I have no personal experience of shadow type mechs but will soon be fitting one. never had any probs with the older style but seem to remember that there has been some criticism of the new type in relation to fitting and staying in adjustment. Can anyone in the know give me a quick summary of what the problem/s are and if there is anything to look out for …or is it all straightforward ?
thanks in advance
bill

Kaiser – I have an XTR shadow mech waiting to be fitted too – but alas the new frome is some months away.

I fitted an XT shadow for the first time last night. Seems just as easy as a normal rear mech to me. It does look fragile though.

They are no different to any other mech I’ve ever fitted. If you think they are, you really must be some sort of cack-handed gibbon!

😉

I am a cack-handed gibbon and even I have had no problems with an XT shadow.

Who you calling cack handed???

no issues here, easy to fit(much the same as conventional, just made sure i got the cable outer that feeds into the mech the right length) and despite mud, and more mud since the spring has shifted flawlessly.

No problems here after almost a year of riding with one on my full-suss

I have them on both of my bikes now (both full sus and hardtail) and find them no different to any other mech I have had in the last 20 years!!

Mine required B screw adjustment, a first for all the mechs I’ve ever fitted. Once sorted then no different to the normal style.

No cack handed baboon here, but my XT Shadow definitely been a lot more of a chore to keep running sweet than the (very sh@gged) X9 it replaced. It’s never more than a click of the adjuster away, but you can start a ride with everything running sweet, and by mid point it’ll need just a little tlc. Just won’t *quite* go as instantly as it should.

The low-profileness does work though. 2 weeks of hugely technical riding in Les Arcs and I was one of the few riders who didn’t mangle a mech (left a lot of the paint off it behind, mind…!)

Had no problems with my shadow at all.

Found it easier to set up due to the open nature of it – you can see what you are doing a lot more easily

Had no probs at all with mine, and cable route is a lot better on my Orange 5 than a regular Shimano one.

I fitted an XT Shadow on my Hardtail, it fitted just as easy as a normal mech, I like the neater cable routing, mines hasn’t missed a beat since i put it on.

I really like them and when the time comes ill be getting one for the full suss.