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New triple front derailleur for 7 speed bike

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New triple front derailleur for 7 speed bike

Old 05-01-18, 06:36 PM
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Narhay
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New triple front derailleur for 7 speed bike

Any recommendations for a 28.6mm clamp front derailleur for a triple mtb crank, 7 speed cluster? The bike is my father's department store Raleigh Sports of 15 or so years old and the front derailleur is just pitiful. I have adjusted and installed hundreds of front derailleurs and this one is the only that manages to rub in several chainring/cluster combinations at the best of times. I gave him a full xt titanium merlin yet he still likes this old Raleigh.

What new front derailleur would be a decent replacement? I cannot remember if it is a top or bottom pull. I am aware the 6/7/8/9 speed is more marketing than functional limitation for the front spacing chains.

Last edited by Narhay; 05-01-18 at 06:40 PM.
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Old 05-01-18, 06:54 PM
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Shimano 1055, 5500, 6500, 5600, 6600 or 6700 series triples should all work fine and be realtively imexpensive. Even a 6207/6208 FD will do the job.
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Old 05-01-18, 09:37 PM
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Are you sure you want a "new" front derailleur? The list given above would be used, most likely off of eBay. They would be better than any new 7 speed front derailleur.

If you have an old mountain bike derailleur that might work as well. I'm running an XTR 910 on a triple 7 speed setup on my road bike. However, my large chainring is only a 46t.

John
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Old 05-02-18, 05:23 AM
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I should note it has a mtb shifter so the cable pull will be different than a road front
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Old 05-02-18, 06:23 AM
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Not so. Cable pull on bottom pull FD's (DA 740X aside) was the same from 6 speed through 10 speed.
However, as 7 speed MTB FD's are out there and cheap, why not just replace it with one of those?
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Old 05-02-18, 12:33 PM
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Go find an early XT front derailleur, maybe a 730, 732, 735. A 737 would probably work as well.

John
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Old 05-02-18, 03:28 PM
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Or a current Shimano FD-A073
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C45HXBS...v_ov_lig_dp_it
it is cheap, heavy, rugged, reliable.
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Old 05-03-18, 09:26 AM
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Originally Posted by rccardr
Not so. Cable pull on bottom pull FD's (DA 740X aside) was the same from 6 speed through 10 speed.
You sure about that? I know that nearly all of Shimano's 6-10 speed road derailleurs share the same pull ratios*, but I've read in many places -- some more reputable than others -- that Shimano's road and mountain front derailleurs do not share the same cable pull ratio.

* except DA 740x and Tiagra 470x
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Old 05-04-18, 02:10 PM
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True of 11 speed, DA 740X, 10 speed MTB and Tiagra 4700; otherwise all 6-7-8-9-10 speed road and MTB are backwards--forwards compatible...and even the 10 speed MTB stuff works great in front if friction shifted.

Until someone remembers something I've forgotten and posts it here. Otherwise, pretty safe to consider me reputable on this subject.
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