Submitted by
LF-X
a Cross Country Rider
from Bergheim, Germany Date Reviewed: August 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:
70% Street / 30% Trail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
was on bike
Strengths:
Works great.
Weaknesses:
Seems to be the dirt magnet of my bike.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, Shimano STX.
Bike Setup:
Reanult Sport - Team Spirit VTT
Bottom Line:
After adjusting it when I got my bike it really works fine.
It collects a lot of dirt on my bike that can even make it stop working. But I don't see a need for a higher series component here.
I use them with SRAM X7 Trigger shifters.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bxxer rider
a Downhiller
from UK Date Reviewed: October 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
leckhampton daisy bank
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
noah's ark bikes and
Strengths:
fast shifting
Weaknesses:
like butter when touches any thing no matter what it is
Similar Products Used:
some sram one forgotten modal
Bike Setup:
orange patriot fr lt, boxxer, marzocchi junior t pro fox vanilla rc
Bottom Line:
good mech, fast shifting but easy to smash up
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Brisbane, Australia Date Reviewed: May 4, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$28.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Quite cheap for a mid-range product. Nice and shiny, looks very professional in appearance. Ridiculously simple installation, very much "fit and forget". Shifts cleanly and quickly.
Weaknesses:
None that I've found so far, apart from cycling snobs scorning me because they have XTR running gear!
Similar Products Used:
Falcon FD, old Shimano SIS model
Bike Setup:
1997 Gemini Echo Beach, Deore XT RD, Alivio cranks/chainwheels and shifters
Bottom Line:
For the price I don't believe you can get a better front derailleur. Easy to install, works well (even on rough trails), and shifts under load nicely. Not as bling-bling as an XTR, but I've always been a "function over form" kind of guy. Strongly recommended.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Leonardo Horovitz
a Cross Country Rider
from Montevideo, Uruguay Date Reviewed: April 29, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Works fine.
Weaknesses:
Developed play after 2500 km (about 1500 miles). It still worked, but made rattling noise and didn't shift as well as when it was new. I ended up changing it for an LX.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano C050
Bike Setup:
Trek 6500 2006
Bottom Line:
Works. But for the little $$$ difference, if I had to buy I'd buy LX or XT.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
milovan vukcevic
a Cross Country Rider
from melbourne Date Reviewed: January 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:
boys farm heritage walk, Lysterfield
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
looks, shifting is good at first
Weaknesses:
afetr a while it refuses to shift under force, and you have to push the shifter lever to far in order to change it
acceptable for the price, but if your serious about riding you should save your money for deore lx which is by far the superior derailleur
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
simon
a
from newbury uk Date Reviewed: December 9, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Shifting is precise and efficient. Works well when new, still continues to work even when rattling with wear in the pivot
Weaknesses:
Very poor life. Had this for 9 months and done 2000 miles. The cage started to rattle quite soon, and inspection showed its the pivot bearing that's useless. Kept on using it as it still shifts just fine but cage is now so loose its starting to gouge the cranks.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX - much much superior in terms of longevity but similar shifting performance (good!). The LX front mech on my other bike has done far more miles and there's no sign of wear on it at all.
Bike Setup:
Giant Terago hard tail, XT cranks and rear mech. Deore shifters. Used as a daily commuting hack - 18 miles a day, mixture of road, gravel tracks and cross country.
Bottom Line:
Shifts OK but for regular use its quality of construction especially the pivot bearing, lets it down. It is cheap though.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Albertinho
a Cross Country Rider
from Zagreb, Croatia Date Reviewed: September 5, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Beer, climb, beer, descend, beer.
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Shifts properly, works when clogged in mud.
