Rear deraileur

[139NI]

I have a Montague Paratrooper 26' hybrid

I tend to use a Sram cassette with 11-23 tooth. At the front, I use 22,32,44.

I tend to ride nearly exclusively on roads.

My question is:
1) would i benefit from a road rear deraileur like a dura-ace derailleur
2) on MTB deraileur, what is the sigificance of 'long' and 'short' cage deraileurs

 

[Cycleops]

1) No, or yes if you believe Shimano's advertising hype.

2) Long cage derailleurs can handle a wider cog range, (as in most MTB set ups) up to 34t while short and medium cages are for cassettes with a closer gear set, usually up to about 28t.

 

[139NI]

Cheers..

So, is it fair to say that there is very little difference between a 'road' [i.e ultegra, 105, dura ace] and MTB [i.e. deore, XT] deraileurs then.

 

[Cycleops]

Technically there is a difference, and also in materials used, but if you are asking if you would feel an improvement from using a more expensive derailleur then no. I have Deore on my Marin hybrid and Ultegra on a Giant composite road bike and I can't discern any improvement in shifting from one to the other as price might suggest.

PS. I have just checked out your bike as It wasn't known to me, very interesting. What made you buy it? Hope you've got the Humvee to go with it!