How big are pull ratios in Shimano 9-speed front derailleurs in MTB and road bikes?

Asked by: Jason Knain

Can you use mountain bike front derailleur on a road bike?

The same logic applies to front Shimano derailleurs, you cannot mix a road (shifter or derailleur) with a MTB (shifter or derailleur) for the exact same reason, even though the chainrings use the same spacing.

Can MTB FD work on road bike?

MTB vs road FD



Shimano road and MTB FDs have different cable pull ratios – that is the amount of FD movement for each mm of cable movement. This means that MTB FDs might not work well with indexed road shifters and vice versa.

What is front derailleur capacity?

A front derailleur’s capacity is simply the difference between the number of teeth on your largest and smallest chain ring. For example if you have a 39/53 chain ring combo, (53 – 39 = 14), you will need a front derailleur with a capacity of 14 teeth or more.

Are all front derailleurs the same?

There are two different types of braze-on front derailleur interfaces: one is commonly found on road bikes, the other on mountain bikes. The interfaces are different enough that a quick visual inspection should allow you to determine which type of interface you will need.

Is the front derailleur dead?

SRAM are announcing the end of the front derailleur in mountain biking. The 1x drivetrains on offer from several manufacturers coupled with the range of gears on offer from an 11 speed cassette have rendered the front mech obsolete.

Is it better to have a front derailleur?

Are Front Derailleurs Necessary? These days front derailleurs are essentially not necessary, on mountain bikes at least. Now even high-end road bikes are starting to lose their front derailleurs. With a larger rear cassette, it’s possible to get the same number of gears without the need for a front derailleur.

Will a 7 speed front derailleur work with 9 speed?

Yes. A front derailleur marketed as for a 9 speed system will work normally with your 7 speed set up.

What is a dual pull front derailleur?

Dual pull. Dual pull is something that came out as a solution to make front-derailleur options more universal. Simply, a dual-pull derailleur allows the cable to be routed from either the top or bottom.

Are SRAM and Shimano front derailleurs compatible?

Yes, you can mix Shimano and SRAM front derailleurs and shifters. It’s the rear derailleur that is not cross compatible, with the exception that SRAM has made ‘Attack’ shifters that will work with the Shimano rear derailleurs.

Will a 9 speed front derailleur work with 8 speed?

It will work with an 8 cog cassette and 8 speed chain, but it will rub sooner when cross chaining.

Which is better long cage or short cage derailleur?

It’s generally best to go for as short a derailleur cage as you can get away with, as long as you can avoid the chain contorting on the extremes of the cassette, such as using the largest on both sprocket and chainring. Smaller cages tend to have snappier gear changes, they’re lighter, and also less exposed to damage.

How do you adjust a Shimano front derailleur?

Quote from video: What we want to go for this one set up a little too high. So Shimano recommends that you have it at between one and three millimeters off the top of this tooth to the bottom of the derailleur cage.

Why are bikes sold with only one gear in front?

Q: Why bikes are being sold with only one gear in front? These bikes are called 1X or OneBY drivelines. They have only a single chainring and a wider ratio rear cassette. Their advantage is that they don’t have a front derailleur or shifter.

How do I stop my front derailleur from rubbing?

Quote from video: First shift to the small cog. Turn the outer limiting screw counterclockwise. That is outward pull about 1/4 of a turn. And try shifting again that is taking care of the.

Why won’t my front derailleur shift up?

It’s my! Bike

Do road bikes need front derailleur?

The front derailleur is a key component on many road, gravel and hybrid bikes. While it does a simple job, moving the chain between the chainrings on the crankset, there’s more to the front derailleur than meets the eye.

Can I use a 9 speed front derailleur on a 8 speed?

You can use a 9 speed FD on an 8 speed crank.

Why do mountain bikes only have 11 gears now?

So why do mountain bikes have less gears? Mountain bikes have less gears for quite a few reasons, however the primary reasons being less maintenance, lighter weight, and the need for only the quickest shifts when running into such a varied terrain.

How do you adjust a front derailleur on a road bike?

Quote from video: The height should be checked with the lower edge of the outer cage. Directly over the largest ring here we'll pull the shifter or cable to line up these two planes.

Should the front derailleur touch the chain?

A properly adjusted front derailleur should shift the chain between the front chainrings but will not throw the chain off the rings. The basic adjustments for the front derailleur are the height, rotation, limit screws and inner wire tension (index setting).

How do I stop my bike chain from rubbing on the front derailleur?

If the chain is rubbing the outer edge of the derailleur cage, try increasing the cable tension using the barrel adjuster by turning it counterclockwise one quarter to one half turn at a time—increasing the tension will pull the cage out and farther away from the bike.