Weaknesses:
None really
Similar Products Used:
Alivio
Bike Setup:
KTM Ultra Flite 2007 Marzocchi MX Pro fork Formula Oro K18 brakes Deore/LX parts
Bottom Line:
Operated with SRAM X-9 shifter, it works all the time, no tuning was necessary. I heard XT shifts easier under load, but then I just don't push the pedals hard when shifting and it works fine. Almost zero maintenance too, just clean it with a water stream and lube the pivots now and then. If I tried more expensive derailleurs maybe I'd find flaws in this one, but currently I cannot think of any :)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin
a Downhiller
from Holly Springs, NC Date Reviewed: July 28, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Came on bike
Strengths:
Shifts great and is at a reasonable price
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Sram X.7
Bike Setup:
Iron Horse Warrior 3.0
Bottom Line:
This derailleur may not be the highest end but that really doesn't matter, the difference you get between many front derailleurs is weight. The width of the derailleur is about the same until you start buying 100 to 200 dollar ones. I asked the bike mechanic at my LBS if I should upgrade my derailleur he said it wouldn't make any difference, he told me that the angles of the chain cannot be changed by a derailleur, so best just to try and keep the chain as straight as you can. But I had him tune it for me and put a XTR chain on my bike and it doesn't clink or rub at all he said the chain is much slimmer than most so you avoid the ussue of clinking and rubbing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Donnie Anderson
a Weekend Warrior
from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Included free with bike
Weaknesses:
Everything
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Acera through XT, SRAM X.9
Bike Setup:
Giant hardtail, Full SRAM X.9
Bottom Line:
I always had problems with Shimano front deraillers. I'd install them using the 1-3mm gap between the cage and big chainring, or use a penny as a spacer. But the deraillers were always way low and I had to raise them. The H limit screw also never worked on any shimano deraillers.
I recently bought a new bike for my wife. I swapped my old Deore front derailler, deore shifters, and LX rear to her new bike, and installed full SRAM X.9 with gripshift on my frame.
Well first of all, I had zero problems with my X.9 front derailler. It comes with a plastic insert to hold the derailler open in high gear so you can install it and line it up, and use a penny as a spacer. Remove the plastic spacer, install the cable, and adjust the H and L screws. The H screw actually works. You can see the screw in the derailler and it works. On the Shimanos its all sealed, you can't see the end of the H or L screw and you don't know if it's working. Also on the Shimano the H screw is on the left when it should be on the right. SRAM has is right so you don't get mixed up.
Also the shop who installed the parts on my wife's bike did it all wrong. The fornt derailler was installed way high, and it was crooked. Limit screws were wacked and the cable tension was nuts. It would shift to first chainring. I removed the derailler and repositioned it, adjsuted it properly. Again the H limit screw sis nothing so I had to turn the shifter barrel to add some cable tension to pull the derailler a bit to clear the chain in the highest gear (big front/small rear). Overall I got it to about 80% performance that I'd expect. My SRAM is at 100%. And I know what I'm doing...I would expect the average JOE bike mechanic to have many more problems than I had. Good luck having them get the system shifting to over 60% performance. My local shop couldn't even get it right.
I'd give it a better rating, but after having used SRAM deraillers Shimano is officially canned.
One thing to keep in mind. I have Gripshift which allows me to trim the fornt derailler. If I'm in the middle chainring up front, and put the rear to either extreme you'd normally get some minor grinding ro chain rub agianst the fornt derailler. Well with gripshift you can trim it to remove the grinding. This automatically brings my shifting into the 100% performance zone I always expected but was unable to attain with Shimano.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ivan Kalovic
a Cross Country Rider
from Zagreb, Croatia Date Reviewed: October 3, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Slovenia, Maraton
Strengths:
Looking good
Weaknesses:
slow,
Similar Products Used:
Acera
Bottom Line:
I buy Deore instead Acera who just stop working, and I was disappointed. It wasn't any better than acera and that's shame. So I regret to buy this product, and suggest that if you buying a new avoid Deore, and buy something else.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a
from San Jose, CA Date Reviewed: July 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Better than the deore rear deailleur, but still save your money. You don't need to replace it if it come with you bike, but if you had a choice I would try to get something else.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erik
a
from TX Date Reviewed: July 30, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
It shifts.
Weaknesses:
Slow shifting, not precise, and 3 times in 4 days it derailed the chain off the crankset.
