Front derailleur equivalents

Goat said:

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like a pretty standard setup. 31.8mm top pulls are available at any
branch of H*lfords (Shimano Deore). It doesn't have to be the exact same
model as the one you already have. Surprised your LBS couldn't get hold of
anything. Were they actually trying?

In article <[email hidden]>, Simonb
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Goat said:

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like a pretty standard setup. 31.8mm top pulls are available at any
branch of H*lfords (Shimano Deore). It doesn't have to be the exact same
model as the one you already have. Surprised your LBS couldn't get hold of
anything. Were they actually trying?

I think they're only interested in making money out of fitting the
thing, and I made it clear that I was going to fit it myself.

Thanks v much for advice.

--
Goat

Goat said:

My front derailleur is very wobbly and worn out.
It is a shimano FD-M330 , top pull, for a 31.8mm bracket diameter.
The gear train is a 24 speed, shimano (avivo) rear derailleur and
8-speed rear cassette.

My local bike shops (which I always try and support) have promised to
order me an equivalent model, but after weeks of waiting, they don't
seem terribly interested in my money!

Having looked on the web, I can find various references to it, but
nowhere can I find anywhere I can buy it online, or any mention of what
newer version might be equivalent.

There are many other models which look as if they might do, but I don't
want to buy on line only to have the fiddle of sending it back if its
not equivalent. Same problem with ebay

Any suggestions about:
1) where I can get an FD-M330 online (UK preferably)
2) what other available model might be equivalent and at least as good!

Thanks in advance.

Road or MTB. Once you've determined that pretty much any 31.8mm top pull
Shimano triple derailleur will do the job. You can order on line from someone
like Chain Reaction (MTB) Wiggle (MTB or Road) or Parkers (Road) or go down
any bike shop and ask for a 31.8mm shimano triple top pull derailleur and take
whatever they have in stock (probably not Dura Ace or XTR though on price
grounds)

Tony

Goat said:

1) where I can get an FD-M330 online (UK preferably)

According to Shimano Europe, that's a current Acera front derailleur.

www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300004804 have "Acera X". I dunno
what that is.

Quoted message said:

2) what other available model might be equivalent and at least as
good!

I would have thought any of the current Shimano MTB models of suitable
type would be compatible but I'm not an MTB expert.
Alivio/Deore/LX/XT/XTR are higher up in the range.

www.chainreactioncycles.com have Deore, LX, XT, XTR

~PB

Thanks to all of you for advice.

Displaying my ignorance, what is "MTB": Mountain Bike?
Mine a Giant Hybrid X-something or other (a lot more road than
mountain!)

--
Goat

Goat said:

what is "MTB": Mountain Bike?

Yup.

Quoted message said:

Mine a Giant Hybrid X-something or other (a lot more road than
mountain!)

Does the cable to the front derailleur pull from above or below? If it's
from above then it's MTB stylee.

in message <[email hidden]>, Simonb

(') said:

Goat said:

what is "MTB": Mountain Bike?

Yup.

Quoted message said:

Mine a Giant Hybrid X-something or other (a lot more road than
mountain!)

Does the cable to the front derailleur pull from above or below? If
it's from above then it's MTB stylee.

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five mountain
bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the bottom, two
(Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

In any case the OP said his was a top pull, in his original post.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; All in all you're just another nick in the ball
-- Think Droid

Simon Brooke said:

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

In news:[email hidden],
Simonb <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

To show off how many (posh) bikes he's got, obviously.

Ambrose Nankivell said:

In news:[email hidden],
Simonb <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

To show off how many (posh) bikes he's got, obviously.

Ah.

Simonb said:

Simon Brooke said:

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

That MTB front mechs can be bottom or top pull.

The more relevant points are that the MTB ones are designed for small
chainrings and the travel per mm of cable pulled is different to Shimano
road front mechs (relevant to indexed shifters).

~PB

Goat said:

Mine a Giant Hybrid X-something or other (a lot more road than
mountain!)

Doesn't matter about the name or the marketing. You'll probably be better
off sticking to this "MTB" sector for front derailleurs if the chainrings
and gear levers are also "MTB" style.

~PB

Goat said:

My front derailleur is very wobbly and worn out.
It is a shimano FD-M330 , top pull, for a 31.8mm bracket diameter.
The gear train is a 24 speed, shimano (avivo) rear derailleur and
8-speed rear cassette.

Watch out, rather too many generalised posts in this thread.

The FD-M330 shows on the shimano web site as a ***TOP SWING*** derailleur,
so you need to buy a top pull-top swing model, a normal model may not fit.
Check on the component web site, top swing and normal look completely
different.

I assume its top swing as you have something with a rear swing arm?

Steve

Pete Biggs said:

Simonb said:

Simon Brooke said:

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

That MTB front mechs can be bottom or top pull.

Did I say that MTB mechs could only be top-pull?

in message <[email hidden]>, Simonb

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

Over snipping said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Does the cable to the front derailleur pull from above or below? If
it's from above then it's MTB stylee.'

There are MTB deraileurs that pull from above and from below, and there
are non MTB deraileurs that pull from above and from below. So pulling
from above is not at all diagnostic of an 'MTB stylee' mech.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; This email may contain confidential or otherwise privileged
;; information, though, quite frankly, if you're not the intended
;; recipient and you've got nothing better to do than read other
;; folks' emails then I'm glad to have brightened up your sad little
;; life a tiny bit.

Simon Brooke said:

There are MTB deraileurs that pull from above and from below, and
there are non MTB deraileurs that pull from above and from below. So
pulling from above is not at all diagnostic of an 'MTB stylee' mech.

Oooh. Horrid, horrid generalisation.

in message <[email hidden]>, Simonb

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

There are MTB deraileurs that pull from above and from below, and
there are non MTB deraileurs that pull from above and from below. So
pulling from above is not at all diagnostic of an 'MTB stylee' mech.

Oooh. Horrid, horrid generalisation.

No generalisation there at all, on the contrary. Learn to read, and then
learn to write English.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
;; the Worlock

Simon Brooke said:

No generalisation there at all, on the contrary. Learn to read, and
then learn to write English.

OK Simon. Will do.

Simonb said:

Pete Biggs said:

Simonb said:

Simon Brooke wrote:

> That's a horrid over-generalisation. In this house we have five
> mountain bikes; three (Scott, Cannondale, Klein) pull from the
> bottom, two (Santa Cruz, Grisley) from the top.

And your point is?

That MTB front mechs can be bottom or top pull.

Did I say that MTB mechs could only be top-pull?

No indeed, but you didn't make that clear. I was just adding info; Simon
was the one that misunderstood you.

~PB