BCDrums

I removed one of the last original parts from my 1990 Peter Mooney road bike yesterday. It's a Shimano Deore XT FD M730 "Alpine" front derailer. The bike was set up originally with a 48-38-24 triple crank, and this derailer shifted it wonderfully. It has outlived dozens of chains, many cassettes, and a few chainrings. And it still works!


The Shimano Deore XT FD M730 "Alpine" front derailer, a little part with a long name.

A couple of years ago I replaced my outer chain ring, then a 46, with a 42. But I couldn't lower the FD to optimum clearance over the ring because the end of its cage hit the chainstay. It still shifted fine, but looked funny.

I saw this article by Jan Heine, pitching the Shimano CX70 as a suitable front derailer for a triple, although it is marketed as a double. It has a smaller radius and a shorter cage, so it positions better over the 42T chain ring and doesn't hit the chainstay. And is seems to have a larger cable pull ratio than the Deore, so it shifts more quickly with less movement of the bar-end lever. I didn't think my front shifting could be improved upon, but the new FD is snappier than the old one.

Not one to sit in a parts box watching Law & Order all day, the old Deore plans to relocate to Boca Raton and live it up.

delbiker1 

Good equipment lasts a long time with maintenance and care. I have a 105 front derailleur that came on a bike I purchased new in 1992. I rebuilt this bike over the winter and both of the derailleurs are still on the bike and working great. I have the back set on friction and it changes gears on a 10 speed cassette flawlessly. The front is friction operated and I love that I can feather the shifters to get no chain rub in any gear combination. The set up is also very easy to work on.

rumrunn6

I like tributes to equipment (& ppl). I inherited my father-in-law's tool box. I now reach for those tools first

TiHabanero

Just a few weeks back I removed the Cyclone Mk II rear derailleur from my bike for the last time. 10 years ago I knew it was getting worn at the pivots, but it kept on shifting, however upon inspection this time it was silly loose and I decided to replace it. Good stuff lasts a very long time.

Slightspeed

I've had two modern Shimano front derailleurs (both indexed) die premature deaths, one a '02 Sora (internal spring) and the other an '07 105 (pivot pin), both on triples. They were both replaced by Ultegra. Oddly, my old Campy NR friction front derailleur has performed flawlessly for 55 years on my '64 Legnano. Are indexed shifters harder on the downstream components than old school friction shifters ? Seems like.

djb

Instinctively, I'd say yes. I've ridden friction fd for ages, and the fast, but smooth finessing must have less jarring effect on the fd.
The kachunk on my sti downshifts were jarring at first, but you get used to them. When I set up a touring bike a few years back with gevenalle shifters, it was nice going back to the silent downshifts again.

But hey, touch wood, my sti bike is still fun as heck to ride and shift, I just hope my tiagra fd doesn't bust it's spring tomorrow!