Similar Products Used:
Deore LX, Acera
Bottom Line:
BUY THE DEORE LX INSTEAD!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Racer
from USA Date Reviewed: June 29, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$31.00
Purchased At:
Bike Shop
Strengths:
Its Excellent once you install it the Right Way
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Shimano SIS
Bike Setup:
Mongoose
Bottom Line:
This Shimano Deore is the Best front Derailleur. If you install it right way and it dont rub against the chain ok. Its smooth at shifting to. It goes from 1 to 3 everytime fine. People should be careful at installing in the first place. Take Care Bye
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID Date Reviewed: June 5, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
inexpensive, reliable
Weaknesses:
terrible installation intructions. need patience to get the chain to stop rubbing.
Similar Products Used:
shimano deore LX, shimano XTR
Bike Setup:
Fetish D&S
Bottom Line:
I initially installed this incorrectly and the chain would pull the deraileur out of calibration quite easily and wouldn't shifter under load. I am absolutely convinced that everyone else who reviewed it like this did the same. To install you need to use two brackets AND two spacers. When installed correctly this deraileur will strip the paint off your bike before it moves out of position. Takes some time to get it so the chain doesn't rub at the extremes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jules Evans
a Cross Country Rider
from Hobart,Tas,Australia Date Reviewed: April 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Mt Wellington
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Looks good, works ok when muddy. cheap. (now I know why)
Weaknesses:
The cage is too flexible.
Similar Products Used:
Campag, other shimano.
Bike Setup:
Merida Matts speed D
Bottom Line:
I have had constant problems with this deraileur. It will not change to the small ring when under load. No good for racing on an unfamiliar track. I thought it was just my poor riding style or poor adjustment but when I adjust it down a bit or tweak in the screw it lets me down more by throwing the chain which then gets ground into the frame. I have had it professionally tuned three times by two different mechanics and had numerous goes at it myself, all with no joy. The cage is way too flexible. A mate advised me that XT was the go but I am sick of shimano. I have had trouble with other shimano parts on the bike so I have decided to upgrade to their leading competitor. I also ended up doing this on my road bike aswell, as shimano customer service is POOR.
This Deraileur is ok as long as you don't race or are always prepared to power down when changing to the small ring. It doesn't like hard work!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Vladimir
a Weekend Warrior
from Russia Date Reviewed: October 20, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
cannot downshift under any load
Similar Products Used:
shimano XT M760 front derailleur
Bike Setup:
GT I-Drive 1.0 (year 2003)
Bottom Line:
It does not downshift even on easy uphill. The weak spring is not the reason - it is the flexy cage. If you have this part on your bike, perform the following test: apply rear brake, downshift, then press the pedal - you will see as the strained chain bends the derailleur's cage. Another test : install a new derailleur, which you are going to buy, on a bike, or on some installed pipe (water-pipe will suit), then pull the outer plate of the derailleur's cage with your finger. If the cage bends before it starts to go as it should, this part will not function properly.
I had to buy Shimano XT M760 (year 2004) front derailleur - works OK on easy uphills and sometimes even on moderate ones, so that I can downshift before it is too late and the trail becomes too steep.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Niagara, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: October 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
anything with lots of hills
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
it shifts smoothly sometimes
Weaknesses:
the 2 top gears and 2 low gears in every range rub on it, after i've had 3 tune ups.
Similar Products Used:
sis on my old bike, and it didn't rub
Bike Setup:
Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc
Bottom Line:
It was good for a little while, then it started to rub. Now i can't use the 8&9 gears or the 1&2 gears in every range, because it's so annoying. Get a better one if you are upgrading.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from Framingham Date Reviewed: August 18, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Callahan
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Cheap.....
Weaknesses:
very bad at shifting going up a hill or under any load at all. When I first got my bike the chain fell off every time i switched gears under load, not very impressive. My chain must have fell off 6 times that day before i realized it was the derailer. This could easily cause your chain to get crushed. This is going to be replaced soon.
Bike Setup:
2005 Cannondale Jekyll
Bottom Line:
Save your money and buy something worthy of putting on your bike. Its not every worth the time to put it on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
swavess
a Cross Country Rider
from Zephyr Cove Date Reviewed: August 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Spooner rim trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Nothing. Seriously.
