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SRAM X-Generation Front Derailleur

Average Rating 4.09/5
# of Reviews 11
MSRP $
Weight
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Description:
  • Clamp: Forged Alloy
  • Cage: Chrome Plated Steel
  • Cable Pull: Top or Bottom Pull
  • Technology: Super Stiff wide pivot design
Where To Buy


BeyondBikes



Chain Reaction Cycles


Price Point



Greenfish


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    JensonUSA
    Nashbar
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    Submitted by Charlie a Weekend Warrior from Minnesota
    Date Reviewed: February 27, 2008
    Favoriate Trail:Hillside Park
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $9.00
    Purchased At:Pricepoint.com
    Strengths:Super strong, and shifts fast.
    Weaknesses:Heavy, takes allot of force to shift up to bigger chain rings.
    Similar Products Used:SR Suntour, and Deore LX
    Bike Setup:Diamondback Response, Deore LX hubs, HG 70 9 sp. cassete and LX rear derailleur, X-Gen. front derailleur, FSA Alpha crankset, Avid FR-5 levers, and BB-5 brakes, Sram Attack thumb shifters, Titec Hellbent DH bars, Hellbent locking grips, and Titec Big Al stem.
    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!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Aaron a Cross Country Rider from Simi Valley CA
    Date Reviewed: September 25, 2007
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Purchased At:ebay
    Strengths:Fairly strong, has the option of top or bottom pull.
    Weaknesses:Slips on the cable and loses shifting ability
    Similar Products Used:none
    Bike Setup:Raliegh xt 3500 and motobecane 500ht
    Bottom Line:It is a good derailleur for the price but I would maybe go better next time.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by JP a Cross Country Rider from Brisbane, Australia
    Date Reviewed: May 3, 2007
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Purchased At:Brisbane Bicycles
    Strengths:Shifts good.
    Weaknesses:WEAK! HEAVY!
    Similar Products Used:LX, Suntour
    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?
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by James a Cross Country Rider from GIg Harbor, WA
    Date Reviewed: January 25, 2007
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $15.00
    Purchased At:Price Point
    Strengths:cheap, quality materials, shifts well
    Weaknesses:cable routing
    Similar Products Used:shimano lx e type
    Bike Setup:2000 custom built zaskar x
    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.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by James a Downhiller from Lorton, VA, USA
    Date Reviewed: November 28, 2006
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $18.00
    Purchased At:www.beyondbikes.com
    Strengths:Construction, Reliability, Durability, Consistency
    Weaknesses:Hard Pull, Adjustment issues
    Similar Products Used:Shimano Dura-Ace, Shimano Saint, Shimano Ultra LX, Shimano XT
    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
    Bottom Line: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.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Greg a Cross Country Rider from Maine
    Date Reviewed: October 20, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Mt. Aggie trails
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Purchased At:blueskycycle.com
    Strengths:Tough, tough, tough. Solid shifts.
    Weaknesses:Heavy.
    Similar Products Used:Shimano LX
    Bike Setup:basic XC HT bike. SRAM X9 drivetrain with XT cranks.
    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.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by JP Taberdo a Cross Country Rider from Brisbane
    Date Reviewed: October 6, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:The Flames of Mt. Buggary
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Brisbane Bicycles
    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.
    Similar Products Used:Shim LX -> not quite as quick
    Bike Setup:Truvativ ISIS crank, KMC Z-9200, SRAM PG-950 11-32 9 speed cassette
    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.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Sam a Cross Country Rider from Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    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
    Similar Products Used:some Shimano crap
    Bike Setup:Scott hardtail frame, SRAM X7 drivetrain, Rockshox recon fork
    Bottom Line:Awesome product, once you've got it setup and tuned up - has never stuffed up on me
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Kerry Hales a Weekend Warrior from Clearfield, UT USA
    Date Reviewed: July 27, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Washington &OD
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $30.00
    Purchased At:Performance bike
    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.
    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
    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?
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tim a Weekend Warrior from Portland Oregon
    Date Reviewed: June 5, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Falls City
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Purchased At:LBS
    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.
    Similar Products Used:Most other stuff that claims good reviews
    Bike Setup:No braggin,could be anything but to me it's just to ride.
    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.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tony a Cross Country Rider from South Dakota
    Date Reviewed: May 16, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:anywhere
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $10.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Cheap, easy to adjust, strong
    Weaknesses:none so far
    Similar Products Used:Shimano, factory eguipment
    Bike Setup:Diamondback, Rock Shox, Sram and Xt draintrain
    Bottom Line:Good price, easy to work with excellant value for the $$$$$
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4






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