Originally Posted by
El Davisimo
Hi folks, I currently have Ultegra 6800 on my road bike. It has a long cage on the rear derailleur. However, I noticed that all the guys in my riding group seem to have short cages. Is there a benefit to having a short cage vs. a long one?
Short-cage derailleurs are very slightly lighter, and in some cases the geometry is optimized better for shifting over tight-range cassettes.
If you're unsure, it's best to err toward longer-cage models. They allow more versatility in drivetrain setup, and the drawbacks of lengthening the cage are very subtle.