Weaknesses:
Won't shift at all under any kind of pressure even when adjusted correctly. Is the cage made of rubber?
Similar Products Used:
XT,alivio
Bike Setup:
KHS XC304
Bottom Line:
Worst front derailler I've ever had the misfortune to come across. It will just not shift under any kind of load at all. At first I thought it was my adjustment, so I had a shop do it...same results. The cage just does not have any strenght to it. Avoid it and if you buy a bike with one, plan on replacing it immediately. I did. Seriously, there are better derailleurs on Kmart bikes. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan Palmer
a Weekend Warrior
from Birmingham, AL, USA Date Reviewed: July 13, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Homewood Cycle & Fitness
Strengths:
the nameplate
Weaknesses:
Will NOT shift at all when ANY pressure on chain. Eating up my front gears.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Altus C20 on Iguana
Bike Setup:
Trek Fuel EX7 stock - Shiman Deore XT rear derailleur, Deore front derailleur, Hayes disc brakes
Bottom Line:
I have had nothing but problems out of the box from this derailleur. Literally had better luck with my Huffy 12 years ago. The rest of the FUEL EX7 is amazing though. With such a solid bike it seems that all components would be at least decent. I shouldn't even have know this part exists, much less should it be the limiting factor on the quality and quantity of my rides. Unless you can plan ahead, buy another derailleur. I've had enough; I am upgrading to the XT or better tomorrow.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
nick
a Weekend Warrior
from mississauga ontario canada Date Reviewed: April 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
if its fun .. close.. im there
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
not much...ummmm ... worked wel when it was working
Weaknesses:
crapped out on me within the frist 2 weeks of actually riding my bike... wouldnt shift gears anymore ... evn when the store tried to adjust it it still wouldnt work... so i got a new .. different one
Similar Products Used:
iunno
Bike Setup:
rocky mountain flow 2005 f1 (stock ...x'cept for new derailleur)
Bottom Line:
not very good part ... worked well before it crapped out on mr ... just bad expeience with this stupid part... thats why i dont like it
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Ithaca, NY Date Reviewed: March 1, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$6.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA.com
Strengths:
Strong, can be used with top or bottom pull, comes with shim for all clamp diameters. It's also dirt cheap, and shifts reasonably well when covered with mud. Comes with a screw to open the cage so you don't have to take your chain apart to take it off.
Weaknesses:
Heavy, cage flexes a bit. The worst part is the setup. Your cable tension has to be PERFECT, or the derailleur will hardly move on direction or the other. Once you get it set up though, you won't have to touch it again.
Similar Products Used:
Alivio, XT
Bottom Line:
If weight isn't a big deal, the Deore is a great derailleur. The only difference I noticed between it and my old XT was weight, and the XT was easier to set up. Still, the Deore is a great derailleur for the money. If budget is a big issue for you, get one. I am happy with it for the amount of money I paid. The most important thing for me at that price was that it still worked properly when full of crap, and the Deore does that beautifully. I came home from one ride to realise that I couldn't see the parallelogram through all the mud and dried grass that were crammed into it. (We had ridden one small section of the ride through some tall grass.) I couldn't beleive that it would still work, but after a short spin around the block I was convinced that it worked almost as well as it did dry. My next derailleur will probably be an LX to save some weight, and I hope it will work as well as my Deore.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Slovenia Date Reviewed: February 7, 2005
quickly got some stack, which made it hard to set properly, latter even impossible to set without chain rubbing into swing-plate when on granny. died in two years of mid use, swing arm (pivots) froze completly. I could move it only with claws. I suppose it would last much longer, if it hadn't regulary been in mud, dirt, snow conditions. But mud appears in woods every spring when snow melts and attumn (rain). And mud does not bother me at all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brett
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia Date Reviewed: January 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Adelaide Hills
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$33.00
Purchased At:
Bike shop
Strengths:
None to mention other than price, but because of its poor performance then its not good at any price.
Weaknesses:
Did not reach out enough over big chain ring and clashes with middle chain ring when trying to engage chain onto big chainring. Had to bend and modify the cage to enable full use of gears without rubbing. Flimsy and flexed under load, Gear changes slow and cumbersome.
