Originally Posted by
Lohengramm
Hello, I was wondering how do I replace a rear derailleur. Like what do I need to know. Will any rear derailleur work? Can I put a 3x10 rear derailleur on a bike that is 3x7 and I just won't use the full range? I am asking because I am looking for one on craigslist. And anything else I should know?
Also, since I already need to replace my derailleur is it worth it to spend a little more oney and just upgrade to 3x11 speed? What is involved in doing that? Is it just cassette, chain, and the shifter?
You have some good advice on this thread and the other one you recently started. You might want to go read a book, or maybe take a course on bike maintenance and repair. and also to read up a bit on the Sheldon Brown website, as there are numerous articles on bicycles there. I don't say this out of malice as I am not exactly a professional bike mechanic That said, from your threads, you seem to be coming at this with a very limited base of knowledge. And that is fine. We all started as newbies once, and the only way you figure stuff out is to read, talk with people, or tinker on your bike.
Now, the problem with switching the number of gears is, unless you have a pile of parts just laying around, it can get expensive quickly, and often more money than the quality of the bike merits spending. You might be able to switch from 3 x 7 to 3 x 8 or 3 x 9 by swapping out your wheel, cassette, chain, and right shifter. And since you know very little about bikes, along with these parts, you will have to factor in labor. Most people who go to 10 speed don't do a triple crank, so you might need to also factor in a new crankset and/or front derailleur. And the same is true of 11 speed.
Usually, the most cost effective thing is to swap the broken part for a similar or identical replacement. And when you start getting the desire to upgrade, ask yourself why? I still have a 20 year old bike with 3 x 7 shifters and you know what? 3 x 7 is more than enough gear combinations for most recreational riding and commuting. Though 3 x 7 is far from state of the art, I would remind you that enthusiast road riders were riding 7 speeds as recently as the mid 90s and 7 speed was still a thing for mountain biking several years beyond that. Then 8 speed had its reign at the top of the line through the mid 90s, then 9 speed in the late 90s, 10 speed had its moment in the sun from 2003 to 2011. And we are now living in the 11 speed era. But just because higher end new bikes have 11 speed shifters doesn't mean you need that. (and if you did, you probably should have budgeted more to begin with and just bought an 11 speed bike to begin with)