Learn About Function of Bicycle Derailleurs

Video Transcript

"This is Eric from Spin City Cycling in Austin, Texas talking to you on behalf of Expert Village today and we are going to discuss mountain bike derailleurs. So the derailleur is the device that moves your chain up and down the gears on your bike. Generally you've got a rear derailleur and that is going to move the chain up and down the gears that is attached to your rear wheel and you've got a front derailleur which is up there next to where the pedals are that move the chain up and down the 2 or 3 rings that you've got on your cranks. Those 2 items working in tandem create the gear combination that you are in and so it is very important to have a good high quality derailleur on your bike. Most of the time when you are purchasing a bike, my companies are going to put the nicest piece of equipment on the bike on the rear derailleur. That is where you are going to do most of your shifting, most of your gear changes so that needs to be high quality and stand out over you know stand test of time. They come in different sizes and shapes, different component levels. For example in Shamino's lineup starting from the top and working down, they have XTR which is their nicest component group, XT, LX and De Ore and then what you've got is Alivio and Asaro and there are several more below that but the point is there is many different levels of components and it is important when you are buying a bike to try and figure out what kind of riding you are going to be doing and what level of component where you want to be to get the most enjoyment out of it and something that is going to last a long time. So hopefully you've learned a little bit about derailleurs and thanks for watching. "