Rear Derailleur

bebop86 said:

I'm using a 1980s Specialized Allez with full Shimano 600s. I'm having a little bit of a problem with my rear derailleur. The jockey wheel (is that what the little wheel on the derailleur is called?) doesn't spin freely and shows MUCH wear and tear. does anyone know where i could purchase a replacement? i went to the local bike shop but they said i should spend the $70 on a Shimano 105 derailleur which i thought was quite rediculous considering 600s are on par with Ultegras and it just needs a new wheel. anyone know where i could get a replacement? i don't want to replace teh whole derailleur, i'd end up having to pay close to $40 for a used one.

no reason the LBS couldn't get one,but they obviously make more money on a new RD. Try nashbar or the special order catalogue at www.harriscyclery.com

bebop86 said:

I'm using a 1980s Specialized Allez with full Shimano 600s. I'm having a little bit of a problem with my rear derailleur. The jockey wheel (is that what the little wheel on the derailleur is called?) doesn't spin freely and shows MUCH wear and tear. does anyone know where i could purchase a replacement? i went to the local bike shop but they said i should spend the $70 on a Shimano 105 derailleur which i thought was quite rediculous considering 600s are on par with Ultegras and it just needs a new wheel. anyone know where i could get a replacement? i don't want to replace teh whole derailleur, i'd end up having to pay close to $40 for a used one.

Why not just change the jockey wheels if the rest of the mech is fine - did that this summmer helping out an injured mate with his cycle shop and it´s a dirty but easy job and there are a lot of replacement jockeys of varying quality ( and price ) to choose from .
Do remember that the upper jockey wheel has a little slack ( fudge factor ? ) so don´t shim it out .
Have you tried stripping and cleaning the jockey wheels ? a toothbrush and a little parafin go a long way .