shimano rear shifter cage length

[02GF74]

the shimano rear shifter, e.g. XT is avaialble in 3 lenght: long, medium and short cage.

anyone know how they differ? (no doubt this is the distance between the jockey wheels so affects gear selection as well as required different chain lengths)

ta.

 

[MartinC]

The difference is in the capacity of the mechs i.e. add up the difference in teeth lowest-highest at the cassette and the chainrings - this number is the capacity you need. E.g. 11-34 cassette (23 teeth difference) plus 24-34-44 chainrings (20 teeth) needs a mech with a capacity of 43 teeth.

The shimano web site will tell you the capacities for the mechs.

 

[Steve Austin]

Shimano come in 3 lengths.
expensive roadbikes mechs come in short and medium, most folk need medium.
MTB mechs come in medium and long. Most folk need long

It can get a little more complicated, as MartinC described, but if you keep it to MTB need long, and roadbikes need medium, you won't go wrong.

Of course i run short on my roadbike and medium on my mtb, but i just like being differnet

 

[Nick G]

Grant at Condor told me that you need long for a triple chainset, medium or long for a compact, and short or medium for a standard double.

 

[spandex]

Grant at Condor told me that you need long for a triple chainset, medium or long for a compact, and short or medium for a standard double.

Grant is spot on

 

[Steve Austin]

I run a medium on a triple
i run a short on a compact

and i'm spot on

 

[andrew_s]

what cassette do you run? 12-23 is a bit different to 11-34.

 

[Steve Austin]

I used to run medium XT on 11-32 cassettes, triple front. Changed to 11/-28 or 12-25 as i never used the 32. I've only ever used medium on my ~MTB. Thats for the last 15 years at least. never had any problems

 

[GilesM]

Grant at Condor told me that you need long for a triple chainset, medium or long for a compact, and short or medium for a standard double.

This is correct if you work out the capacity required as MartinC mentions, however it is unlikely that you will ever use the granny ring and smallest three sprockets the chain will almost certainly rub, and I never use the big ring and largest sprocket, again the chain angle is a bit serious, and these ratios will definately overlap with the middle ring, hence you don't really need them, so you can adjust the chain length and use a medium length cage. Steve Austin obviously doesn't have the problem (he has bionic legs) but I keep the 32 sprocket, it's nice on that long ride when you have one final bastard climb, soft muddy ground and a completely dead body.