10yrs riding mtb's and 4 bikes - first time with hair pulling out issues with front derailleur. Thought I would save a dollar downgrading, only to be burnt, wish I spent the extra on a LX (twice the price) or better. Avoid this multi pupose Deore derailleur and source a dedicated derailleur (i.e top pull OR bottom pull) as they have less flex and are smoother, pay the extra.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
stephen john
a Cross Country Rider
from bampton, oxforshire, england Date Reviewed: August 23, 2004
Favorite Trail:
the big dipper
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
warlands, oxford
Strengths:
cheap, shifts fairly well
Weaknesses:
takes time to shift when muddy
Similar Products Used:
shinamo lx
Bike Setup:
dawes edge team, with xt shifters
Bottom Line:
these shifters work very well considering the price, especially in the dry. However, as soon as they get muddy shifting takes 10+ seconds, and needs a lot of over-compensation. on the other hand these shifters are very durable, having survived various jumps, drop offs and countless crashes. So if you live in the sun all year, buy them, otherwise think about the lx, which works a lot better in the mud.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rubén García
a Cross Country Rider
from Madrid, Spain Date Reviewed: July 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Every XC
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Price- value, reliable
Weaknesses:
I don’t find anything, Ok, but I don’t find many differences between these things (like my old Alivio)
Similar Products Used:
STX-RC, Alivio, LX
Bike Setup:
Merida Matts Speed 2003 Standard with V Brakes Avid Single Digit 7 (levers)
Bottom Line:
It works; I had no problems with it, makes his job. As I said, I can’t find many differences with these things, for me all work very similar.
I’m very happy with it… Maybe I can’t be really critic, because I don’t pay attention to this component. I don’t find many differences with my old Alivio…Ok, it looks better
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam
a Cross Country Rider
from Oceanside, CA, USA Date Reviewed: June 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Pontiac Lake, MI
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
OEM on Jamis Dakar Comp
Strengths:
NONE
Weaknesses:
Doesn't want to shift at all. Upshifts and downshifts take 3-5 seconds, unless you have very high RPM at the crank. I will replace it at my earliest opportunity.
Similar Products Used:
LX, XT
Bike Setup:
Stock Jamis Dakar Comp.
Bottom Line:
A waste. I appreciate bike companies trying to keep prices low, but it would be well worth a few more dollars to get an LX. Luckily, XTs only cost about $20 on-line, so it's cheap to replace.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cliff
a Weekend Warrior
from Wells River, VT Date Reviewed: April 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
kingdom trails
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Seemed to shift down okay.
Weaknesses:
Shifting up needs to be held for a couple seconds to shift properly.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XTR, XT
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll 400 w/ fox float l
Bottom Line:
This is not a bad shifter, it only has one problem. When shifting into higher gears, you need to hold it for at least 3 seconds. This may not seem to much to you, but when moving downhill with rocks/roots/drops, this can be annoying. I give it a 4 because it is not a bad shifter, it can work very well if given a little time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Vic
a Cross Country Rider
from Moscow, Russia Date Reviewed: March 22, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Allround
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Stock with bike
Strengths:
Cheap, relatively durable, does its job somehow
Weaknesses:
No positive up shifting, fails under load, slow shifting
Similar Products Used:
Alivio, LX, XT
Bike Setup:
Merida Matts Sport 700, tuned for XT parts and Hayes disc brakes
Bottom Line:
Well, its cheap, and I'm not waiting anything more from it. But man, when you are trying to shift up, you need to hold it for a second or two. Otherwise it just makes a click-clack noise, which positively can be scary on high speed. Even if you've got the clue and ready to spend seconds for up shifting, damn thing still fails when the bike is loaded well or at high speeds. This is just dangerous. I was using it for a half of year and was happy when shifted up to XT. Feel the difference. Still value is good, but the rating... sorry.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Edo
a Weekend Warrior
from Zagreb Date Reviewed: February 27, 2004
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Maraton
Strengths:
Resistant.
Weaknesses:
Newer shifted properly. Difficult to shift up. Drops the chain, from time to time when shifting down.
