boostbutt

Had an Ultegra 6600 FD.....the cage rusted badly after about a year of usage

so I changed an Ultegra SL FD.....the cage rusted badly after about a year of usage, now even the shifter body appears to be corroded

s0 I upped the ante and got a DA FD7800 (seeing how corrosion resistant my DA shifter are compared to Ultegra)......the chrome on the cage started peeling after about 3 months of use...now its peeling as if the chrome surface was stuck onto the cage!

I'm now concluding that all Shimano FD cage finishing is pure #$@$@#$!!

Can I actually find replacement for the DA cage? is it even possible to change them?

Or can I use 'better' FDs, maybe SRAM RED (with titanium cage), or Chorus (with carbon cage) ?

cbfight

The corrosion due to the chrome finish flaking off is apparently a common problem with FD-7800. Didn't know about Ultegra though.

HillRider

You must be very hard on equipment or ride in terribly harsh conditions. I've NEVER had a front derailleur cage rust and I have 105 (8, 9 and 10-speed), other Shimano and two Campy steel cage (Chorus and Veloce 10-speed) fd's, some of which have been in use for 10 years, even on my rain/beater bikes.

I don't know if the SRAM or Campy fds would be compatible with STI brifters.

wrk101

+1 How is bike being stored? What is the environment? I have two Ultegra FD bike (7 years old), a Shimano 105 FD bike (15 years old), a Dura Ace bike (one 8 years old, one 24 years old), etc. None have had rust problems with the cage. Note, my newer DA FD is a 7700.

wunderkind

Did you dip your bike into the ocean?!
Even my lowly Tourney class FD is shiny after years of commuting in all sorts of conditions.

Al1943

Is the corrosian due to sweat? If so try wearing a Headsweat or similar.

boostbutt

I think the corrosion is likely due to sweat. I live in the tropics and my home is about 200m away from the beach! A double whammy for corrosion...

OK so I guess prolonged exposure to salt (sea and sweat) for the aluminium parts would corrode them over time and for steel - rust. But, what's up with that DA cage chrome flaking/peeling off like it was stuck on?? That was sorely disappointing.....

So I gather there is no such thing as a cage replacement?

What are my options? I really like the FD 7800 shifting over the Ultegra, I find it to be faster and more assured. Is there any way I can prevent the chrome from flaking/peeling?

skilsaw

I would spray the FD with a light coating of grease from a spray can. Then wipe off the excess but don't use any degreaser when you wipe it off. Every time you clean the bike, add greasing the FD to your routine.

Chris_W

SRAM FDs would be compatible with the rest of your setup. However, the titanium cage on the RED FD is known to be more flexy than the steel version on the other models, which is why none of the pro's use the titanium version.

boostbutt

aha! finally confirmation that SRAM FD will work with DA 7800 shifters!

at least all is not lost in terms of keeping a spare or alternative. How about campy FDs?

wunderkind

How's cycling around Singapore? Man I've not been there for soooo long! Must be ultra hot what with being situated right on the equator.