[fedup2]

I about to switch over and try some xo sram stuff but i wasnt sure what kinda xo derailer to get! I ride mostly XC and i want a derailer that needs the least about of ajusting!please help me out.Also what disc brakes do you guys recomend,I just bought a 06 blur xc and i am building from scratch. I'm a newbie to this board!!!
thanks,brettxxx

 

[fsrxc]

I about to switch over and try some xo sram stuff but i wasnt sure what kinda xo derailer to get! I ride mostly XC and i want a derailer that needs the least about of ajusting!please help me out.Also what disc brakes do you guys recomend,I just bought a 06 blur xc and i am building from scratch. I'm a newbie to this board!!!
thanks,brettxxx

Derailler length is based on the range of gears you have. If you run 3 front rings, and have say 11-34 rear, go with the long cage der.

Brakes - almost all newer mid-high end hydro brakes are very good, with small differences that are often personal preference. Some are lighter than others, so better suited to XC.

Avid Juicy 5 or 7
Formula K24 etc
Magura - not sure the current best model
Shimano - LX, XT, XTR - only issue is splined rotors, they will work with 6-bolt rotors though.
Hope mini mono

If it was me, I'd base the decision on which decent, lightish brakes you can get a deal on, that you can get servicing and parts for locally (unless you DYI servicing and don't mind mail-ordering parts).

 

[Mr Magoo]

Short Cage. Period.

Get the short cage. Leave all discussions about chain wrap capacity for later.
SRAM deraillers are all about snagging things on the trail. Smaller cage means better clearance. Picture a dog with big balls bounding throught he brush after a tennis ball.

Ouch.

Chain wrap capacity is the tooth difference between the small and large chainring plus the tooth difference between the small and large cogs. My answer is 45 for 11-34 and 22-32-44. This probably calls for a med or large, but I have never had chain slack problems with a small. I have snapped many SRAM deraillers, short or med.

 

[fedup2]

thanks

that helps a ton

 

[Hardtails Are Better]

Get the short cage. Leave all discussions about chain wrap capacity for later.
SRAM deraillers are all about snagging things on the trail. Smaller cage means better clearance. Picture a dog with big balls bounding throught he brush after a tennis ball.

Ouch.

Chain wrap capacity is the tooth difference between the small and large chainring plus the tooth difference between the small and large cogs. My answer is 45 for 11-34 and 22-32-44. This probably calls for a med or large, but I have never had chain slack problems with a small. I have snapped many SRAM deraillers, short or med.

What Mr. Magoo is leaving out (well, actually, ignoring) is the fact that a short cage dereilleur can't handle a full 3 ring crank setup with a regular casette. I simply cannot believe that you are running 3 rings, an 11-34 casette, and a short cage dereilleur without sacrificing a lot of your gear combinations. See my experience with a mid cage below. There will be a whole bunch of gears that you can't use. This will be exacerbated by the fact that you're on a FS, which will inevitably experience some chain growth throughout its travel, which will give the dereilleur more work to do when trying to keep the chain tensioned. Unless you're running a single front ring, a short cage dereilleur won't be able to keep the chain tensioned in many of your gear combinations. I run 2X9 on all my bikes (besides the SS, obviously), and use mid cage dereilleurs. I've run a mid cage with 3 rings on a hardtail, and it worked, though it took a little fiddling with chain length, and there were a couple of gear combinations that didn't work. They were ones that you shouldn't be using anyway though, (large-2 largest casette cogs and small- 2 smallest cogs) so it wasn't a big deal. A short cage, however isn't going to get the job done.

 

[davec113]

I'd go med. cage and buy a bashguard to replace the big ring. HAB is right, short cage is generally used in 1x9 setups.

Check out the Magura Marta or Louise brakes, I have a Gustav ft. and a Louise rear, they have a really nice feel to them.

 

[Hardtails Are Better]

I'd go med. cage and buy a bashguard to replace the big ring. HAB is right, short cage is generally used in 1x9 setups.

Check out the Magura Marta or Louise brakes, I have a Gustav ft. and a Louise rear, they have a really nice feel to them.

Well, it's a Blur XC..... If you're racing, I'd keep the big ring. Otherwise, I like a 22-34/36-bash setup on my AM bikes. And go for a mid cage dereilleur.

Brakes, I like the feel of Maguras/ Shimanos- they're very similar. Shimanos are great- even the cheaper models, even the Deore, are great brakes, and they're cheap. The higher end ones are lighter, and a little more powerful, but not significantly. Lever feel is the same. I've got a pair of Deores on one bike, and I finally had to bleed the rear after 5 years. Front still is fine. They're pretty reliable. Plenty of power too, especially with metal pads.

 

[agoura_biker]

I've run a mid cage with 3 rings on a hardtail, and it worked, though it took a little fiddling with chain length, and there were a couple of gear combinations that didn't work. They were ones that you shouldn't be using anyway though, (large-2 largest casette cogs and small- 2 smallest cogs) so it wasn't a big deal. A short cage, however isn't going to get the job done.

A long cage derailleur is really the right size; you just don't have to worry so much about chain length. But I'm running a mid-cage X0 with 22-32-44 up front and 12-34 in back, and it works great. You have to be careful about chain length, including changes from the suspension travel. Mine barely makes it in big-big - but it does, and I don't use that gear anyway, so there's no compromise or loss of gears.

 

[Speedub.Nate]

You will notice snappier shifts and better chain tension (reduced chain slap) with shorter cage lengths.

There is really no reason to avoid a medium cage derailleur on a triple ring setup, if you're willing to deal with a dropped chain should you accidentally shift into the small-small cross chain range.

I've broken it down by the numbers in this post: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=205890

From there, it's your choice if you want the performance of a medium or the mindlessness (I mean that in a good way) of a long cage.

 

[rm_racer]

i have been running an '07 sram x9 medium cage rear der. on a 2x9 setup for a couple months now, couldn't be happier. i had an x7 long cage on a 3x9 setup for about 8 months before i converted to the 2x9 and not a problem with it. i have not witnessed sram derailers snapping off. reported cases that i have seen are rare too. i would say long, possibly medium cage would be best, assuming you are running a 3x9 setup.

 

[Some Guy]

I switched from a long to a medium cage recently and I've had no problems. That's running 22/32/44 with an 11-32 cassette. It doesn't like shifting into big-big, but you shouldn't be using that gear anyway.

The other thing to remember if you are going X.0 is that the medium cage is carbon and the long isn't. Nevermind the weight savings, think of the bling!

As to you're question on brakes I recommend Hope and Avid, just stay away from Hayes. In my experiance they are unreliable and lack feel.

 

[agoura_biker]

You will notice snappier shifts and better chain tension (reduced chain slap) with shorter cage lengths.

There is really no reason to avoid a medium cage derailleur on a triple ring setup, if you're willing to deal with a dropped chain should you accidentally shift into the small-small cross chain range.

I've broken it down by the numbers in this post: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=205890

This is a GREAT explanation! I don't know how I missed it earlier. I like the way you focus on the small-small range, when everyone (including me) seems to be focused on the big-big combo. A good point that the chain needs to be the same length no matter what the derailleur, and the real problem is going into the small-small combo - which I find much less likely than big-big.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Good point on the chain dropping. I do run small or med cages on 11-34 and 22-32-44 with absolutely no impact on what gear is available. I do drop the occasional chain, usually when braking hard on a downhill involuntary dismount. I was suspecting a sticky freewheel. I still accept this annoyance for better clearance.