Submitted by
Andy N
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: September 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Puncture Alley, Morzine
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Well, it does work...
Weaknesses:
But it rubs in too many gears and is too hard to shift up
Similar Products Used:
deore
Bike Setup:
revolution triad 1.0 (2008) with what comes on the bike
Bottom Line:
This came with the bike, and I've had several goes at trying to sort it out. I've reached the same conclusion as other reviewers, it's just far too fiddly to set up well and it rubs in too many of the gears. My other bike, with a deore mech and the same amount of gears, doesn't have any rub on any of the three cogs and it's certainly not set up to unreachably minute perfection, like SRAM components seem to need (my x9 rear mech is also v fussy). Also, why make it so difficult to shift up the chainrings? I recently dislocated my thumb and could still change up with my deore mech but not the x7.To be fair, it does actually work and I think any bike with more than 21 gears is fiddly to set up well. But the x7 just doesn't seem well-engineered, and it makes 27 speed drivetrains seem self-defeating if you can't use all the gears on them without scraping the oil off your chain. If shimano can do it then sram should, if they want to live up to the hype, be able to do it better - or charge less for their stuff.
Big thanks to mtbr - fantastic site, lots of really great input from users
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Oregonism
a Weekend Warrior
from Date Reviewed: April 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
All of em
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
Difficult to tune the first time out (first time tuning one). Once tuned, it works very well, shifts quickly and easily with little noise. I'm using a GXP bottom bracket and it's fine. No chainline issues.
Weaknesses:
I have about 100 miles on it so far, no problems other then the occasional adjustment, but I think I have it perfect.
Similar Products Used:
Deore on my old Jamis
Bike Setup:
BMC trailfox, SRAM drivetrain
Bottom Line:
This derailleur works perfectly for me, shifts very quickly even into the big ring. I've only had it on for about 2 weeks so far, but haven't had any issues. Highly recommended.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mtnbiker72
a Weekend Warrior
from Rainier, OR Date Reviewed: January 29, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Stella
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Works good with a 48.5mm chainline
Weaknesses:
Doesn't work with a 51mm chainline...which is a SRAM crankset (Truvativ FireX GXP)
Similar Products Used:
X-Gen, Deore, LX, XT
Bike Setup:
Windsor Cliff 29er Pro with lots of mods
Bottom Line:
With the stock Truvativ Powerspline crankset and a 48.5mm chainline this derailleur works just fine. However, when I installed a Truvativ FireX GXP with a 51mm chainline...it did not work correctly. I am a former bike wrench with 8 years of experience so I have lots of tuning tricks for front derailleurs. But nothing worked on this, setting the correct cable tension in the middle ring resulted in excessive cable slack in the granny ring. The solution was replacing it with a Deore front derailleur which work perfect with the 51mm chainline.
When I have a SRAM front derailleur and a SRAM crankset...I expect them to play nice together.
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Submitted by
gus13
a Cross Country Rider
from Mt. Juliet TN Date Reviewed: December 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Bryant Mill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
ebay store
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
Broke in half mid commute 2nd time I shifted from middle chain ring to outer chain ring. The rubber shim is too soft and gives to much flex, and the clamp is made of low grade cast aluminum.
Submitted by
Ronald
a Racer
from Ohio, USA Date Reviewed: September 18, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Nice beefy design. Strong and reliable when shifting. Does a better job compared to Shimano's LX and XT.
Weaknesses:
None that i can think of.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX and XT
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Nomad, Rock Shox, SRAM Comps, Panaracer tires, some Race Face and FSA, DT Swiss Wheelset.
Bottom Line:
As an experienced XC and Downhill racer, I tried this product for the sake of curiosity and to my amaze this thing is better than my pdrevious Shimano LX and XT. I dont know why other comments here give it bad chillies.
