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Submitted by
AScott_user
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Rather reliable. Even after smashing it gently against a rock which resulted in deep scratches on the plastic body, its still working as it should be. | | Weaknesses: | Plenty. This rear dee will result in gear jumping and gear skipping, sometimes even the gear comes off from the lowest (granny) gear, which result in stucked chain. Going uphill hence proves a real challenge. Flops badly when going offroad, which might result in it being 'sucked' into your wheel spokes. | | Bike Setup: | 2008 Scott Aspect 55 | | Bottom Line: | Its a reliable workhorse for normal users such as recreational use, but dont get this piece of crap for offroad use. It doesn't belong to the world of offroad. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
diamondback_hardtail
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati, OH U.S.
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came on bike | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | I could go on for days...Once used for awhile it starts rapidly deteriorating which means uphills with hard pedaling and it starts skipping, jumping gears. | | Bottom Line: | Its fine to use if it came on a complete bike that you bought, but I would upgrade asap. I would NEVER recommend buying this derailleur as a separate piece, its not worth the plastic its made out of. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ironbirdexplorer
a Weekend Warrior
from New Brunswick Canada
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | TransCanada Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Works well when tuned up | | Weaknesses: | Needs Tuning often | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Hardrock Sport | | Bottom Line: | I was in a situation this summer where the bike was my only transport and a large part of my recreation. I used it probably harder than I should have, especially over the past few weeks on my holidays. Bottom line, I took a fairly hefty stick through my wheel trying to negotiate a...um....uggh, yeah...I'll call it a trail for lack of a better term. It bent the rear derailleur such that I couldn't gear down to 1-1 without it interfering with my spokes. I gave it a bit of a tug to straighten it out. It seemed to work, but the next day it snapped right off where it connects to the seat stay. Luckily, it was only the second last day of my holidays. I think I'm going to upgrade, seeing that I'm getting a little more into the harder off-road stuff.
The Acera rear derailleur is definitely more for the commuter than the off-roader. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
acid470
a Cross Country Rider
from Tyler, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | The "Great" Country Of Iraq | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Online Bike Shop, Ca | | Strengths: | Good on pavement for average commuting | | Weaknesses: | Just About Everything....it doesnt pull the chain tight enough, it needss to be tuned often, almost everyday, jumps gears when taken over rough terrain, bearings wear fast, bracket bends easily | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Alivio, Shimano Deore, Shimano LX | | Bike Setup: | Shimano rapid fire shifters, shimano deore vbrakes, weimann rims, kenda tires, shimano alivio crankset, alivio cassette | | Bottom Line: | DO NOT purchase this product if you ever plan on going off pavement or even riding hard on pavement. If you purchase a bike with this part, which unfortunately most bikes undr 750 dollars come with this equipment, then you may wanna look at least at an alivio or deore setup soon afterwards | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gilesle
a Downhiller
from Roy, Utah, USA
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Well, before I noticed any problems it was great!!! really smooth and clean, no problems what so ever!!! | | Weaknesses: | I had bought a kona shred and this was the stock part it came with... I had my bike three days and I took it off a jump a couple times and I fell once, and I didn't even fall on that side of the bike and now it don't shift smoothly and it will sometimes get stuck and lock up. | | Bottom Line: | Good if not doing major stuff like jumping... but other than that it's not too bad... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lou
a Weekend Warrior
from Newburgh, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere I feel like riding! | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Walgoose(Mongoose bo | | Strengths: | Good for street use and Light trails only! Unless there are sticks on the rode! | | Weaknesses: | Rough terain especially sticks! | | Bike Setup: | Mongoose xr450 bought at Walmart for slightly over $300! | | Bottom Line: | Rode bike a couple of times after purchased a couple of years ago. Haven't rode in about 2 yrs as I am an occasional mountain biker. The bike handled very rough downhill mountain terrain well, only broke the kickstand as I bashed it on a rock while jumping a small stream. Took it out for ten minutes today and a random stick caught between derailleur, spokes and bike frame as I was pedalling hard up a small hill, the result: the derailleur bracket bent and the derailleur itself snapped where it pivots! Do not buy this peice of crap derailleur or cheap Walmart bike if you like to ride in rough terrain! Derailleur is made of aluminum but in a place where strength matters it's made of black plastic! The Shimano Acera rd-m340 is garbage! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Haven
a Weekend Warrior
from Florida
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Santos | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | cheap | | Weaknesses: | cheap | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | '05 Hardrock... Marzocchi DJ3, Avid BB7... | | Bottom Line: | I can't believe this thing held up for 3 years!!! over the last year I have gotten into some serious offroading and it has always held up w/ some fairly smooth shifting... I've been wanting to upgrade my drivetrain but couldn't justify spending the money until something actually broke... about and hour ago it finally snapped.
