Gravel derailleurs

How to choose a gravel derailleur

This range includes derailleurs rear and front, mechanical and electronic, plus a few spare parts. What sets a gravel derailleur apart from a road derailleur comes down to one word: theclutch.

The clutch, essential off-road

A derailleur with a clutch (Shadow RD+ on Shimano models, clutch on SRAM and Campagnolo models) resists forward movement of the cage. The chain stays taut over rocks, stops slapping the chainstay and is much less likely to come off. On 1x, where there is no front derailleur to hold the chain, that is what keeps it in place.

Rear derailleur: compatibility

• The number of speeds must match that of the shifters and cassette — from 9 to 13 here.
• The capacity : the largest sprocket it can take. Derailleurs SRAM XPLR E1 are rated max 46 teeth, the GRX RX717 and RX827 accept the 10-51, and theApex Eagle D1 goes up to 52 teeth.
• The mounting : SRAM E1 models mount using Full Mount on a hanger UDH, without a conventional derailleur hanger.
• AXS derailleurs without battery are sold without a battery: check that you have one, or add one to your order.

Front derailleur: mounting type

Only for drivetrains 2x. Most GRX and SRAM models mount braze-on, on a tab welded to the seat tube. On Shimano CUES, the suffix in the model reference indicates the mounting type (direct mount, E-type, low or high clamp): that is the first thing to check, before the number of speeds. And a crankset Wide from SRAM requires the front derailleur Wide corresponding.

Spare parts

Inner and outer cages, jockey wheels original or ceramic: a cage bent in a crash can be replaced without changing the derailleur. Jockey wheels wear out like a cassette and need replacing at roughly the same intervals.

CUES and trekking

Part of the range falls under Shimano CUES and Deore XT trekking: drivetrains 9 to 11 speeds designed for durability and low maintenance costs. They work with cassettes and chains Linkglide from the same family.

To find out more: Which drivetrain should you choose for gravel riding?

See also: Gravel cassettes · Complete gravel groupsets · Road derailleur hangers