I would really recommend this product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a
from Cheltenham Date Reviewed: June 5, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Chain Reaction Cycles
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
Weak cage, poor pinch bolt position,
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Hone, Alvio
Bike Setup:
GT Avalanche, RS Revelation forks, juicy 7s
Bottom Line:
Not long after fitting this, the cage becane very loose resulting in poor shifting. If you can afford this, you may as well buy the shimano equivilent. I replaced this with thte hone f/mech and havn't looked back. Its stronger, and far easier to adjust as i found i had to remove my back tyre to adjust the x7 as a reult of the position of the pinch bolt
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Submitted by
Nick Price
a Weekend Warrior
from Birmingham, UK Date Reviewed: December 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Coed-ye-brennin
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Halfords
Strengths:
Price, looks
Weaknesses:
even the low mount top swing model doesnt have enough clearance to fit alot of FS frames, namley, my giant trance
Similar Products Used:
Deore, XT
Bike Setup:
mech is fitted to a kinesis maxlight xc hardtail
Bottom Line:
not what i was hoiping for when i orderd it, the mech is hooked up to an x7 shifter, shifting a standard 22/32/44 set of race face deus rings - shifting IS good, but the action is heavier then with the deore mech preveously used, overall shifting doesnt feel as refined.
also dissappointed due to the mech originally being orderd for my giant trance, but finding out it wouldnt fit, i had to order an xt top swing instead.
to be honest the x7 front mech performs no better then the budget x-gen front mech, its just a little lighter.
3 out of 3, funtional but not refined.
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Submitted by
JJ
a Cross Country Rider
from Canyon Lake, TX Date Reviewed: November 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Madrone
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
It's not Shimano. First SRAM try at a low-clamp design..
Weaknesses:
Cage rubs in higher gears on small chainring, lower gears in big chainring.
Similar Products Used:
Shame-ano XT,XTR,etc
Bike Setup:
Marin Attack Trail
Bottom Line:
It works better than the XT I had on there. I swapped the XT out on the first notice that SRAM started delivery of their low-clamp design starting with the X7 (my bike is finally de-Shimanoed). It's better than the XT, but that's not saying much. Marin full suspension designs require a forgiving front derailleur setup. I was just anticipating the SRAM line of low-clamp design, but was slightly disappointed with the loose, but too small cage design... Still better than XT though, even though X7 is more of an Alivio equivalent. Maybe the XO low-clamp design will be better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia Date Reviewed: January 10, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$10.00
Strengths:
Good, strong construction, good spring, works with top and bottom pull
Weaknesses:
I cant get it to adjust perfectly... its always wanting to rub on the chain in top gear... when i go 2 tighten the cable, it wont go down into second... possible design flaw or mabye just me. The main clasp that goes around the frame has to be tightened rediculously tight so the whole thing doesnt twist and move..
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Alvio + Deore
Bike Setup:
Scott Reflex 30 w/ Sram X7 drivetrain
Bottom Line:
better than deore but mabye worth waiting till sram sorts out the range problem
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JA Melo
a Cross Country Rider
from San Juan Philippines Date Reviewed: May 16, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Maarat
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$28.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
beefy links, strong spring
Weaknesses:
design flaw causes rubbing in too many gears - not enough clearance or range?
Similar Products Used:
Shimano -- all kinds
Bike Setup:
SPecialized Stumpjumper M4 hardtail, Sun Ringle wheels, sram x7, truvativ, raceface cockpit, Shimano hydraulics, and a thudbuster.
Bottom Line:
This is for the x-gen front derailleur.
Seemed like a strong product with beefier links than shimano and a strong spring.
However, the chain rubs the inner cage in too many gears. On the middle chainring, I can't use the 2 lowest gears (largest rear cogs). AT THE SAME TIME, while on the large chainring, I can't use the 3 highest gears (smallest rear cogs). ( I'm using x7 triggers btw). I look stupid trying to pedal a too low gear while on fast flats, and then I burn myself out with a too tall gear when trying to blast up a hill. I never had these problems even with my old Shimano.
I have tried everything, even filing the inner sides of the cage. Several bike wrenches have given up trying various setups and FD positions.
Beign a fairly new product, I don't know if this is a design flaw. But i've heard some people in the SRAM forum here complain about the same thing. Some have gotten it to work but with a lot of work. But why bother when you can get a different brand which you can set up once and will work properly.
My advice, Wait for SRAM to rectify this problem before you buy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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