Submitted by
BokorSolo
a Weekend Warrior
from Prince William, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2010
Strengths: Solid shifting performance when I was using trigger shifters and still holds great control now that I am using grip shifters. Full alloy construction.
Weaknesses: They do not make these puppies anymore.
Bottom Line:
I need to get a shim for this little gem because it is by far one of the best pieces of hardware I have bought for my bikes. Awesome price and it works great after two years of riding with a fair amount of shifting. I don't think that the new x.9 and x.7 are built better than this. If you can find one poking around somewhere pick it up, no matter who you are or where you ride... unless you ride a road bike.
Find one for cheap, buy it, install it and forget about it! This derailleur simply rocks. Stop points require minimal to no adjustment. Up shifts are smooth, and down shifts strike with a mighty thunder. Seriously!! I love every time I down shift to hear a reassuring clunk. Lever effort is slightly elevated, but not uncomfortable. It's simple... The stronger the springs, the quicker to return. The quicker the return, the quicker the downshift. The quicker the downshift, the quicker I'll pull that climb in front of me!
Submitted by
Charlie
a Weekend Warrior
from Minnesota
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2008
Strengths: Super strong, and shifts fast.
Weaknesses: Heavy, takes allot of force to shift up to bigger chain rings.
Bottom Line:
This is a great front derailleur, very solid, the pivot links are spaced wide to provide a stable shift, the spring tension is very high, this is great for quick, positive down shifts, however my left thumb gets a workout up-shifting. the clamp is very high so I had to grind a little semi-circle out of the front of the clamp to clear the lower water bottle cage mounting bolt, no big deal since I don't use the seat tube mount and the price was so cheap who am I to complain. In Summery if you don't have one buy one, heck for the price buy two!
Submitted by
JP
a Cross Country Rider
from Brisbane, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2007
Strengths: Shifts good.
Weaknesses: WEAK! HEAVY!
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up from a review I made last year. Everything was going okay (apart from the narrow cage problem) until the clamp snapped!
Okay, kinda my fault... I changed my chain and left a link slightly loose. It caught the derailer cage and snapped the clamp. But this was after about 30 seconds of test riding. And I pedalled very LIGHTLY going DOWNHILL on a DRIVEWAY.
The mech seems to be made of a brittle alloy that resembles cast iron but silver. My housemate picked up the broken mech the other day and snapped another bit off in his hands!
Maybe this is the reason why they stopped making them?
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from GIg Harbor, WA
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2007
Strengths: cheap, quality materials, shifts well
Weaknesses: cable routing
Bottom Line:
this derailleur is a steal, i found an 05 model at price point for less than 20 bucks. it is kind of big and bulky, but when set up properly, it shifts perfect. i use mine with SRAM XO twist shifters and have had no problems. i wish the end of the cable wasnt routed back toward the tire, but those are the breaks i guess. bottomw line, it is very simple to set up and adjust and works fantastic.
This is an excellent front deraileur, especially considering you can get one now for about $18 from any of the major internet vendors since they're discontinued. The push resistance is relatively high as far as shifting to a higher chainring, but that's coming straight from almost 10 years of Shimano experience. You quickly get used to the higher resistance however, and since I've upgraded, I've never had an issue with the chain jumping a ring under rapid shifting or bigger hits. I installed the derailleur, and I haven't thought about it since then, which is a good thing. It helps my issue with always having to look down to see if the chain is on the right chainring. The derailleur is also built tough, and I've not had a problem with it insofar. The adjustments on the limit screws are hard to set if you try to change the limits while you're in the position you're adjusting. I've found that the easiest way to change the limit screws is to shift to the middle chainring, and then turn the screw, and move back. It's tedious, but well worth it once the system is dialed in, because you never have to worry about re-doing it as often as with a normal system. Just put a few drops of lube on the pivots, and keep it clean, to maintain a silky smooth and locked in shift all the time, every time.