3 chili's cuz it lasted three years!!!
4 Value cuz it came with the bike and did it's job!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Khuan
a
from Perth, WA, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | None - I'm a commuter. | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with my bike. | | Strengths: | Good for commuting and fine for light off-roading. Look okay. | | Weaknesses: | Inadequate for real off-roading. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | 2007 Giant Boulder. | | Bottom Line: | This derailleur is only suitable for commuting and the occasional light off-roading. I don't recommend you buy this derailleur by itself, but if you are shopping for a commuter bike and find one with this derailleur it'll be fine for your intentions. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim
a Weekend Warrior
from overland park, ks
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durable for low to moderate riding. Cheap. | | Weaknesses: | Cheap. No way to disassemble the replace springs and other internal parts that wear out. | | Bike Setup: | Giant Boulder SE stock.
| | Bottom Line: | Descent for the price. With proper PM, such as cleaning and lubricating, it has held up. I am a moderate rider and is has seen some miles and some hard trails. As with most things, you get what you pay for. And if you plan on doing alot of hard riding spend the extra $20 or $30 dollars on a better one. When mine brakes I will replace it with an XT but it hasn't done me wrong yet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Caleb
a Weekend Warrior
from Fincastle va usa
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Douthat state park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | very good price
holds up very well | | Weaknesses: | doesn't shift well in mud or rocks
short lifespan, after three years it is starting to get metal shavings all over it from pulleys and chain
| | Bottom Line: | good for very easy riders and moderately heavy riding, however it does not have a very long lifespan. But it is a very durable derailleur while it lasts, I once rode over a stick which lodge itself in the pulleys and it still works fine. Very good choice for beginner of budget minded rider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cris mc shaffery
a Weekend Warrior
from essex
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 20 | | Strengths: | none brutal derralier shifts slowely | | Weaknesses: | everything | | Similar Products Used: | deore,alvio,sramx7,9 | | Bike Setup: | kone hei hei stock | | Bottom Line: | a crap derralier DO NOT BUY for any hard riding | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zoli
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Aus
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Rapido Cycles | | Strengths: | Works okay for both On-road or soft off-road use. | | Weaknesses: | Looks ugly, sometimes doesnt shift correctly. | | Bike Setup: | Modded Scott Reflex 50 | | Bottom Line: | This came included on the Bike with the other budget Drivetrain components. I wouldnt buy this product unless it came stock on your bike. Recommended for recreational use however you can quickly outgrow this derailleur if you move out of being a recreational rider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jacob
a Weekend Warrior
from sount australia
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with the bike | | Strengths: | Um not that much doesnt die even after severe thrashes. Not sure what you guys are are on about it does handle rough riding a bit noisy but its ok. | | Weaknesses: | Its very noisy and skips on really rocky stuff. | | Similar Products Used: | Altus | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh m800 Rock shox j4 | | Bottom Line: | Im not sure if the complaints about it snapping on 4 to 5ft drops is legit because i have done 7 to 9 ft drops with this and it has not let me down yet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Not You
a Weekend Warrior
from Sparks, NV, USA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came stock | | Strengths: | Cheap, shifts ok for road. | | Weaknesses: | Durability is unpredictable. I smash it against the curb and the chain falls off and jams, yet I gow down a hill, hit the brakes too hard, totally eat it, my bike does at least 3 flips in the air...and it comes out fine. | | Similar Products Used: | Piece of crap Magna der. | | Bike Setup: | 2007 Raleigh Mojave 4.0 - Acera Rear, SIS(sy) front, tektro IO disk brakes, shimano cogset, joytech hubset, kenda tires | | Bottom Line: | Works good for road use and light XC trail, but anything harder and it could brake on you. Not exactly the most dependable rear der. Will be upgrading to something else soon. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
indio
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere I can get to | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Flythe Cyclery | | Strengths: | none. i mean not one. | | Weaknesses: | Everything. I have had the bike less than a month. It's actually dangerous - you simply can't count on it to do the job. I went for a night ride and half way up a simple hill I sifted - it slipped, chain caught, chain snapped, I walked a lot. | | Similar Products Used: | none yet - but that's about to change. | | Bike Setup: | completely stock 820 | | Bottom Line: | if someone asked me today what I thought about a new bike with this equipment I would say just take it off - don't walk out of the store with it on your bike. it's crap. And anyone that says they are happy with it must weigh 85 pounds, and ride on flat paved park paths.
