Hey everyone!
In case anyone was envy of the SRAM guys having this oil slick color don't be anymore!
The new Deore logo is changing color depending on the light
but that's actually not the only thing that's new for the Deore groupset.
The 12-speed drivetrain is new for Deore and today we're going o look at the derailleur
And if for SLX and up you have two derailleurs, one for 1 x 12, one for 2 x 12 drivetrains,
in case of the Deore they only have one: this is gonna be a 1 x 12 drivetrain
because they only have one cassette, the 10-51t that I reviewed not too long ago.
And next to my Deore derailleur today I have an SLX for 2x drivetrains
and an XT for 1x drivetrains.
Are they all that different?
The SLX is for 2x drivetrains and I'll put it aside for now,
but if you're interested in the difference between a 2x and a 1x 12 speed derailleur from Shimano
I have a video on my channel giving you all the details.
But both this Deore and the XT are made for 1x drivetrains so they should be similar in design.
Indeed, if you look at the parts you're just gonna notice that the XTparts are machined a little bit more
maybe because they wanted to save weight
or maybe because they use different processes in manufacturing it.
This part here on the movable part where the XT logo is is different.
You also see again some cutouts just to save weight.
On Deore is just plain with the logo applied to it and nothing else.
As you move over to the clutch cover they are very similar in shape
however you see the extra port here the adjustment opening on the XT.
That doesn't exist on the Deore however this is no different than the SLX which doesn't have the adjustment port for the clutch either.
The good news is that both of these have the same clutch mechanism that the XT and XTR provide.
And talking about the clutch, the On / Off lever on the SLX seems to be slightly different than the one on the Deore,
but the one on the Deore and the XT are absolutely identical.
And on this view from the top you can see how this fixing bolt is made out of different materials on three derailleurs.
Also the adjustment screws seem to be made out of different materials as well.
And the Deore is the only one that has 12 speed written on it.
I assume that's because they also have an 11 speed version of this derailleur.
The limit screws are exactly in the same spot and they seem to be made out of the same material.
And if you look at the outer cage on the two derailleurs the shape of the bottom of it is the same
Deore has that little bridge in the middle but most importantly this seems to be made of aluminum on both.
If I use my tiny magnet to stick it here it won't stick because again this is made of aluminum.
It's the inner cage where they use different materials, shape is again almost identical
but this one is made out of steel.
In case of the XT that's not the case, it's still made out of aluminum or so.
In case you're wondering, even though the SLX has a different color this is made out of steel as well
you can see my little magnet how it sticks to it no problem.
Here at the bottom of the cage you're going to see that these are made in Japan including the Deore
and SGS signifies long cage.
Well, all these derailleurs have long cages they only have one XTR medium cage or GS.
In all their marketing you're gonna see 13 teeth pulleys mentioned everywhere.
This is the GUIDE pulley as mentioned over there,
the bottom one is the TENSION pulley that's written right there next to the axle.
What's special about these ones is the fact that they are running on bushings on the Deore and SLX is no different.
and in case of XT and XTR you have bearings on both top and bottom jaw keys
otherwise again jockey wheels are the same size, 13 teeth, top and bottom.
At the top of the derailleur cage you have that 51 tooth mark for adjusting the B-gap.
That is identical to what the XT provides aside from this little rubber bumper
that is supposed to silence the drivetrain when the chain is on the smallest cogs.
Deore and SLX don't provide that.
And one last thing about the cage: if you look carefully you're gonna see that it looks bent from this point on
also the two jockey wheels are not parallel to each other
so the derailleur cage seems to be twisted.
Well don't go ahead and bend this back into straight because these are done by design.
I actually have a video explaining you why the two jockey wheels are out of alignment on the Shimano 12-speed derailleurs.
Weight of the Deore is 319 grams as opposed to an XT which is 282g
but this Deore is within probably two, three, five grams from an SLX so almost identical.
And identical they are and functionality as well as Shimano designed all the derailleurs to be fully interchangeable.
Actually all the Shimano 12 speed parts are interchangeable
so you can put this little Deore into an XTR, XT and SLX drivetrain with no problem.
Do you remember this little part that comes with XTR, Cover with Tongue or Nose?
In case of the XT review I installed it and called it a hack or XTR hack.
Well guess what? It fits just fine here on the Deore as well.
The value of having this installed is that your inner cable will have minimal friction as it comes out of the housing,
minimum friction with this guide of the derailleur.
So if you can find it I'm going to post the part number in the description of the video it might be worth installing it.
I don't know about you but I'm pretty impressed with the value that this Deore provides.
Chances are is going to be cheaper than the SLX and otherwise seems to be an SLX with a Deore badge on it.
And did I mention the color changing new Deore logo? :)
Anyway, this is all I had for you guys today.
If you have any questions let me know in the comments below.
If you found this useful don't forget to like, subscribe,
keep an eye on social media,
and I hope to see you guys on the trails.
Cheers guys, cheers!