SRAM X7 vs X9 9 speed rear mechs

clydefrog

Hello, I currently have a SRAM X5 9 speed rear derailleur and I've been looking at getting either of these to replace it.

X7
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram-x7-9-speed-rear-mech/rp-prod41155

X9
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram-x9-9-speed-rear-mech/rp-prod41154

I have heard good and bad about both but one negative thing that is mentioned about both is the quality of the jockey wheels. Also something I find strange is the X9 only has one sealed bearing jockey wheel while on the X7 both are sealed; how does the X7 end up with better features than the supposedly superior product?

Anyway I'd like to know what you think of either of these and which I should go for, and if anybody who has used either can share any information (good or bad) about their experience with them.

Thanks.

cooldad

Says sealed pulley, not bearing.

Doubt you'll be able to feel much difference, but X9 is lighter, which is really what you're paying for. probably has slightly nicer materials.

clydefrog

The X7 says "Serviceable Sealed Pulleys" and the X9 says "Sealed Bearing Upper Pulley". Will the "Serviceable Sealed Pulleys" not be referring to sealed bearings or could it be bushes?

cooldad

No idea, I have lots of random Shimano mechs, no Sram. All I was doing was pointing out what it didn't say. Might be a bushing.

clydefrog

Hmm, on my X5 both of them are sealed bearing which you can rmeove the seals from to service, so hopefully they are at least as good as that. Are bushings better for jockey wheels, at least from a maintenance perspective?

Chunkers1980

I think you're reading far too much into it, they are much of a muchness for which is better or less maintenance as they need a very occasional clean and lube either way.

rockmonkeysc

I've had both and wouldn't have either again. Look for an X0. They are well worth the extra and seem to last forever.

Herdwick

both are crap

mattyfez

I went from an x4 (broke it when the hanger snapped) to an x3 which I trashed within a week, complete junk, non serviceable wheels that seized.. to an x7 rear mech .. It's definitely better.. Also much firmer spring and serviceable wheels.

Can't speak for the x9 but I'm happy with the x7.

clydefrog

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I've had both and wouldn't have either again. Look for an X0. They are well worth the extra and seem to last forever.

X0 are over a hundred and well out of my price range, also I only use the bike for casual riding on roads/towpaths etc. so that's out of the question. What didn't you like about the X7/X9?

Chunkers1980

I'd say it is because low end SRAM is pants, where as a Shimano Deore is almost functionally (and lasting the test of time) indistinguishable between XTR and I've had them all

ArnieB

Clydefrog makes an excellent point that low end Shimano is usually seen as better quality than low end SRAM - is it practical to change?

clydefrog

You mean Chunkers?

I was thinking about getting a Shimano rear mech and some deore shifters but I've heard as many bad things about the Shimanos as I have the Srams.

Chunkers1980

Assume so and you're unlikely to go wrong down that road

rockmonkeysc

clydefrog wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I've had both and wouldn't have either again. Look for an X0. They are well worth the extra and seem to last forever.

X0 are over a hundred and well out of my price range, also I only use the bike for casual riding on roads/towpaths etc. so that's out of the question. What didn't you like about the X7/X9?

X0 9 speed seem to have actually got more expensive! I certainly wouldn't pay over £80 for a mech.
The X9 and X7 lasted no time, the pivot pins wear really quickly, the springs are too weak and the jokey wheel bearings seize in no time.

clydefrog

Yeah the same stuff I've heard then especially the pivots and jockey wheels. Maybe this (and some Deore shifters for £30)?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... -prod20700

There's the M771 too for the same price, don't know which is better (from what I'm reading so far people are saying go with a non-shadow one):

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... -prod20698

There are 2 Deores for about £26 as well:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... -prod40543

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... -prod40542

I'm guessing the XT is worth it for the ~£10 difference.

One of the main issues I heard of with Shimano though is "ghost shifting", this seems like a major complaint of their rear mechs,

mattyfez

Interesting, my x4, whilst proper budget did over a thousand miles and only broke due to impact damage..

Op you don't say why you are upgrading from x5, is it broken? If not it's not broken and yyo just fancy an upgrade I doubt an x7 or x9 is worth it?

supersonic

There are more than one version of each IIRC... the first X9, when replaced, was rebadged as an X7. And I think the X7 became the X5. Shimano at least have product codes.

clydefrog

mattyfez wrote:

Interesting, my x4, whilst proper budget did over a thousand miles and only broke due to impact damage..

