Submitted by
buzz white
a Cross Country Rider
from mccall, idaho Date Reviewed: September 29, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
kona hei hei 29r
Strengths:
Worked well. Reliable shifts.
Weaknesses:
The engineering on the Shadow must have been reditioned to a black ops area. The tapped and threaded derailleur screw that adusts the throw in ralation to your largest cog has less than 1mm of holding metal on one side and maybe (?) 2-2.5 mm on the other side. My snapped clean right there when a less than hardball sized rock richoceted into it. It confirmed my suspicions when putting the bike together.
Weak link.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano for over 25 years, mostly XT
Campagnolo for over 40 years, all Record
Bike Setup:
Kona Hei Hei 29r with Shimano M525 tubeless wheelset.
Bottom Line:
I don't know what they were thinking but this is not the place to save a gram or even an ounce. Very poor engineering. It's on it's way to Shimano for replacement hopefully with something other than a Shadow.
Anything that leaves you stranded 12 miles from the nearest trailhead is not worthy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zilo
a Weekend Warrior
from Reno Nevada Date Reviewed: August 25, 2009
Favorite Trail:
anything fast and flowy
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
buttery smooth shifting, stays in adjustment longer than other derailleurs, design looks nice, lightweight
Weaknesses:
doesnt seem strong enough, its hard to adjust when it does get out of alignment
Similar Products Used:
x7,x9, deore,
Bike Setup:
07 Iron Horse Yakuza Chimpira, manitou nixon, M575 Hub laced to Sung Ringle Rhino Lite
Bottom Line:
Being that this is my first "high end" shimano product, I am really impressed by the performance. I converted my single speed iron horse to a 1x9 set up and my LBS suggested that i try Shimano XT. Ive used sram for 3 years and I was a bit skeptical at first, being that ive had low end shimano derailleurs before. However, this is by far the best derailleur ive used. The shifting is buttery smooth with little effort. And it shifts accurately with no gear jumping. Very good product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
-Chameleon-
a Cross Country Rider
from Perth, Australia Date Reviewed: July 25, 2009
Lightweight, Weak, breaks easily. On about my 4th ride a stick became lodged in the derailleur and snapped the "X" plate, making the whole thing fall apart.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Deore
Bike Setup:
Scott Scale 50 // Avid Juicy 3.5's // Deore/Deore XT // Continental Mounyain King Tyres
Bottom Line:
This derailleur shifts well and looks great. It is lightweight, but this makes it more fragile and breakable. Because of a small stick I have to pay $185 and wait a week for it to be repaired. This is a great XC derailleur but may not suit your purpose if you ride in trails with lots of low branches and obstacles.
I'm just annoyed because I can't ride my new bike for a week :(
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
str8.cash
a Cross Country Rider
from PC, UT Date Reviewed: July 16, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere in the Wasatch
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
jensonUSA
Strengths:
Spot on, inexpensive, low-profile
Weaknesses:
Jagged edged design
Similar Products Used:
Older XT rear der, deore also
Bike Setup:
05 Marin Wolf Ridge (hopefully not for much longer), RP23, Fox 32 float, *XTR shifters- 2 years old
Bottom Line:
**Looks like MTBR has two listings for this der, also calling it an "XT shadow". This review is for the m772 GS- mid-sized cage
I have had this product for less than one month so this review is more of my first impressions than an in-depth product test.
First thing that strikes me is the quality of the product. There is no extraneous metal from the casting process and the cage is solidly attached.
The "shadow" profile with it's trick cable routing is novel. It uses a steel sub-hanger incorporated into the top of the derailleur to offset the actual hanging point of the derailleur. This allows the cable to follow the seat stay directly to the bolt-down, eliminating that big loop of cable.
On the second ride with the m772 I dumped pretty hard, bending the derailleur hanger on my bike's frame. The sub-hanger, despite my initial concerns, remained true and straight, successfully transferring the stress of the impact to the weaker aluminum hanger on the bike.
I am not going to critique other's installations of the m772 and deride their bike mech skills but I have had NO issues whatsoever with cables being eaten, ghost shifting or chains being thrown. I can stand on the pedals with all the confidence in the world. Frankly, all derailleurs should enable trouble free use initially, the test is after several crashes and impacts and when the entire drivetrain starts to get worn down. I am not there yet and I hope to follow up with another review- something tells me that I will still be impressed.
On the down side, if there is really any, the m772 seems to be a departure from the streamlined design philosophy so popular in bike design. The body seems to be constructed of flat, congruent pieces of metal; the main pivot is not bulbous and smooth like previous iterations; the cage has sharp corners and narrow guards. This amounts to more vegetation in the pulleys, pivots and spring, but so far the m772 has been able to shed anything that interferes.
In sum, the m772 is a fine piece of engineering and the 'shadow' design will almost certainly be emulated by competitors because it does work. The main pivot on the derailleur which used to be the most prominent feature on the drive-side of the bike is now outreached by the axle bolt. The cable routing is crucial for riders who tangle with tight underbrush.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
locoriggs
a Racer
from Gilbert, AZ Date Reviewed: June 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
National Trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
internet
Strengths:
shifts good
Weaknesses:
the angle on the shifter cable makes it necessary to replace cables on a monthly basis
Similar Products Used:
shimano
Bottom Line:
If you want to have a product that needs maintenance every month by replacing shifter cables the this is it. I have 3 bikes all with this derailler and if you ride daily a cable will not last any longer than 6 weeks. Make sure to bring a spare cable with you if your on a long ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Energetik
a Cross Country Rider
from Reading, PA, USA Date Reviewed: June 3, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Blue Marsh Lake
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$89.00
Purchased At:
eBay store
Strengths:
I found this derailleur to be easy to setup in combination with my 770 level XT shifters. It took me 15 minutes out of the box to get this thing shifting smoothly. I liked the fact that I didn't have to run a huge cable loop from the frame stop.
