Replacement for Tiagra 9 speed front changer

[youngoldbloke]

Problem just now when front changer refused to drop chain onto small ring. On close examination appears the thin strip of metal linking the two sides at the front of the cage has snapped, allowing the front of the outer plate to flex minimally. Am I right in thinking I can replace the FD with the current 10 speed version?

 

[TheDoctor]

I expect so, but do try the likes of CRC and Ribble for the older 9 speed one.
A Sora would also fit fine, and be cheaper and ooh, a couplke of grams heavier!

 

[Banjo]

I have Sora front derailleur on one bike 105 on the other. both work equally as well.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Thanks I've been looking around! How about this one - listed for use with flat bar Rapidfire R440 shifters. Do you think it would work with 4500 shifters? I assume a 105 FD would probably be OK too - save a couple of grams as well .

 

[youngoldbloke]

It appears that the cable pull on the R440 shifters is different to the R4500 shifters so the bargain mech is out. Anyway, after much Googling I found a 4500 '9 speed' * exact replacement on clearance. Seems that a '10 speed' * would have been fine - cage a little narrower thats all.
* this speed business is a bit misleading isn't it? Aren't Front Mechs basically either just double or triple??

 

[vernon]

* this speed business is a bit misleading isn't it? Aren't Front Mechs basically either just double or triple??

No. The mechs have differing capacities and the inner deflection plate can foul the inner ring, middle ring on a triple. Been there done it and disposed of a couple of unsuitable front mechs in the past.

 

[youngoldbloke]

No. The mechs have differing capacities and the inner deflection plate can foul the inner ring, middle ring on a triple. Been there done it and disposed of a couple of unsuitable front mechs in the past.

I know that older mechs have fewer teeth capacity than newer ones and I can see that a triple mech would not work with a double/compact, and vice versa, but are you saying that you must match the 'speed' of the FD to the cassette? If so anyone with fewer than 10 speeds is going to have trouble finding a replacement mech. Aren't front derailleurs essentially either 2 'speed' or 3 'speed' - that is, either double/compact or triple, and the main difference between a 9 'speed' and 10 'speed' (version of each type) is the cage width? (I did note that some of the older model FDs I found for sale quoted a 15 tooth capacity, and the more recent ones 16T, presumably to accommodate 50-34 compacts).

 

[vernon]

I wasn't talking about trying a double ring shifter on a triple. I was talking about some triple ring shifters fouling on a triple chain set especially when dealing with bits from different group sets. Can't remember the specifics.

As for10 speed stuff. I'm not at the stage where I need to be seeking replacement parts. They'll be eleven speed by then.