Derailleurs Explained: The Bike Gear Shifting Evolution
From GearJunkie.com
By Mark Wilson
Though plenty of die-hards live on single-speed rigs, for most cyclists, gears are the sweet elixir that makes riding fun.
It’s easy to take for granted the ease with which riders can cycle through gears on bikes these days. Derailleurs are the mechanisms that make changing gears on bikes possible. They move the chain from cog to cog on the rear or between chainrings on the front and manage the required chain slack.
Likewise, it’s easy to overlook or fail to appreciate the wide-ranging gear ratios on modern drivetrains. These make rides that were all but impossible for riders even a couple of decades ago accessible to nearly anyone.
Since the first bicycle, inventors and manufacturers have been slowly modifying and tweaking designs to perfect the derailleur and the larger drivetrains of bikes.
Some would argue that the industry is now near the peak of performance and capability with derailleurs and drivetrains. Others, however, view a brave new world on the horizon.
(photo/Shimano)
