I don’t know whether my mech (before I chucked it into the undergrowth) was high or low normal. Bog standard XT but what is normal?
I have replaced them before but LBS sorted it, this time its via internet.

low normal (rapid rise) = mech defaults to big chainring
top/high normal = mech defaults to small chainring
if you have those shimano dual control shifters/brakes, then you have to use low normal mechs with them, otherwise it’s a personal preference thing I think. top normal is the traditional mech system. Presume the lbs will have previously just replaced like-for-like whatever was already on.

What Nana meant to say is mech defaults to big *sprocket*, or small *sprocket* – apart from that, all correct.

If you release the tension on the mech, does it move towards the smallest sprocket (normal) or biggest sprocket (rapid rise)?

As I remember the chain defaults to the smallest (outermost) sprocket and takes resistance to move to large (innermost) sprocket so does that make it low normal?
I did say I was numpty.

No that makes it top normal.

does that make it low normal?

no, it’s ‘high normal’ – or what most people call ‘standard’ (i.e. not Rapid Rise).

[edit] – wot he ^ sed.

That’ll do me, thanks all