Shimano Dura Ace 7900 Front Derailleur-Band

• Additional Views
• Email a Friend

We had several epiphanies when we first rode the new 7900 Dura Ace group. The first, of course, was simply looking at the parts. Then, we held the new big chainring, and were immediately convinced of the two-piece, hollow designs superiority. When we actually rode the stuff, what really stood out, besides the easily detectible increase in smoothness of shifting, lack of noise from the drivetrain, and extreme power transfer, was how easy the front derailleur shifted. What? Over two-grand worth of cold-forged, anodized aluminum and carbon fiber parts and we were blown away by the front derailleur? Yes, and here's why; for the first time ever, shifting between the front and back derailleurs felt balanced. We didn't have to wind up for a shift into the big ring, while barely flicking our fingers to move the chain on the cassette. The redesigned cage, push-ratio, and pivot points increase power and create the sensation of a shorter throw at the lever. The new design is based on the Di2 7970 electronic shifting system, where shift power needs to be optimized.

Shimano also did away with the need for adjustable front trim. The design of the new cage and chain allow you to cross-chain in peace. While cross-chaining is still generally a bad idea, a big-big combo is useful for keeping yourself within reach of a fast gear to counter attacks or to jump on your competitors at a moments notice.

The 7900 front derailleur is only compatible with the 7900 shifters.

Features

• Clamp-on weighs 78 grams
• Vastly increased power for low-effort shifting
• Optimized pivot locations and push ratio
• Eliminates the need for trim adjustment