Op you don't say why you are upgrading from x5, is it broken? If not it's not broken and yyo just fancy an upgrade I doubt an x7 or x9 is worth it?

It's not broken but something's wrong with it. It's been unable to shift into the two highest gears when riding for a long time now and I have changed the cassette, cables, hanger, basically everything to do with it except the shifter. It doesn't look bent (although I was told once when taking it into a shop that either it or the hanger was bent, I assume they straightened it) so maybe it's the spring tension. I've had enough of the issue anyway and would really just like to completely rule out that it's bent by getting a new one.

cooldad

If the hanger is bent, and it's unlikely anyone straightened it, a new mech won't help.

A new hanger might.

Always worth having spares anyway, so I'd try that first.

clydefrog

Cheers but as I said I've replaced the hanger so that rules it out. It was the old one that was possibly bent (at the time they told me they said the derailleur was bent, they may have meant the hanger but I never asked, this was probably 2 years ago or something now).

apreading

I would actually buck the trend thus far on this thread - I have run X9 for years and its been great. Kids have X5 on their bikes and they too have stood the test of time but the jockey wheels are poor - no bearings at all and they dont turn as smoothly and need degunking but do seem to go on forever.

I got a bike with Shimano SLX recently and the chain slap is terrible - I cant wait to get rid of it and will be using, wait for it, SRAM X9.

The SRAM are also alot easier to adjust.

JBA

I will also vouch for X9. Have had no trouble at all with mine. Clean shifts and holds the chain tight as well. The only thing I have done is changed the jockey wheels for a pair of Hope jobbies.

The Rookie

I have an X9 on my commuter, it does need lubing on the pivots once in a while (but then it gets sprayed with cruddy water, often salty, regularly - like twice a day for 6 months of the year), jockey wheel bearings are indeed week, mine only lasted for 4,500 miles (plus the mileage before I bought it used) before I had to replace them (or maybe that's completely acceptable!).

clydefrog

The Rookie wrote:

I have an X9 on my commuter, it does need lubing on the pivots once in a while (but then it gets sprayed with cruddy water, often salty, regularly - like twice a day for 6 months of the year), jockey wheel bearings are indeed week, mine only lasted for 4,500 miles (plus the mileage before I bought it used) before I had to replace them (or maybe that's completely acceptable!).

Yeah, personally I'd say that's acceptable, that's a pretty long way haha. No idea what I've done on my current ones on the X5 but they're in good shape, the teeth don't look worn at all really.

mattyfez

Yeh my x7 Rd has nice clean pump action shotgun style shifts.. And that's with an OEM cable and x4, 8 speed shifter.. It feels nice and positive..the spring feels really stiff and the movement when manually man handling it much stiffer and linier if that makes sense.. compared to the lower models I've used that felt vague and the spring didn't feel very tight.. Not sure where all the hate for decent mid range derailleurs has come from.. I wouldn't dream of spending a hundred quid on a rear mech.

rockmonkeysc

Nothing wrong with decent mid range derailleurs but SRAM aren't good at making them. Equivalent priced Shimano derailleurs are much better.
Shimano Deore is at least as good as SRAM X7 but £10 cheaper (at rrp).

clydefrog

Just another question on this. My X5 that came on the bike is medium cage (75mm between jockey wheel bolts) even though the bike has a triple chainset and using the equation for which cage size should be used gives 43T ((32-11) + (44-22)) which means it should be a long cage (45T capacity). I know you can still use smaller cages but it means less usable gears, but what would you do personally, replace it with another medium cage or go for a long for better compatibility?

97th choice

I've had two X9 mechs replaced under warranty when the clutch mechanism failed. When my current one dies I'm getting shimano and replacing the shifter.

clydefrog

Well I finally made my mind up and went for the Shimano M772 XT Shadow rear mech and the Deore 9 speed shifters, too hard to get hold of anything better that's not a lot more expensive (XT's are about £80 a pair and for some reason it seems like only the left is available anywhere for the SLX M660's). Also returning my unused Sram X9 front mech for an XT M770. Hope it turns out to be a good decision, it definitely seems decent going off the vast majority of the many reviews it has.