Rating: |
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