I have chosen Deore instead of Lx or XT because of the rewiews here claiming that the shifting quality is equal. I regreted. To shift up You need to push the shifter and keep it for a while. When shifting down it drops the chain from time to time. I have changed the crankset (I have a Truvative Firex now) but it didn't improve the shifting. i have it tuned several times. no results.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jcreech
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle Date Reviewed: February 27, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
None?
Weaknesses:
The thing broke and impaled my chain third time I rode the bike
Bike Setup:
KHS XC
Bottom Line:
Went from standing start at light and switched gears as I started pedaling and whole cage snapped. Maybe my technique sucks but this things sucked worse. Had to hoof it 2 miles in cleats to get fixed. Went to two bike shops and neither shop carried this particular model. Never shifted well even when working. The back derailuer is a dream (also Shimano Deore) but the front is CHEAP. Bike mechanic even commented that the part was cheap and easily snapped the cage while trying to put the part back on my bike. Shimano customer service was rude and unhelpful. Stated that they "rarely if ever have a front derailiers returned". Yeah, right!
Even a poor part should last longer than 3 rides (none off road)!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dredd
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area CA Date Reviewed: September 17, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Skeggs
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Cheap, durable..looks ok..works fairly well.
Weaknesses:
As Ryan R said "The only way it works well is to shift from your mid to granny before you start hammering. " I have the same problem. First I took it in for bike shop to mess with it. No gold. So I broke down and said fuc|< it, I'll fix it. Adjusted it to near perfection (lil' rubbing in high/highest...but if you shift down to granny gear after you start hammering it up a hill, the mofo won't shift down. Kinda good though, you should shift ahead and plan your climbs but it's nice to be able to do it the dumb way on occasion.
Similar Products Used:
XTR, XT, LX, Alivio, STX, Acera...
Bike Setup:
Raleigh M60
Bottom Line:
Better than lower line Shimano, works great except the downshift problem under load.
Maybe me and Ryan can figure out how to fix this??
Someone throw me an e-mail :)
Dredd
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike B.
a
from Van Nuys, LA, Cal Date Reviewed: September 15, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Balboa Basin
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$10.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Cheap; easy install; durable; works in all conditions; tight, strong spring
Weaknesses:
A little sticky on the downshift sometimes; chain rubs cage in high gear
Similar Products Used:
Acera
Bike Setup:
2001 Raleigh M50 with many mods
Bottom Line:
A good product fot the money( $10 ! ); the only problem I ever have is that sometimes the chainwheel has to make one revolution before the chain moves where it's supposed to; but then the next time it shifts fine, so I just live with it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
zach
a Racer
from port hope,on,canada Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
hard wood hills
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
proform cycle
Strengths:
shifts nicely and has a great value
Weaknesses:
wears out fast
Similar Products Used:
shimano lx
Bike Setup:
giant xtc 2 with time pedals carbon bars and seatpost
Bottom Line:
good derailleur with a good price and is easy to tune
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joel kahney
a Weekend Warrior
from Philly Date Reviewed: June 22, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
very tough. Can take a beating and still go. So far no adjusting needed.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
lx
Bike Setup:
Schwinn Messa GSX deore lx mega9
Bottom Line:
Absolutely no problems. It came stock on my bike and needed do adjusting from the day I bought the bike. I have really made this thing work and had no problems with it. Great product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Tempe, AZ Date Reviewed: May 27, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
I did work a bit
Weaknesses:
pins that hold the cage on worked their way loose. I can shift all I want and watch the mechanism move, yet the chain doesn't move or make so much as a noise.
Similar Products Used:
7 speed XT, 8 speed LX
Bike Setup:
'01 i-dive 5.0
Bottom Line:
This is the second most anoing failure I've ever had. I took me forever to figure out what went wrong (I have yet to figure out why). The mechanism moves, if I take it off the bike the cage even moves, but there is enough play in it now that the thing won't move a chain. I don't know if it performs well or not since GT put a way to big one on the bike with a spacer to get it to fit the tube. Way to go guys.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J C
a Weekend Warrior
from Whistler Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Don't remember
Strengths:
Dual pull direction makes it transferable, relatively cheap.
