Derailleur & Chain Guides

Rear and front derailleurs are the components inside a chain-gear shifting system that allow for free modification of the gear ratio during the ride. Modern chain gears are the simplest and most effective type of shifting sytem and feature a wide and finely gradated transmission range. By activating the shift lever on the handlebars, the rider can change the transmission ratio while riding. When this happens, the front derailleur moves the chain onto chainrings of various sizes on front, and the rear derailleur transmits the chain onto sprockets of varying sizes in the back. SHIMANO has clearly established itself as the market leader when it comes to shifting systems in the past few decades. However, innovative competitors such as SRAM offer appealing and functional alternatives. Most standard shifting systems today offer between 21 and 27 gears, whereby some types of transmission are de facto not used since too much of a skew in the chain guide should be avoided. The newest development in the racing bike arena are 10-speed casettes which allow for up to 30 gears. As a general rule, gear shifting should not take place at full power. While high-quality shifting systems are designed to handle this type of manoeuvre, truly seamless shifting can only take place when the rider takes a bit of pressure off the pedal while changing gears. Your chains, sprockets and rear derailleur will thank you in the long run.