If you are in-between the capacity ranges of the two, which is often the case with mountain bikes, then note the following: long cage derailleurs will accommodate a wider gear range and deliver a better chain line, while medium cage derailleurs are less likely to be hit by rocks on the trail.
Do I need medium or long cage rear derailleur?
In general terms: Mountain bikes with wide gear ratios, or triple chainset road drivetrains, use long or medium cage derailleurs. Road bikes with double chainsets use short cage derailleurs.
What is derailleur cage length?
Shimano categorizes its rear derailleurs into three tiers depending on the cage length, and they're denoted by the suffix on the model number. “-SS” refers to the short-cage versions, with a maximum chain capacity of 33T or less. These are usually the domain of road bikes.
What is long cage rear derailleur?
Long cage derailleur
It is most often used for 27 or 30 gears combinations and is recommended especially for Cross Country and Marathon competitions to pick up excess chain when using small ratios (small chainrings – small sprockets).
What is long cage?
The cage is the portion that the upper and lower pulleys mount to. A long cage would be longer than a short cage! It provides more wrap capacity to handle a wider range of gearing. Campy offers short, medium and long cage models with 29,36 and 39 teeth of wrap capacity.
25 related questions foundCan you make a short cage derailleur into a long cage?
Yes, if the derailleurs are the same model, and you can get all the parts, (which isn't usually a straightforward process) youcan convert from short cage to long cage. That's assuming that the rest of the derailleur is constructed the same way, which is not guaranteed.
Can I change derailleur cage length?
Its not just the tooth capacity, the maximum sprocket size the derailleur is rated for can also change with the cage size in the same product line (i.e. they're not just changing the cage), with the maximum sprocket size going up with cage length.
How do I choose a derailleur for my mountain bike?
If you are replacing an existing derailleur on a bike, simply count the number of cogs on your cassette and you're good to go. If your drivetrain's speed is an unknown quantity, you can count the number of steps that your shifter runs through and add 'one' to determine the number of gears your drivetrain has.
How do I choose a derailleur?
When buying a new rear derailleur be sure to match it with your drivetrain 'speed'. 10-speed drivetrains use narrower chains than 9-speed so you'll need a mech to match. Most rear mechs are made of a polymer and alloy mix but you'll find carbon fibre in top-end models to shave even more weight.
Can I put any derailleur on my bike?
A derailleur for your mountain bike should match the specifications on the original derailleur. That is, while it doesn't need to be the same model of derailleur, it does need to be the same brand, in almost every case. It also needs to match the number of gears, or have more intended.
Can I use a MTB derailleur on a road bike?
For example, if the bike has a 10-speed cassette and road shifters, it will be compatible with an MTB derailleur that has the rear shift ratio of a 10-speed road derailleur.
What does Shimano SGS mean?
Shimano MTB rear derailleurs last letters will be GS or SGS, which stand for "Short cage" or SGS for long cage. A XTR rear derailleur will be RD-M970-GS (for short cage) or RD-M970-SGS (for long cage)
What is the difference between a short medium cage rear derailleur?
The only difference between the two is the amount of chain slack they can take up. In theory, the fact that the short RDs have a shorter cage means that the amount of movement is less due to the lower angle and lower flex.
Can I use Shimano derailleur with SRAM cassette?
Considering these parts were never designed to play well together, the Sram GX AXS shifter and derailleur work perfectly on the Shimano XTR cassette.
Can you mix SRAM and Shimano?
SRAM's cassettes and chains are compatible with all of Shimano's groupsets, and vice versa. Likewise, Shimano and SRAM buyers have the freedom to mix different levels of chains and cassettes so long as they are designed for the same kind of transmission.
Are Shimano cages interchangeable?
All of Shimano's Hollowtech II non-drive arms are cross-compatible. So if you were to use that 6700 left arm with a 5800 or 6800 crankset, it would work; you'd of course want to make sure both are the same length!
Can I replace short cage derailleur?
A derailleur can be replaced without breaking the chain. You undo the two bolts that hold the jockey wheels and put the chain in place.
Can you use a 9 speed derailleur on a 7 speed bike?
Can I use a 9-speed derailleur on a 7-speed cassette? The answer is yes because the rear shift ratio of 9-speed and 7-speed derailleurs is the same if you stay within the same brand.
Can I use a 7 speed derailleur on an 8 speed cassette?
8 speed shifter and cassette, 7 speed derailleur? You'll be fine. There's no "probably" about it. 6-, 7- and 8-speed gear is all cross-compatible in terms of chain width.
Will a 9 speed derailleur work on a 8 speed cassette?
yes you can use the derailer on the 8 speed cassette. The major difference between 8 and 9 speed is indexing. So for an 9 speed cassette you would need 9 speed shifters.