Weaknesses:
Crappy shifting.
Similar Products Used:
All levels of Shimano front derailleurs.
Bike Setup:
2003 Heckler w/ Shimano and Black Spire chainrings.
Bottom Line:
ok for road cruising but less than adequate for trail riding. Does not shift well under load or when dirty. You can have it all tuned up and think everything is spanky and shortly into your ride your compensating for it. Constantly have to let off the load and downshift early. I bought an XT as I've always had better luck with them. What use is a derailleur that fits many bikes if you don't want to use it on any bike? Spend the extra few $$ and get something better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan R
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island NY Date Reviewed: April 29, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Pandora
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Works well at low speeds and shifting while not pedeling. Hasn't broken yet guess this is a plus. Not hard to adjust when it needs to be thank god see below
Weaknesses:
Does not shift well under heavy pressure loads at all. So far all it ever does is jam the chain or comes off completly especially when going from the mid ring to the granny ring. If this thing wasn't easy to adjust I would have killed someone by now at thats not saying much. shifts are very voilent and not smooth at all this is not what I really expect from Shimano.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT, Shimano Alvino
Bike Setup:
02 Stumpjumper with all kind of goodies
Bottom Line:
Today I was ready to kill my bike this thing is a piece off crap and is really pissing me off! I have come to a conclusion that there is no way to adjust this thing so it works properly. I have tried and tried and it either the chian falls off or it can't shift well under load at all. The only way it works well is to shift from your mid to granny before you start hammering. I will be removing this thing as soo as I can. I think a Shimano XTR will do a lot better. This is the stupidest combo on my bike I have seen yet!I get my new Stumpjumper and there is a XTR rear derailer but on the front there is a Deore LX 9 come on match it up right people Put on a XTR Front With An XTR rear PLEASE! If your looking for a deal and will not be shifting aggresivly this thing will work fine but if you like to ride your bike like a manaic STAY AWAY this thing will really piss you off the only good thing I can say is that thank god it hasn't snapped my cabel yet or I would be on the phone with Shimano as soon as I got home hope my luck will not run out before I can change it Jag Wire is Expensive Here! PEACE!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Konahead
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: April 8, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Hobo Trail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
All your friends think it's cool because it says Shimano.
Weaknesses:
Will never shift well from 2 to 3 and from 2 to 1 in any tuning.
Similar Products Used:
Alivio, Acera, LX
Bike Setup:
2001 20" Kona Cinder Cone w/Thomson elite, Selle Italia Flite Gelflow, Shimano M747
Bottom Line:
It is the only piece of hardware on my bike that I am completely unsatisfied with. I have never been able to tune it so I get perfect shifting going from gears 2 to 3 and 2 to 1. It always grinds going to one of the combinations. Maybe it's better on 24 speeds and lower but 27 speeds should not sport this derailleur.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hank Jien
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: April 6, 2003
Favorite Trail:
South Surrey Atheletic Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
West Point Cycles
Strengths:
-shifts smoothly -accepts top or bottom swing -comes with spacers to fit different frame diameters
This derailleur performs really well, but I thought the new light action design would make it easier to shift than my old STX. It works smoother. I don't think that anyone would need something better than a Deore for a front der..
The best thing about this derailleur is that it accepts top of bottom pull and different tubing sizes. No headaches when switching it onto another bike!
I would recommend it to anyone.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Robert
a
from Salem OR Date Reviewed: February 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Works like Butter.