The stronger spring and low profile design have reduced the sound of my drive train considerably.
Weaknesses:
Reminds me of SRAM designs a bit. It does tend to pick up sticks occasionally, and I have had to pull a good bit of grass, and mud out of the cage where my previous derailleur would shed that stuff.
No in line barrel adjuster, but I found that I didn't really need one.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Deore level products.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Caffeine with full 2008 M770 drivetrain, Rock Shox Dart 3, Sun Ditch Witch wheels, thomson stem, generic seat/saddle/pedals, and WTB Exiwolf 2.1 tires. Deore m535 disc brakes as well.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line here is that if I crashed and wrecked this derailleur then I would definitely buy another one to replace it. I have had no major issues with this and I have recommended it numerous times to my fellow riders. This derailleur combined with the other XT components on my ride are by far the strongest parts of my bike, and I consider that aspect of it finished. The rest has a ways to go, but my drive train, in part because of this derailleur, has been smooth from day one.
I will rate this at 5 volcanic chilis!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ericmopar
a Weekend Warrior
from Henderson NV Date Reviewed: May 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Bootleg
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Stays in adjustment for long periods.
Holds up well to rocky environments.
Controls chain better than standard type dérailleurs.
Stronger springs make for more positive shifts.
Weaknesses:
None that I know of.
Similar Products Used:
LX, older XT, demoed Sram X0, X9.
Bike Setup:
All Mountain.
Bottom Line:
It's been working great for over a year.
It's pretty much set and forget.
Some say the mounting tab will break, but they are full of it.
That tab is forged plate steel.
I recommend it for XC and all mountain.
If you're doing DH, then get a Saint or X9, X0.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
peternguyen
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: April 7, 2009
Can't think of any really. It lacks the cable adjuster but i have one already on the shifter pod (i assume most if not all shifter pods do).
Similar Products Used:
X0
Bike Setup:
04 GT iDrive
Bottom Line:
Excellent product, and very good value. I have never missed a shift since i have bought it. It is much quieter thanks to the stiffer springs and the shifting feels more authoritative than a conventional (non-shadow) derailleur too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rcal
a Cross Country Rider
from Spenceville, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Tahoe Rim, South Fork Yuba
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
ebay store
Strengths:
looks cool, light weight
Weaknesses:
no cable adjuster, wont shift correctly - skips gears and gets stuck on gears - horrible
Similar Products Used:
earlier XT's, LX, Deore
Bike Setup:
Giant Anthem 08
Bottom Line:
Out of the box this must have been a defective derailer. I've tried it on 2 bikes, used 3 different wheels/cogs, changed cables, greased cables, changed housings and I cannot get this thing to shift correctly. Even the bike shop guy has given up. I guess you win some and lose some - quality control in Japan must be slipping. I pulled it off and replaced it with my old XT.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
NorBiker
a Downhiller
from Norway Date Reviewed: January 31, 2009
What can I say. Excellent quality build from Shimano. Shaddow technologi keeps derailleur from bashing into rocks and bushes. More stabil than older shimano.
Cheep, lightweight, durable. Do you need more?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ridgecube
a Weekend Warrior
from Simsbury, CT, USA Date Reviewed: December 1, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$109.00
Strengths:
Better cable routing, looks cool, shift OK when it is not broken in two
This derailleur loves to pick up sticks. So far 2 derailleurs averages 5 rides each before breaking. The 2nd was a twig while going below walking speed and stopping immediately.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
justjoshnya
a Cross Country Rider
from Lake Ozark, Missouri Date Reviewed: October 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Four Winns, Lake of the Ozarks State Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Oz CYcles
Strengths:
Best Rear Derailleur I've used. Fast shifts, butter smooth shifts. Light, strong. Sexy. Low Profile for less snags
Weaknesses:
Finiky setup. But thats the only price you pay for the best rear der on the market
Similar Products Used:
Sram x7,8,9, and xo. Older style Deore, LX,XT and XTR.
Bike Setup:
Custom built 08 Trek Fuel EX8 with full XT drivetrain and shifters.
Bottom Line:
XT stands for eXtra Tough. The second ride with this der and I got a 2" stick stuck between my chain and cassette, and the derailleur lived!!! I couldn't believe it. I am a professional bike mechanic and as you can see above I have worked on and ridden every kind of drivetrain. Paired with a full XT drivetrain, this is THE BEST REAR DERAILLEUR I'VE USED. Setup must be precise, no margin for error on limit screws or cable tension. So if you do not know how to adjust deraillers and don't have a desire to learn, this is not the derailleur for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
outside!
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 14, 2008
Favorite Trail:
singletrack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Light, strong, low profile, doesn't flop around
Weaknesses:
non yet
Similar Products Used:
2007 XT Rapid Rise (hated it)
Bike Setup:
2006 Ellsworth Epiphany with Shimano SL-BS77 Bar End Shifters and Paul Thumbies
Bottom Line:
Great deraileur! The lack of the B-Pivot means it doesn't flop around and hit the chainstay. It only needs a short, almost straight lenght of cable housing from the seatstay instead of that long loop of previous derailleurs for less cable drag. Paired with the SL-BS77 9 speed bar end shifters mounted on Paul Thumbies means I have perfect shifts everytime. I can feel what gear I'm in with my thumb and shift the whole cogset from end to end in either direction with the flick of the thumb. I've been riding 20 years and this is the best derailleur I have ever used. Shimano should just discontinue the old style. I wish I could pick Barker Chile from Hatch for the flaming chiles below.
Chili = meat stew, Chile = tasty pepper from a plant!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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