Lots of bikes posted on here fitted with the above style of chainsets

I always thought the point of fitting a bash is to give protection to the chainrings and improve ground clearance so why use a long cage rear mech?

Surely you only need a long cage when you’re using a triple chainset to allow going from a 44/42 big ring to a 22 granny ring.

Short mechs look so much better too

You are right…. and?

long cage are usually cheaper and more readilly available

maybe its the same mech from when they had triple up front and didnt want the expense of changing it when it doesnt make a difference?

No point really just an observation

Mine have all got mid cages on now but when I started doing double and bash, I already had long cages fitted so I just kept using them, then replaced as they wore out/got mashed.

long cage are usually cheaper and more readilly available

This.

and thanks for making me feel inadequate. 🙁

I have let myself down.

I run a 22-36 up front and 12-34 at the rear giving me 36 difference for a derailler to manage.
According to Shimano their medium cage derailler capacity is 33.So I run a long cage ….plus it was what I already had on the bike.SRAM’s medium cage can take 37.

But Nick, do you really use 22 front – 12 rear? I wouldn’t have thought so. In fact you probably don’t use the next couple of (lower) gears combined with the granny ring either. So if you look at the worst case combo that you do use, you might find when the time comes to replace the mech, 33 take up is fine. Just a thought. 🙂

Send me a couple of nice mid-cage mechs – SLX or XT will do – and I’ll pop them on my bikes for you.

🙂