Upgrading my old Giant Sedona

[james79]

Ive so far put cityjet tyres on the bike, removed the heavy bike rack, replaced horrible sram max gripshift with STI shifters, got new brakes and new handlebar grips! After getting the shifters installed I found that the front and back derailers are seizing up a little so would alivio back derailer be a suitable replacement/upgrade? Current is standard 7speed sis! Im looking for a slick gear change thats fast and needs to be compatible with the present shifters. I know alivio do a 7/8 speed derailer and I think its the best I can get with present setup. Am I right? Any other suggestions? I had thought about a new bike but the frame is in excellent con for its age. Its a 10+ year old bike and love it!

 

[HovR]

I upgraded to an Alivio rear derailleur a while ago, and I've been really pleased with it. As long as your shifters are Shimano or SRAM then the upgrade should work fine.

CRC are currently selling off the older Alivio model fairly cheap if you're not concerned about having the latest equipment. (Link).

And looking a bit closer, they're also selling off the old Deore model (a step up from Alivio) even cheaper. (Link).

Note that the number of speeds it says the derailleur is designed for doesn't actually matter, as long as you have the correct shifter for the number of gears you have.

 

[james79]

Ive got a 7speed shifter as I didnt know the derailers were seizing up otherwise id have got an 8speed which would have given me the deore option. Can I get an 8speed STI shifter without having to get the pair again? I paid £35 for the pair so how much would I have to pay for just the one? How much should an alivio rear derailer cost? Ive been quoted £30 for it, is that about right?