derailleur short - long (anything in it)?

goytregrit
goytregrit Posts: 80
edited January 2014 in MTB workshop & tech
Assuming all is equal : 34 front chainring with 11-36 teeth cassette
Please can anyone tell me if there is any difference whatsoever in the pedalling forces / effort between running a short cage zee derailleur to say an XTR long cage derailleur. I know that obviously in each instance the chain length will be different.

Comments

  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Chain should be the same with either. It needs to cover a range of 25 teeth with that setup
  • jimothy78
    jimothy78 Posts: 1,407
    No difference in pedalling etc, but a short cage mech is effectively stiffer, and will give less chain slap and therfore (hopefully) better retention.
  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    I think longer cages can lead to less slap, as the chain is further from the stay.
  • jimothy78
    jimothy78 Posts: 1,407
    Chunkers1980 wrote:
    I think longer cages can lead to less slap, as the chain is further from the stay.

    Only the lower length. Also the chain is effectivley held under less tension because you have the same spring acting at the same distance from the pivot, but the weight of the chain itself is acting on a point which is further away from the pivot, so therefore exerts a bigger moment of force.
  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Can't argue with that, but it actually has a different spring and that distance may mean a hit becomes a miss.
  • mcnultycop
    mcnultycop Posts: 2,143
    Shorter = less likely to hit a rock, but no flexibility if you want to go back to double.
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  • goytregrit
    goytregrit Posts: 80
    On a personal basis i really love the Zee shortcage for my 1 x 10 but i dont think its a particularly top piece of kit given weight and reluabilty of clutch. A lot of people seem to be moving 1 x 10 and I for one would like to be able to buy say a short cage version of an XTR but would I be right in thinking that Shimano are likely to be working on their own 11 speed components to compete with SRAM and therefore are unlikely to develop further 10 speed components?
  • mcnultycop
    mcnultycop Posts: 2,143
    I've got 2 Zee mechs and they are faultless
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  • goytregrit
    goytregrit Posts: 80
    mcnultycop wrote:
    I've got 2 Zee mechs and they are faultless
    Mine are either not liking the terrain I treat them to or are having issues working on a single pivot (chain growth etc) on my 3rd clutch failure which is partly why I put up original post to gauge if there was some variables that might suit the longer cage better perhaps. Have heard issues from riders I've discussed with as well. Don't get me wrong they've still worked really well as a derailleur even when they've failed but I get more chain slap.

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