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recently built up a hardtail and now got it riding pretty much how i like it, but one thing ive noticed is that over the bumpy terrain at speed, i can hear the rear mech banging and clattering about. its also dropped the chain from the chainring once due to this.
im not very 'drivetrain savvy', but im aware that 'clutch' mechs exist and that i think theyre supposed to keep constant tension on the mech arent they, to eliminate this?
i did a bit of googling, but all ive found are old threads from years ago, some of them implying that you cant get them in 9 speed flavour. that may not be the case now tho, so if i tell you what ive got, would you be able to tell me if theres a suitable mech or not please?
its a 1 X 9 set up, using a 34t oval narrow/wide ring up front, a sram X0 rear mech and the largest cog on the cassette is 34t. i think mechs come in short, medium and long variations dont they, so id guess mine is medium?
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i also read that if a 9 speed clutch mech doesnt exist, some people had bodged a 10 speed with a 6mm spacer or somethings?
also, i recently had problems with the mech only just having enough range to get onto the largest cog, so even if this ones a medium, would it make sense to buy a long version to 'future-proof' it in case i ever want to put a larger ranged cassette on some day?
thanks for your help
Pretty sure you need to go to 10spd, so might as well go to 11 and get the range you want.
Run a chain guide?
Back in the olden days, Shimano, SRAM, etc. used to make moveable chainguides that you could control with a lever mounted on the left-hand side of your bars. There are also non-moveable versions available.
I might still have some of the spacers I made to run shimano 10 speed mechs on sram 9 speed shifting, not sure. (it's literally just a wee 6mm spacer, you can make them nice like mine or you can just stack in some washers, it's almost the same) Gives pretty much perfect factory shifting despite the bodgy appearance.
It's not the gamechanger you might think though, the narrow/wide does easily 9/10ths of the work. The clutch reduces noise and slap but doesn't really do a huge amount for retention. A top mount chain guide does way more (though is fiddlier, if you don't have ISCG mounts)
If you want to also use a bigger cassette in future then going 10 speed might be easier, I would agree with above that the narrow wide chainring does most of the retention work, not the mech
thanks
I might still have some of the spacers I made to run shimano 10 speed mechs on sram 9 speed shifting, not sure. (it’s literally just a wee 6mm spacer, you can make them nice like mine or you can just stack in some washers, it’s almost the same) Gives pretty much perfect factory shifting despite the bodgy appearance.
@Northwind i was going to ask you about that, but then i found this link which implies i dont need spacers if im using a sram 9 speed shifter, on a shimano 10 speed clutch mech?
have i read that right?
btw, im more interested in cutting out the clatter than the chain dropping thing, it only did it once and id be relatively happy that it wouldnt do it again with a bit of added tension in the mech.
cheers
sadexpunk
Full Member@Northwind i was going to ask you about that, but then i found this link which implies i dont need spacers if im using a sram 9 speed shifter, on a shimano 10 speed clutch mech?
Yeah, it's bollocks. I mean, it'll work, sort of, in the same way as that mate's bike that's always clattering and misshifting and groaning works, for them. But I tried it and it was pretty much like having a bent mech hanger, you could get some gears to work perfectly but not across the block. There's just no reason to tolerate it though.
Having said that, if you're thinking of doing the spacerage, there's no reason not to try it without, it's not like it costs anything or takes much longer once you have the bits.
I think there was another way that achieved basically the same thing by drilling the mech? Can't really remember, I didn't investigate it because the spacer's just more sensible- why modify a part if you can just add a little spacer?
Microshift do a 9spd Clutch rear mech(Microshift Advent) however think it only works with the Microshift shifter as well.
https://www.microshift.com/news/introducing-advent/
@Northwind ok im sold, may as well give it a try. so its a shimano 10 speed clutch mech i need then yep? and long cage as its 10 speed i assume? and sram either dont do clutch or they dont work as well?
you mentioned you made some nice spacers rather than use a stack of washers..... got any to sell? 😉
Microshift do a 9spd Clutch rear mech(Microshift Advent) however think it only works with the Microshift shifter as well.
https://www.microshift.com/news/introducing-advent//blockquote >thanks, never heard of them before, ill do a bit of googling.....
If Northwind doesn’t have any spacers left. I’m pretty sure I have one I knocked up out of a lump of aluminium in the toolbox (the joys of being a prolific hoarder)
PM your address and I’ll stick in the post.
From memory, worked well enough with the SRAM shifter and shimano mech.
I'll see if I can find them... Not for sale obviously, they're 2p worth of metal 🙂 But if I can find one I'll send it your way
thanks both, ive PM'd you.
would you happen to know where theres a link to the method please, as im not sure what im doing or why it works.....
and is this the correct mech?
EDIT: bah, out of stock, same at chainreaction.
any links to the correct mech in stock somewhere mebbes, hopefully for around £50?
thanks
That's a non clutch 10 speed mech. Shadow plus has the clutch. Have a Google for one of those. It'll have a little lever on it. Like this one.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-deore-m6000-shadow-10-speed-rear-mech?
just a quick confirmation before i buy please?
the one ive linked to above, and am ready to press 'buy' on...... ive seen it mentions being compatible with a 10 speed chain (not on this ad but a different seller, same mech). does this mean 10 speed chain only? as im hoping to use it with my 9 speed set up, 9 speed cassette, 9 speed sram XO shifter and 9 speed chain.
and the 'top normal' spring, i remember back in the day 'rapid rise' was it? is this the same thing? would it be ok with my current shifter or would i need a specific shimano one to match?
cheers
There is another way you can do this:
I had a Shimano XT 9-speed set up and wanted to have the clutch. I bought a 10-speed, clutched rear mech and made a hybrid.
I used the existing 9-speed parallelogram arrangement (top part that does the indexing), and the lower parts from the 10-speed (the parts that do the chain tensioning).
It was fairly easy to achieve, just a little bit of drilling and punching to get the pins out. The end result looked totally "Factory". This worked perfectly and lasted for several years until I eventually sold the bike.
just a quick confirmation before i buy please?
Yep that one is right. Not rapid rise just normal.
I've used a 9 speed chain on a 10 speed rear mech with no problems before.
There is another way you can do this:
interesting, but not really the way i want to go thanks, but certainl worth knowing you can do that.....
Yep that one is right. Not rapid rise just normal.
I’ve used a 9 speed chain on a 10 speed rear mech with no problems before.
lovely, ill get that ordered then.
cheers