Reverse rear mech, advice

[jamabikes]

basically it changes into lower gears much easier under load. i have one and like it very much. i have no issues switching between it and normal mechs. but then i am amazing. fact.

 

[Bob]

I prefer the rapid rise mechs too, I wouldn't call them gimicky more a case of each to their own, like which way round you like your brake levers, i've tried the left hand front breaking but just can't do it

 

[mrlee]

I love rapid rise mechs, going downhill I can change 3 or 4 gears down much faster and climbing out of the saddle it still changes up to an easier gear, imo there very clever mechs, never had a spring probrlem though.
I run these on my xc and freeride bikes,

 

[FairfaxPat]

I've had the rapid rise derailleur on my main bike for years, and I love it! No problems with the spring wearing out, as someone suggested, and it works excellent. If you want a lower (numerically) gear or two or three, just a couple of clicks and you are there.

 

[P20]

The original idea had two claims...
That it allowed both finger triggers to make gears easier (thumbs harder) and therefore easier to understand, hence it was also put on the Nexus groupset. So why it went on XTR??
It was also claimed to be good for DH racing where you could pre-select gears coming out of a corner...surely you can do that on the way in to the corner??

All marketing guff in my opinion. Backwards isn't the way forwards.....

(i did run one for a few months, that was more than enough)

 

[russ77]

I have one on a bike I rarely ride. It's always a surprise when I set off as I grew up using the other way round. I'll never get my head around fine adjustments using the barrel adjusters as I go along. Apart from that I'm not bothered either way!

 

[drozd]

Thanks for the info so its the cycling equivalent of Marmite I'll keep it and let you know how I get on.

 

[amedias]

It is not 'Backwards', it's opposite to the pre-existing convention.

Had all mechs been that way from the beginning (and people gotten used to that way of doing it) then people would still be complaining...

Both ways have merits, it just depends what you are used to and what you prefer.

 

[utahdog2003]

Both ways have merits, it just depends what you are used to and what you prefer.

Deviating from the standard for no particular reason is the problem. Just Shimano being Shimano. An answer to a question that nobody ever asked.

 

[amedias]

but the standard wasn't agreed by anyone based on merit, it was just a standard because nobody did it different.

It's only by challenging the accepted norm that new ideas break through.

I agree that sometimes it's just change for change sake,but most of the time there is sound reasoning behind it.


*** also ***

I may be wrong but I thought rear mechs were originally all low-normal until the 50's or 60's when campag turned it all the other way?