Shimano SLX Compact Front Derailleur  2010 Mountain Bike Review

Shimano SLX Compact Front Derailleur 2010

Reviews / Drivetrain

Shimano 1,149,372

Weight: 160 Grams

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At A Glance

A specific front derailleur for double and bash set-ups, the perfect match for your SLX Double and Bash in fact. Of course you can just wind up the limit screw on a triple chainset derailleur, so you might ask what is the point of this? When you run a double set up you tend to use more of the cassette with the same ring on the front, due to having less gears. On a normal derailleur this cause excess rubbing on the guide and consequently wear and tear on the chain. The SLX double specific FD eliminates that by using a slightly different cage.

On The Trail

If you find you get chain noise from your FD using a 36t ring then this is most definitely the solution. Shifting is still spot on as you would expect from a bit of kit of this quality. But the annoying grating sound you get on a conventional FD is gone and you can use the full range of your 36t big ring without wearing out your chain on the cage.

Overall

The perfect compliment to a double and bash set up, smooth shifting and improved clearances make it a solid upgrade from a triple chainset mech

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This review was in Issue 5 of IMB.

For more information visit Shimano

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By Rou Chater
Rou Chater is the Publishing Editor of IMB Magazine; he’s a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but his passion for bikes knows no bounds. His first mountain bike was a Trek 820, which he bought in 1990. It didn’t take him long to earn himself a trip to the hospital on it, and he’s never looked back since. These days he’s keeping it rubber side down, riding locally and overseas as much as possible.

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