:)
did I say a hate this piece of "equipment"? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Poughkeepsie
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Cheap, good for occasional light trails & roadways. | | Weaknesses: | it came on my bike & I replaced it as soon as possible. After about 2 weeks of hard trail riding it started miss shifting & popping the chain off as I hit hills. | | Similar Products Used: | XT | | Bike Setup: | Ironhorse Sport, shimano rapid shifters, xt rear derialleur, easton stem, rock shox J1 forks & some other goodies. | | Bottom Line: | Good for your light smooth trails but do not depend on it when you hit heavy wooded trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Poughkeepsie
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came on the bike | | Strengths: | It worked great on the street, then I started hitting the trails with it. | | Weaknesses: | It started mis shifting after 1 month, slipping on hills & just really choppy shifts all & all. Had it adjusted & it still shifts like crap.
| | Similar Products Used: | Just ordered an XT | | Bike Setup: | 06 Ironhorse, shimano trigger shifters, XT rear derailleur Rock Shox J1 | | Bottom Line: | Good for minor to extreme light trails & roads. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Garth
a Weekend Warrior
from Carlsbad, CA, United States
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Flightline | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with the bike | | Strengths: | What? Oh right, its cheap. Could probably find one at target or Kmart. Good for someone who never rides their bike. You will become very good at tuning it. | | Weaknesses: | Loud, Jumps gears, Needs constant attention(Adjustments). Not for anything but a family ride around the lake(As long as there is a paved bike path). Everytime I took it down a staircase it would need a whole tune. Same with any trail that had rocks bigger than a fist. | | Similar Products Used: | Almost anything is better. Saint is my favorite. Super beefy. | | Bike Setup: | Versus Blitz, Manitou 4 way, maxxis, minute ones, raceface diablous, . | | Bottom Line: | Dont waste time spend more money. Buying cheap is the best way to break things and hurt yourself. Dont bother reading any other reviews on this product just buy something better. I had it adjusted at two bike shops and both kept telling me it wasn't even worth adjusting. If you wanna tune a Derailleur after each use buy this one. Please dont try to sell it if you have one. Just throw it away. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tecky
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Bike Force | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Where to begin? | | Bike Setup: | Trek | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line - warranty!! I have had the Acera for a week and a little bit of light riding uphill in an easy gear and then whole thing crunched and ended up inside my spokes, which has cost me even more to get replaced!
This part is a disgrace to the Shimano name!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Izac Teng
a Cross Country Rider
from NZ
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | rotorua | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Strengths: | quick shifting
easy to tune | | Weaknesses: | needs to be CONSTANTLY tuned, if the chain falls off which it probably does when going down speed bumps the entire shifting is effed up and i takes like 20minutes of careful tuning to get it back to shape
goes pyhsco on climbs and derails the chain on fast bumpy dh bits | | Bike Setup: | Mongoose rockadile ALD, with truvativ cranks (replaced cause the alst one rounded out) | | Bottom Line: | the shifting is okay...but around 8th and 1 it skips abit (mayube cause i snapped the chain and had to get a new one) anyway it probably worked so crap cause i snapped the chain and didn't replace the cassette but tis wearing in so its all gravy...the tuning jsut pisses me off though...the secodn the stupid chain falls off the derailer jstu effs up and it dosn't change probably
good for light riders...if ur going fast dh and hard climbing buy xt or deores | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | anything rough | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Pretty hard.
Smooth.
