Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

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djoptix
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Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by djoptix »

For my Raleigh Randonneur, built up in a fast tour/audax style. I'm using 9 speed STI levers. I just want some decent mechs that will operate with no fuss. Looking at the vast array of options makes me want to stick pins in something.

I'm using a 32-42-52 chainset and 12-32 rear cassette.

Please, someone tell me what to buy, preferably with links :)
pwa
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by pwa »

Any 9 speed Shimano MTB mech will do perfectly.
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cycleruk
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by cycleruk »

The front dérailleur will need to be a "road" variant to suit your STI as the cable pull is different to MTB FD's .
The other thing to to check is that the mech' suits the chain rings you are using.
You'll never know if you don't try it.
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Audax67
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by Audax67 »

Did this a while back, mixing 1999 9-spd Shim 105 shifters with 2012 Deore MTB rear mech but keeping the 105 front mech. It all works like clockwork, but (1) AFAIK more recent Deore rear mechs are no longer compatible with STIs and (b) whereas an STI expects that the rear mech will have a cable adjuster, the Deore rear mech expects the shifter to have one: you have to put a twiddler midway in the cable.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
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cycleruk
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by cycleruk »

Audax67 wrote:Did this a while back, mixing 1999 9-spd Shim 105 shifters with 2012 Deore MTB rear mech but keeping the 105 front mech. It all works like clockwork, but (1) AFAIK more recent Deore rear mechs are no longer compatible with STIs and (b) whereas an STI expects that the rear mech will have a cable adjuster, the Deore rear mech expects the shifter to have one: you have to put a twiddler midway in the cable.


This Deore RD' has an adjuster and will match STI's :-
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-de ... 45165.html
But getting harder to find and prices have shot up.
Other places sell them but, such as Chain Reaction, out of stock.
You'll never know if you don't try it.
hamster
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by hamster »

Personally I'd go for a Deore XT, M750 or M760. Sadly it's all secondhand or horribly expensive NOS stuff today though.
Brucey
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by Brucey »

I like the RD-M750 mechs too. However if you are using 12-32 at the back there is something to be said for using RD-M772 (still available new), although you will need to have a barrel adjuster fitted somewhere in the cable run.

cheers
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Erudin
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by Erudin »

Sora 9 speed GS mech (£15 from Wiggle) works fine on my road bike with 53/39/26 chainset and HG50 11-32 cassette. Got more expensive Deore and XT 9 speed rear mechs on other bikes but the Sora performs just as well.
Last edited by Erudin on 30 Aug 2016, 11:09pm, edited 2 times in total.
freeflow
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by freeflow »

M772 Deore XT shadow 9 speed rear mech is lovely on my bike. Used with 6603 initially and latterly 5703 STI due to crash damage. Much better than the non shadow version which I also tried.
irc
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by irc »

If using a mech with no cable adjusters I find these downtube cable adjusters work well. They have the edge over an adjuster on the mech that you can fine tune on the move if need be.

http://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/ca ... s-ec-re001
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meic
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by meic »

I am on my second M772 rear mech and where as they are nice enough, I cant really justify the price difference over the Acera (£13 from Rose) that I have on another bike.
The pulleys are much better on the XT772 but I can just take them off the old one and stick them on a new cheap mech.

Looks like your request for a simple answer is doomed to failure! :lol:
Yma o Hyd
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Sweep
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by Sweep »

irc wrote:If using a mech with no cable adjusters I find these downtube cable adjusters work well. They have the edge over an adjuster on the mech that you can fine tune on the move if need be.

http://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/ca ... s-ec-re001

Basic question. Forgive me.
How do they fasten to the frame? Do you need a frame with mounts for downtube gear shifters?
Sweep
nosmarbaj
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by nosmarbaj »

Sweep wrote:
irc wrote:If using a mech with no cable adjusters I find these downtube cable adjusters work well. They have the edge over an adjuster on the mech that you can fine tune on the move if need be.

http://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/ca ... s-ec-re001

Basic question. Forgive me.
How do they fasten to the frame? Do you need a frame with mounts for downtube gear shifters?

Yes, you do. Most frames with downtube gear-cable routing have the mounts (nowadays intended for fitting these adjusters rather than actually for downtube shifters, though you could fit shifters if you wanted). MTBs and others with top-tube gear-cable routing will lack them, as will many/all machines with internal cable routes.
Brucey
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by Brucey »

meic wrote:I am on my second M772 rear mech and where as they are nice enough, I cant really justify the price difference over the Acera (£13 from Rose) that I have on another bike.
The pulleys are much better on the XT772 but I can just take them off the old one and stick them on a new cheap mech.

Looks like your request for a simple answer is doomed to failure! :lol:


IMHO RD-M390 Acera is a whole lot better than the previous RD-M360 model. I think that RD-M390 could be 'king of value' for 9s systems now, provided you don't want to use the largest rear sprockets... I think the shadow rear mechs will take up to 36T but the others won't quite?

cheers
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Rich_Clements
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Re: Which 9 speed mechs for top touring performance?

Post by Rich_Clements »

This all explain why the XT rear mech on my tourer doesn't have a barrel adjuster.
Rich
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