This is getting expensive. On race day at the gravity enduro I noticed my gears weren’t running right at the start of the first transition and noticed the mech was bent to the point it could not select the top two gears. The previous days bog fest I considered to blame and got through the day unhindered considering what was going on behind. New identical mech was fitted after a few days. After two dry rides this new on is also now bent in the same way, just not as bad but will not obviously shift the gears properly. I have fitted on an old road mech and the old X7 mech I was using, both 100% straight still and I also fitted my spare mech hanger. Again 100%.
So it leaves me thinking two mechs that either have a design flaw or I have just been really unlucky.
Any thoughts/heard this issue before?
The bike is a Foxy RR, all tight and straight and no outstanding issues there.

As I say, it’s getting expensive as I will have to get a new one asap as the Inners round is two weeks away. I hope the Shimano van is at this round as I need to show them two freshly twisted mechs…..
I have been riding some 25 years now and have done my time in various workshops, didn’t crash with these fitted and I am a pretty light rider.
Baffled 🙁
Tim.

Really silly question as you’re experienced/a bike mech but: is there absolutely no chance you caught them on a passing something or you need a longer chain on this set up than with previous kit ? Also I assume you’re setting up with clutch off?

My Zee shadow plus RD shows no sign of failing like this and neither of my Shadow XTs do either. The Shadow Plus XT RDs I know friends are running seem fine.

I’d have expected burning crosses and bike forum servers crashing if the current XT RDs had such a major design flaw!

Exactly, Shimano doesn’t suffer this issue usually and no Google searching brought up any other problems so I will put it down to bad luck, or…
After telling a friend of mine in the trade he could only think that a twisted chain could be to blame. The chain was straight but then I remembered that I had taken off a Bionicon guide I had been using had stuck inwards towards the wheel from sheer mud build up. The same direction the mechs had twisted..
I’m thinking the latter eh??
Tim.

I think you may have a culprit…

I would check with a hanger straightener, they might look OK from behind, but they can be twisted. even new ones should be checked.

Swapped the hanger and fitted a total of four mechs to it. The two Xt’s remained bent but an old X7 and a roadie mech were aligned perfectly, just cannot use ’em.
I too beleive the culprit to be the Bionicon guide.
Xt mech number three then….

MTB Rob – Very true, worked in a couple of shops over the years and bent mech hangers on new bikes were common place. Cube’s I remember were particularly bad from lack of protection to the area in the shipping boxes.

Cheers all,
Tim.

chain to short

WHere is actually bending? The mech design’s pretty standard, clutch aside so if it’s bending somewhere other than the clutch knuckle I’d suspect it’s One Of Those Things (

I have recently bought the Dune frame – swapped all my kit over from the old bike including shadow +
Measured up and decided the chain was just about long enough. first ride I botomed the travel in the biggest gears and ripped the rear mech off.
I think there is a lot of chain growth with these bikes and the maximum is not necessarily the fully compressed position as I checked this when building.

Bottom line – fit a longer chain. I have done this and no issues since.