Originally Posted by
AndreyT
Um... What derailleur specifically are you talking about? The front and the rear are fundamentally different in this regard.
True. I was speaking of the RD
Originally Posted by
AndreyT
The RD does not "see" the load on the chain at all. You can shift it under any load. Light-loaded shifts will generally be smoother, but it will still shift under any load. If your RD has poorly adjusted indexing then trying to shift under heavy load might make the chain to "slip" mid-shift. It is unpleasant when it happens, but it is not a big deal.
I see your point, but if shifting under load is not as smooth, there must be some negative effect as a result. OTOH, "not as smooth" is rather subjective, so maybe that would translate to a chain lasting only 4900 miles instead of 5000.
Originally Posted by
europa
You can't hammer a bike with an armoured fist, you always have to use a bit of mechanical sympathy and part of the joy of cycling is learning how to work with your bike to get the best result.
Love that phrase. It's what I generally use in cases like this, just hadn't thought of terming it so expressively.