Reid
Well-Known Member
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/04/shimano-debuts-ultegra-rx-rear-derailleur-with-a-clutch/
I have not had a chain drop since going to a Shimano clutch-type, long cage derailleur and a 10S 11-42 cassette and for extra insurance, a narrow-wide 56 tooth chainring. (While I did not really need 10 speeds, the clutch system is not available in 9 speed. And the wide ratio new cassette is an improvement because even with the larger chainring the first gear is considerably lower than before and the highest gear permits considerably easier cadence at speed than the regular 52 tooth chainring.)
First of all, this isn’t an April Fools joke.
Shimano is bringing mountain bike tech to the road with its new Ultegra RX rear derailleur, featuring the clutch used in most mountain bike derailleurs to prevent chain slap and dropped chains...
...Clutch mechanisms are ubiquitous in mountain bike derailleurs and are a pivotal part of a functional single-chainring drivetrain, usually paired with a 1x-specific narrow-wide chainring. On a normal derailleur, the only thing preventing the pulley cage from bouncing forward is spring tension. With a clutch, the pulley cage resists forward movement but returns to its original position at a normal rate. A clutch allows the derailleur to maintain proper chain tension over rough surfaces. The result is far less chain slap and flop, and thus a decreased likelihood of dropping a chain, chainsuck, or mis-shifts.
I have not had a chain drop since going to a Shimano clutch-type, long cage derailleur and a 10S 11-42 cassette and for extra insurance, a narrow-wide 56 tooth chainring. (While I did not really need 10 speeds, the clutch system is not available in 9 speed. And the wide ratio new cassette is an improvement because even with the larger chainring the first gear is considerably lower than before and the highest gear permits considerably easier cadence at speed than the regular 52 tooth chainring.)
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