Bike Setup: 2003 Giant AC-1 2003 Manitou Sherman Firefly Flick 2003 Manitou Swinger SPV 4-way Coil Shimano XT Rear Hub Shimano XT Hollowtech Cranks 22,33,44 SRAM PG 980 Cassette SRAM PC 991 Chain SRAM X-Gen Front Derailleur 2007 SRAM X.9 Rear Derailleur 2007 SRAM X.9 Shift Levers Avid Code 203mm Disc Brakes Front and rear, moto style Mavic D 3.1 UST Rims LOTS of tires Easton Stem and Bars WTB Comp seat Platform Pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Maine
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2006
Strengths: Tough, tough, tough. Solid shifts.
Weaknesses: Heavy.
Bottom Line:
It's taken a little tinkering to get it dialed in. Moving it up, moving it down, canting the back of the cage inwards 1-2mm. I haven't had the same "narrow cage" issue that others mentioned. But I have dropped off the bottom a few times going from middle to small ring under tension. I think I've cleared that up. Like any D, shift before you're crunching and you're 90% failsafe. I like the burly spring that takes the cage back with an audible and confidence inspiring "snap".
When I first took it out of the box, my first thoughts were, "Man, this thing is heavy. Why didn't I spring for the XTR?" and "Wow, this thing is bombproof!" After using it for a while, I still wonder if it was the right decision, but then I remember the $20 price tag and say, "Oh, yeah!"
Gotta go with a 5 for value, but I think 3 is correct overall for weight and less-than-perfect-but-perfectly-acceptable performance.
Bike Setup: basic XC HT bike. SRAM X9 drivetrain with XT cranks.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
JP Taberdo
a Cross Country Rider
from Brisbane
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2006
Strengths: Snappy shifting. Solid feeling and very quick to downshift even with load.
Weaknesses: Slightly too narrow for me to be completely happy. You have to fine tune really well so it dosn't rub the chain on the middle ring on low gears (9speed). But a narrower chain can help that.
Bottom Line:
Definately great if you're running an 8 speed. Try to get a sleek 9 speed chain if you've got the full nine.
Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
Strengths: Shifts nicely, once you've got it set, it doesnt need re-tuning, easy to clean, smooth shifter, top and buttom pull, easy to adjust. awesome product
Weaknesses: The clamp that holds it to the frame needs to be done up EXTREMELY tightly so it doesnt move, i thought i was gonna snap something i did it up so tight. It doesnt have as much 'swing' range, which could b an issue for some cranks
Bottom Line:
Awesome product, once you've got it setup and tuned up - has never stuffed up on me
Bike Setup: Scott hardtail frame, SRAM X7 drivetrain, Rockshox recon fork
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kerry Hales
a Weekend Warrior
from Clearfield, UT USA
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2006
Strengths: The SRAM X Gen Front D is an amazing product. It will mount on just about any bike including Brazed-on and even my Recumbent. The X Gen has an option of top or bottom pull and will fit on most lower tubes. It also has a nice, clean shifting pattern and has a 1:1 ratio on the pulley system. It comes in silver or black and is a perfect match to any SRAM or Shimano gear set. It will work on 3 ring front rings and 9 speed cassettes. Top gear teeth set is rated at 44 max. I was able to get it on my Recumbent which has 54 teeth. On my MTB I have a 44 tooth front ring and it fit fine.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
Very well made product that seems very durable. It should last along any trail. The 1:1 ratio puts a definite "SNAP" into the shift pattern. There seems to be seamless integration with other SRAM components, but I found it worked just as well on Shimano drive trains.
You do have to disassemble the chain, so why not order a SRAM Chain with the new tool-less Power-Link main connector?
Similar Products Used: Shimano Ultegra, Shimano 105
Bike Setup: 1. 2001 Rans VREX Recumbent All transmission is SRAM. 2. 1989 Schwinn Cross Trainer. Rear D is Shimano 105, shifters are also Shimano Shorties
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland Oregon
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2006
Strengths: NO FLEX!try to bend and it doesn't move,unlike sh%^mano.Shifts with authority,no second shifting needed.
Weaknesses: Bolt stripped easily but Sram sucked it up and sent me a new one right away,my fault for being to strong but they feel me.
Bottom Line:
Good stuff at a good price,works with everything,even shi%mano which most things don't.Get it,try it,like it or get your cash back and buy some crap.
