Metal stamping. Looking at the 25th anniversary Shimano Deore XT FD-M770 Front Derailleur, we think of that lowly art. Crudely stamped and cheaply plated parts formed form thick sheets of steel adorn many a Huffy, Columbia, and Free Spirit, but high-end front changers are impressive works. Take this derailleur. Both the front and back plates have several curves, gaps, and indents, all designed to make shifting easier. On the back plate, the shape has been tweaked to improve tire clearance and lighten up the component without sacrificing shifting stiffness. Up front, the plate has been shaped to both keep the cage from rubbing in the wrong places (which adds noise and decreases derailleur life), and rubbing more efficiently in the right places, which speeds the shifts.

XT 770 has also made derailleur adjustment easier by placing the set screws next to one another and at an angle where the home mechanic can easily fiddle with them when necessary.

People ask us about top swing vs. traditional (high clamp). There are differences. Top swing derailleurs shift faster. However, we find that traditional lasts longer, and usually spec them on complete bikes when we have a choice. Often, many go with one over the other simply because they don't have a choice in what derailleurs fit on their steeds. Many bikes are pretty complicated just above the bottom bracket area. Between shaped tubing, water bottle braze-ons, and suspension elements, many bikes can only run one or the other.

The Shimano XT FD-M770 Top Swing front derailleur comes with a multi-clamp for mounting on 28.6/31.8/34.9mm diameter seat tubes. It can function with a top- or bottom-pull cable routing. The XT FD-M770-E comes with a bracket for mounting the front derailleur on the bottom bracket. 152g (multi)/ 166g (E-type). MSRP $49.99.