Originally Posted by
tomato coupe
The real issue is the sticks, and how their quality is not what it used to be.
What are you talking about? Clearly, the stick is of higher quality than the derailleur, or it would have lost the battle. On my old MTB, the rear derailleur would break sticks everywhere it went. Sticks would jump out of the way just to save themselves from the carnage. The obvious conclusion is that new rear derailleurs are of poorer quality.