new cassette or derailer for better shifting? also brake/shifter combo

[Tsp]

i have pretty low end drivetrain components and i can upgrade 1 piece this weekend.

for the front i have Acera derailer and chainrings that came on Suntour XCC-300 crankset. for the
rears i have Alivio derailer and a Shimano HG30 8-speed cassette.

to get overall better shifting performance, should i get:

1. XT m750 front derailer
2. Raceface/Truvativ chain rings
3. LX m750 rear derailer
4. XT m750 rear derailer
5. LX m570 cassette

also, i have these large and unsightly Shimano ST-EF35 brake+shifter combo. Is it possible to
replace just either the brake levers or the shifter pods alone or would I have to replace both at
once? Thanks

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>, tsp <[email protected]> wrote:
>i have pretty low end drivetrain components and i can upgrade 1 piece this weekend.
>
>for the front i have Acera derailer and chainrings that came on Suntour XCC-300 crankset. for the
>rears i have Alivio derailer and a Shimano HG30 8-speed cassette.
>
>to get overall better shifting performance, should i get:
>
>1. XT m750 front derailer
>2. Raceface/Truvativ chain rings
>3. LX m750 rear derailer
>4. XT m750 rear derailer
>4. LX m570 cassette
>
>
>also, i have these large and unsightly Shimano ST-EF35 brake+shifter combo. Is it possible to
>replace just either the brake levers or the shifter pods alone or would I have to replace both at
>once? Thanks

What problem are you trying to solve? If your Acera equipment is not worn out, the upgrades you
mention won't do much to improve how your bike works. On most bikes that don't have worn out
drivetrain components, the most important factors for function are proper lubrication, proper
adjustment, and high quality cables and housing.

 

[Tsp]

the front isnt shifting as smooth or quick as i would like. sometimes it would slip out of the low
gear and get into the bottom bracket... even tho i have the derailer set up correctly... as
impossible as it might seem.

"Paul Southworth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:8htab.37716$A%[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, tsp <[email protected]> wrote:
> >i have pretty low end drivetrain components and i can upgrade 1 piece
this
> >weekend.
> >
> >for the front i have Acera derailer and chainrings that came on Suntour XCC-300 crankset. for the
> >rears i have Alivio derailer and a Shimano HG30 8-speed cassette.
> >
> >to get overall better shifting performance, should i get:
> >
> >1. XT m750 front derailer
> >2. Raceface/Truvativ chain rings
> >3. LX m750 rear derailer
> >4. XT m750 rear derailer
> >4. LX m570 cassette
> >
> >
> >also, i have these large and unsightly Shimano ST-EF35 brake+shifter
combo.
> >Is it possible to replace just either the brake levers or the shifter
pods
> >alone or would I have to replace both at once? Thanks
>
> What problem are you trying to solve? If your Acera equipment is not worn out, the upgrades you
> mention won't do much to improve how your bike works. On most bikes that don't have worn out
> drivetrain components, the most important factors for function are proper lubrication, proper
> adjustment, and high quality cables and housing.

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>, tsp <[email protected]> wrote:
>the front isnt shifting as smooth or quick as i would like. sometimes it would slip out of the low
>gear and get into the bottom bracket... even tho i have the derailer set up correctly... as
>impossible as it might seem.

If the derailleur really is set up right: correct orientation on the seat tube, height above the
chainrings, travel stops adjusted perfectly and cable tension correct, then the problem might be in
your shifter, bad tooth on the small chainring, twisted link in the chain, chain too long, saggy
spring in rear derailleur pivot (causing slack chain). Also if the front derailleur is for some
reason the incorrect model for your gearing, that could exacerbate the problem. There are probably
more possibilities I'm neglecting. Before you waste money on a part that won't help you, you might
enlist the best bike mechanic in town for their opinion on how to fix the actual problem you have.
But don't go in asking "should I buy a derailleur".

--Paul

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 01:49:56 GMT, Paul Southworth <cnhyf- [email protected]> wrote:
>> for the front i have Acera derailer and chainrings that came on Suntour XCC-300 crankset. for the
>> rears i have Alivio derailer and a Shimano HG30 8-speed cassette.

> What problem are you trying to solve? If your Acera equipment is not worn out, the upgrades you
> mention won't do much to improve how your bike works. On most bikes that don't have worn out
> drivetrain components, the most important factors for function are proper lubrication, proper
> adjustment, and high quality cables and housing.

In my experience, that is not the case. I went from an Altus to a Deore rear derailleur, and having
ONLY changed that one part, and having been well adjusted before, shifting became much faster,
crisper, and quieter, as well as more capable of working under pressure.

Changing the front derailleur didn't help for front shifting, but changing the crankset did.

I've used the same model of cassette for the whole time on that bike, so I don't know if changing
the cassette would help.

I like the Acera integrated shifter/brake units. They work well, and the visual gear indicator is
very tough -- a small, well-supported piece of metal, rather than a plastic box as found on Deore
shifters. When I endo (not often anymore), my shifters survive, but I doubt the ones with plastic on
them would.

--
Rick Onanian

 

[daveornee]

Originally posted by Rick Onanian
On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 01:49:56 GMT, Paul Southworth <cnhyf- [email protected]> wrote:
>> for the front i have Acera derailer and chainrings that came on Suntour XCC-300 crankset. for the
>> rears i have Alivio derailer and a Shimano HG30 8-speed cassette.

> What problem are you trying to solve? If your Acera equipment is not worn out, the upgrades you
> mention won't do much to improve how your bike works. On most bikes that don't have worn out
> drivetrain components, the most important factors for function are proper lubrication, proper
> adjustment, and high quality cables and housing.

In my experience, that is not the case. I went from an Altus to a Deore rear derailleur, and having
ONLY changed that one part, and having been well adjusted before, shifting became much faster,
crisper, and quieter, as well as more capable of working under pressure.

Changing the front derailleur didn't help for front shifting, but changing the crankset did.

I've used the same model of cassette for the whole time on that bike, so I don't know if changing
the cassette would help.

I like the Acera integrated shifter/brake units. They work well, and the visual gear indicator is
very tough -- a small, well-supported piece of metal, rather than a plastic box as found on Deore
shifters. When I endo (not often anymore), my shifters survive, but I doubt the ones with plastic on
them would.

--
Rick Onanian

Most triple front deraileurs suffer from the chain overshifting the small chainring once in a while, under certain situations.
I have resorted to N-Gear Jump Stop from http://www.gvtc.com/~ngear/
Set up, adjustment, wear, lubrication, cables, housings, shifters, deraileurs, chainrings, cassettes, chains all make a difference.
David Ornee, Western Springs, IL