Weaknesses:
None so far, And I've banged it up pretty hard a couple times.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Alivio
Bottom Line:
This is a great Mid-range bicycle component. Most riders probably don't need anything more than the deore front derailer. Shifts smooth as butter even in the toughest conditions. My last bike had the Alivio front derailer and it worked fine but I can really tell the differance between it and the Deore. The Deore easily out performs it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Grant
a Cross Country Rider
from Macon, GA, USA Date Reviewed: January 22, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Oak Mountain
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Breakaway Cyclery
Strengths:
The cage moves whn you press the lever.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Bike Setup:
2002 Klein Attitude with mostly stock parts.
Bottom Line:
I read an article recently by Grant Petersen (I think) of Rivendell Cycles where he asks what's the least important part of a mountain bike. The answer was the front derailleur. It's not like your shifting up there as often as you are on the back, right? That being said.... The Deore derailleur does what it is supposed to do, i.e. when you operate the lever, it moves the cage. Any problems I have ever had with chainsuck or slow shifts I will lay at the feet of cheap shifters and a cruddy crankset. Honestly, I don't see what more you could ask of a derailleur. Who wants to spend $50 on a part that does the same job as a $10 part, right. Long story short, I have no complaints. I'll ride it till it breaks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from USA Date Reviewed: January 2, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Stock on Bike
Strengths:
1. Lasted for 2 years so far 2. Does its job
Weaknesses:
1. Not as smooth as some more expensive models
Similar Products Used:
All of Shimano line Deore and up, SRAM 7.0,9.0
Bike Setup:
2001 Schwinn Moab 3, XTR Brakes levers/Carbon boosters F+R/M536 clipless/Rhyno Lite rear/XT Shifters/San Marco saddle/Thomson seatpost
Bottom Line:
This derrailleur came stock on my bike. It, while not being as flashy/light/smooth as some nicer models that I have tried, certainly does its job. I like to maintain my bikes, and have kept the derrailleur cleaned and lubed, as well as adjusted correctly.I have raced several times with this derrailleur. While the smoothness and speed of shifting leaves someting to be desired in a racing situation, it does its job. The front deraailleur isn't as used as much as the rear derrailleur, so use your money for the rear first. Shifters make more of a difference than derrailleurs if you have that much money. Ensuring that your cables are in good condition and the derrailleur is free of gunk also makes a big difference. This is a good product for beginner/bargain hunter. If you aren't a racer, than you won't be dissapointed. Replace it with something nicer when it breaks. 4 value/4 overall
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron McGraw
a Weekend Warrior
from Oil City, PA Date Reviewed: December 9, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Oil Creek and Sugar Creek Trails, Venango County
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
El Nashbaro!
Strengths:
Well, if you are not exactly sure if you have a top-pull or bottom pull derailleur... or what your frame-tubing size is... of course, if you have these issues you are kinda a boob.
Weaknesses:
Okay... does't traverse far enough out to grab the outer chainring on some full suspension frames.
Okay, it's a Mongoose Xr-150 frameset with a Mozo ML 10 suspension fork... Dia Compe Aheadset, KORE stem, Weinmann/Formula wheels with Nanoraptors, Precision Billet rear derailleur, Truvativ 5-D crank--with Syncros outer and LX inner ring, Kalloy long-assed seatpost, SDG comp saddle, MRX 7-spd shifters, Profile bar ends, Titec bars, Nashbar Clipless peddles, Nashbar cassette, Chang Star Linear pulls brakes
Bottom Line:
NIGHTMARISH to upgrade with... twitchy to adjust. I had to use and extra-short bottom bracket ( a low end shimano road one), so this thing could hit the high gear. If it comes stock... ok, keep it, Alivio is more adjustable, similar in weight, and probably just as durable. Oh yeah, and despite what some folks say, Acera X and Alivio are probably wind and stick proof.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave M
a Weekend Warrior
from Bendigo, Victoria, Melbourne Date Reviewed: November 13, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Mount Buller
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Goldcross Cycles
Strengths:
Stronger than Acera & Alivio crap.
Weaknesses:
Weaker than XT and XTR components
Similar Products Used:
Acera front derailleur.
Bike Setup:
Kona Blast,
Bottom Line:
I think either a twig or a moderate gust of wind busted up the crappy Acera front derailleur the bike came with. I took this as a clue that it wasn't destined to be on my bike.
The Deore front derailluer is plenty strong and can deal with the dirt and mud on any track. Deore components are the MINIMUM you should be out riding off road with.
You truly get what you pay for with components. Those who say otherwise DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT!! Laugh in the face of people that tell you the cheap parts are just as good. They're fools.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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