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Rear Derailleurs - the Right Model for Perfect Gear Changes
When it comes to gear shifts on a bicycle, the rear derailleur is probably one of the most striking and technically sophisticated components. This is also reflected in the wide variety of models on the market. There are rear derailleurs for road bikes and mountain bikes, for mechanical or electronic shifting with different numbers of gears and for cassettes with different gear ratios. In the following, we will give you an overview of how to find the right rear derailleur for your bike. Read more
The Rear Derailleur on a Bicycle
Basically, there are rear derailleurs for road bikes and mountain bikes - the latter are also used for most other types of bike and electric bikes. MTB rear derailleurs are versatile, stable and therefore uncomplicated for every use. For road bike rear derailleurs, manufacturers place particular emphasis on low weight and sporty gear ratios. Rear derailleurs are traditionally operated mechanically - i.e. via a bowden cable from the shifter. However, there are also more and more electronic shifting systems. With these, communication between the shifter and rear derailleur is wireless.
Which brings us to functionality: Every rear derailleur on a bike works in conjunction with the shifter, the cassette and the chain. For them to work together, all parts must come from the same manufacturer, ideally from the same groupset. This is because the major groupset manufacturers Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo have different lever and gear ratios. In addition, a rear derailleur must always match the number of gears and the ratio of the cassette.
11-Speed or 12-Speed Rear Derailleur? - How to Find the Right Model
To find the right rear derailleur for your bike shifting system, you need to pay particular attention to the following points.
- Manufacturer: The rear derailleur and shifters must come from the same manufacturer so that they work together smoothly.
- Shift actuation: There are special rear derailleurs for mechanical and electronic shifting.
- Rear derailleur: You can theoretically combine rear derailleurs and shifters from all mountain bike groupsets and all road bike groupsets within a single manufacturer. However, in order to achieve the best possible functionality, all components should come from the same groupset model.
- Gears: The rear derailleur, shifters and cassette must all be designed for the same number of gears. Most common are 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-speed rear derailleurs.
- Cage length: The cage refers to the connection between the two derailleur pulleys. There are rear derailleurs with short, medium or long cages. The cage length determines which cassette ratios (largest and smallest sprocket) the rear derailleur can operate.
Find the Right Rear Derailleur for Your Bike at BIKE24
As you can see, even in the jungle of what feels like countless rear derailleur models, a few narrowing down will give you a good overview of which rear derailleur is right for your bike. For the new rear derailleur to work with your shifting system, the manufacturer, actuation, number of gears and ratio of the cassette must be right. Use these requirements to search for rear derailleurs that are suitable.
Practical: You can easily find the right rear derailleurs by sorting according to your selection criteria in the filter menu on the left.