which is the old school shifting one and which is the new backwards one i don't like?, i've not bought a rear mech for about 5 years 😕

top normal is normal… its the RR you (& me) dont like.

I don't like Rr either.

Rapid rise is only any good if you have dual control levers

I think its more of an old dog thing in my case! 🙂

Rapid Rise is the reverse spring. I wouldn't use anything else now.

Rapid Rise does it for me, quick shifting into an easier gear when you find a sudden uphill is far more useful then quick shifts into a harder gear!

i'm too old and set in my ways to change, i still use a thumbshifter for the front mech for gawds sake! 🙂

yep, think RR is better, but bloody irritating if you have another bike on old school…..

I've got a selection of both.
XTR 970 dual control is just fantastic I think, particularly for the urgent grabbing of a lower gear…
I have an older set of LX DL levers with XT RR derrie & I find they don't index so well & are much slower shifting

When I'm riding on 'normal' shifters I do have a very bad habit of shifting the wrong way & as a result I find myself going into an even worse gear ratio just at the moment when I want something in the shorter direction. Freqent 'Doh' moments 🙂

I've got all my bikes on RR having had similar experience to Marge.

With new XTR shifters you can do multiple shifts either way in ny event and the XT ones are both 'thumbable' as well.

Not sure I'd want to go back to Low Normal now.

Rocket what I forgot to say was, if your riding a hardtail get a shaddow mech, and if your not a badge whore get the SLX as its got a stronger spring in it, the shaddows dont bang on the chainstay so are quieter…

Rapid rise is only any good if you have dual control levers

1) Rapid Rise is *never* any good
2) I use Dual Control levers with top normal rear mechs cos obviously I know better than a muli-million dollar Japanese corporation who spent years perfecting the design…

RR is great for road bikes – only a matter of time until shimano recognises this