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- Components: SRAM X GENERATION FRONT DERAILLEUR
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Choosing a front derailleur
Most front derailleurs are very similar in functionality. The primary difference lies in the size of the mounting hardware. Since the front derailleur typically attaches to the bike's seat tube, bikes with larger diameter seat tubes require larger front derailleurs.
Front derailleurs come in 4 common sizes: 1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1 3/8, and braze-on.
If you're shopping for a new frame, choosing a front derailleur is simple - just talk to your sales rep and they'll make sure you get the right size. Otherwise, you'll need to measure your frame.
Measuring your frame
If you need to change the front derailleur on your existing frame, you'll need to measure the diameter of the seat tube. Do this by measuring with a caliper around the seat tube where the front derailleur clamps (just above the chainrings).
While measuring the frame, you may find that your bike has a braze-on mount for the front derailleur. This is common on some road bikes. If you have a braze-on style front derailleur, you need not measure - simply specify a braze-on mount when ordering.
| Seat tube exterior diameter | Corresponding Front Derailleur Size |
| 28.6 mm | 1 1/8" |
| 31.8 mm | 1 1/4" |
| 34.9 mm | 1 3/8" |
Top Pull, Bottom Pull, or E-Style?
Front derailleurs come in three styles. The most unusual is the E-Style front derailleur, used on some frames whose design makes conventional mounting impossible. Because of this, E-Style front derailleurs attach to the bike's bottom bracket instead.
Fig. 1 - An E-style front derailleur
The other two choices are top pull and bottom pull. Both of these styles clamp around the seat tube, just above the crankset. Their names simply refers to the path that the derailleur cable takes from the shifter to the derailleur. In a bottom pull setup, the cable runs from the shifter, below the bike's down tube, and under the bike's bottom bracket before attaching to the derailleur. In a top pull setup, the cable travels along the top tube, then down the seat tube to the front derailleur. Simply examine your bike's cable stops to determine which style you need.
Other Compatibility Issues
Over time, manufacturers have added more cogs to a typical drivetrain. This change has necessitated minor changes in the design of front derailleurs, including changes to the shape of the cage, the distance covered as the derailleur swings through its path, and the distance between the inner and outer plates of the cage. Although in some cases it may be possible to mix-and-match components, (for example, using a front derailleur intended for 8 speed drivetrains with a 7 speed setup) you will generally get the best performance by using the front derailleur intended for your drivetrain.