Reliable | | Weaknesses: | Nothing major so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano SIS | | Bike Setup: | Rock Lobster Frame, Hope Mono M4, XT Drive, Mavic 521 Rims | | Bottom Line: | For months i used this with crappy SIS shifters and it worked pretty good, though not 100% reliable, sometimes would jump a gear or not engage the one i wanted straight away. I have just fitted XT shifters, and as soon as i get my forks back from service will give them a try, I'm expecting an improvement. Pretty Good deraillieur for the price, i'd recommend it to those on a budget. The oversize cogs look pretty cool too. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
josh smith
a Cross Country Rider
from edmonton,alberta,canada
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | strong, I crashed and landed right on it off a jump and it didn't bend | | Weaknesses: | I rattles way too much when I'm going downhill on even the slightest bumps and I have to tune it way to much. | | Similar Products Used: | alivio,deore | | Bike Setup: | bruiser with DJ 3's | | Bottom Line: | it's O.K if it comes on your bike but I wouldn't get one otherwise | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Reed
a Cross Country Rider
from Youngstown, OH
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Shady one in the trees | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Schwinn S70 (WalMart) | | Strengths: | Inexpensive, reliable, long cage/oversize cog make it work nice and smooth, Easy to clean/lubricate. | | Weaknesses: | Requires knowledge of how to properly adjust, which apparently leaves most posters out of luck. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Hybrid | | Bottom Line: | This is a good derailleur at a very good price. Regular maintenance is a must, but what is new about good PM? Keep it clean, lubricated and adjust the CABLE AT THE SHIFTER and you will be gold. I have logged many kilos with this and have had little problem. True, it takes an adjustment on occasion, especially if you knock it, but otherwise it is smooth, accurate and reliable. You could hardly do better at this price and you surely could do worse! Ride on! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derrick Prest
a Downhiller
from Port Colborne ON
Date Reviewed: December 15, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Autobahn | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | came with my bike | | Strengths: | It works super good for about 2 months then it takes awhile to shift into 6th no biggie | | Weaknesses: | nothing realy i dont see what everyone is complaining about,it hasint broke or anything but ive been getting lucky and havent fallen on it or bashed it off anything yet so thats probley why | | Similar Products Used: | shimano alivo | | Bike Setup: | 04 kona shred stock | | Bottom Line: | probley the best derailer ive had. its great for the price, it would be alot better if it pulled the chain alil tighter but its only slipped like once | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyler came with bike
a Weekend Warrior
from USA FL Chuluota
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Snowhill Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$326.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Works | | Strengths: | Shifts great
Have to be going realituvly fast to get into 8th | | Weaknesses: | I bent the hanger once but im not sure how
| | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | 2005 hardrock Sport stock | | Bottom Line: | IT is a great shifter i dont know what the other guys are talking about. I dint have to tweat mine the slightest bit for great preformance | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Forrest Cary
a Cross Country Rider
from Homer,AK USA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$330.00 | | Purchased At: | came with the bike | | Strengths: | price nunber of gears quality speed response compact size | | Weaknesses: | took an adjustment or two to get it to shift into first or eighth the deralieur clicks against the spokes in first gear but that is the mechanics fault. | | Similar Products Used: | other shimanos dont know the names | | Bike Setup: | hardrock sport frame rst fork acera x rear deralieur tektro brakes | | Bottom Line: | great shifter works great for my kind of riding would have also liked the xt get it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick
a Weekend Warrior
from St. T. Ontario
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$575.00 | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | It turns and......well thats about it. | | Weaknesses: | No amount of adjusting will fix the jumping or skipping it does in 6th or 7th gear. They bike is less than a year old. I have had more problems with my "quality" TREK bike than I did with my department store special CCM!!!!! The rear Accera derailleur is garbage. There is too much play in the mounting hardware, the bolts for the gears fell out on the trail!!! The chain snapped in my backyard! (Its a flat lawn) They say don't put any pressure on it.....Ah, hello I'm pedalling here!!! Are we supposed to walk our bikes?
A friend switched to XT's and his bike is trouble free. Friends don't let friends use Accera!
I'm not even going to mention the rear suspension problems | | Bike Setup: | TREK Y26 (9 months old) | | Bottom Line: | If you buy a bike with Accera chip in the extra coin to get at least shimano LX | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Fair
a Weekend Warrior
from Cape Town, South Africa
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Sportsmens Warehouse | | Strengths: | Mmmm, still thinking about that | | Weaknesses: | Apart from the fact that they don't work, I can think of any | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4300 standard | | Bottom Line: | I have taken these to three different shops for tuning, downloaded the manual and tried myself, and still they jump, and stick and grind when under pressure. It drives me nuts. when changing with cable tension its fine, but when you use the spring in the mechanism to chnage up, thats when it fails. The guy at my dealer says that the spring is of realy poor quality and no amount of tuning will fix it.
Invest in better gear because a great bike is totally nullified when yours gears stick/crash/jump while riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcus Smith
a
from Fredericton N.B. Canada
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Sport Check | | Strengths: | This Derailleur isn't really good for much but if your looking for something cheap and to just ride with it's alright. | | Weaknesses: | It breaks really easy (might be because i got it at Sport check) | | Similar Products Used: | none. | |
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