I've considered for some time putting a decent/good shifting system on my Schwinn Traveler. I've a 14-34 Shimano 7 sp freewheel now with a rear derailer that won't handle that 34t.. which I have decided to keep.

The blizzard of product names... grrrr.. trying to get reviews on what is worth the cost has proven mostly a waste of time. I have an Acera on my Gruv 2 with EZ rapid fire shifting that was worked well for 500 miles... so far.

I see the slightly higher costing Alivio.. is this rear derailer better.. worth the added cost? I assume that EZ shifting for a 7 sp would work/match the Alivio also?

Thanks!

Any Shimano derailleur will work, get a Deore.

Shimano has 8 lines of rear derailleurs that will handle your 34 tooth big cog. They all work adequately, but the upper end ones are a little bit lighter, look a little nicer, and will shift a bit more crisply. The question is: "How thin can you slice the baloney?" If I move up or down just one parts group I can't tell the difference. I can feel a difference, however, if I move up or down two or more groups.

for general replacements, I usually pop for the middle of the line Deore. The cost increases up to Deore are modest but prices really shoot up geometrically after it.

Acera will do just fine. Alivio or Deore would be a little better, but for light duty you don't need to spend much. No need to get the latest model. Try to find some leftover stock. Lightly used from eBay will do if you want to get by cheaply. You might even find a good deal on leftover or used LX or XT. Make sure you don't get the rapid rise or low normal type.

Hate to say it but the better quality RD I get- The longer they work efficiently.

For a 34 you will need a long cage derailler. Acera- Deore- LX- XT or XTR. All will work fine but The lowest I recommend to use is LX. Problem with Deore and lower is that they do not last long before the Bushings and Pins get a bit of wear in them and they go sloppy. For me that is less than a year but LX and I can get about 18months or 3,000 miles on the MTB. For that reason I always use XT which may be over the top for your use.

In hard, rough and dirty mountain bike riding, yes. But with light duty on a road bike, keeping it clean and lubed etc., a lower end MTB derailleur should work just fine for many years.

Deraylers? Who needs em?
Signed, resident gearhub nut

I have a Shimano Alivio RD in very good condition that I would be happy to send it to a fellow 50+ member in the Cheese State for the cost of shipping! PM me.

Old School you have a PM.. and Thank You.

How about a 7 sp trigger shifter... how deep to go? Same recommends... per component level?

Thanks to all for taking the time to reply.

Not a lot of choices for 7 speed trigger shifters.
I really like the SRAM triggers on my bikes, but have no experience with their Shimano products.

https://www.bikeman.com/LD2693.html (currently out of stock)

https://www.amazon.com/SRAM-Mountain-.../dp/B000VT2GHA (in stock)

Are you planning to put trigger shifters on a drop bar bike?

No.. Schwinn Traveler is the bike being considered for the 7 sp shifter.

Please send a PM with mailing address.