XT Shadow??

J.o.n

Hi, just a quickie, I'm just about to buy a new rear derailleur, it's either going to be normal XT M771, or the XT shadow. I know the shadow sits a bit tighter so therefore there is less chance of catching it, which is why I'm buying a new one.

But the prices are the same, so if the Shadow is more low profile does that mean it has disadvantages to not make it more expensive than the normal one???

Hope you understand what I'm asking,

Cheers, Jon.

stevieboy

Maybe they've pitched it at the same price to get peope to buy it so that they get more chance to get 'real life' test feedback.

Or maybe the M771 is overpirced

I for one will be having one once the backlog on them clears! Mainly for the direct cable routing and reduced chainstay slap!

nferrar

Yeah if you're going for 2008 XT I've not seen a reason yet to get a 771 over a 772 shadow. If you don't want a shadow then I'd go for a 761 2007 and save the cash.

rob cole

I've fitted a couple to customer's bikes in past 2 weeks, shadow is a superior mech to the older XT

the fact the upper body doesn't pivot (like SRAM) is a bonus for horst-pivot style suspension frame owners

the cable routing is much shorter and there is no loop

the cable clamp is tucked away behind the body

the low profile design means less contact with trail debris

and the same price..bargin!

J.o.n

thanks a lot, a shadow it is then!

habitrail

rob cole wrote:

I've fitted a couple to customer's bikes in past 2 weeks, shadow is a superior mech to the older XT

the fact the upper body doesn't pivot (like SRAM) is a bonus for horst-pivot style suspension frame owners

the cable routing is much shorter and there is no loop

the cable clamp is tucked away behind the body

the low profile design means less contact with trail debris

and the same price..bargin!

yeah i found all of this too,

but SRAM is still the way forward.

FOGcp

Yep I mangled an old style XT and replaced it with a shadow which seems v. good so far. Mind you the guy who sold it me said we mtbers could do with replacing our cables a bit more often and most mech failures he dealt with were cable related rather than the actual hardware

Splasher

rob cole wrote:

the fact the upper body doesn't pivot (like SRAM) is a bonus for horst-pivot style suspension frame owners
!

The body still pivots, it's just the pivot is no longer concentric with the attachement bolt and the angle of dangle spring is much stiffer.

skyliner

If you read the blurb, it's 15% narrower at the paralellogram, follows the alignment of the block better, and shifts cleaner with less noise because of all of these properties. And after fitting a few to customer's bikes, and riding new testbikes with them fitted, I tend to agree.
And if it doesn't cost any more than the old design, then why not go for it?