wkkie
It's Not Easy Being Green
Item:
Microshift XCD, SL-M861-R, 11 speed shifter.
Microshift XCD, RD-M865M, 11 speed derailleur.
Purchased From:
Worldwide Cyclery;
www.worldwidecyclery.com
www.worldwidecyclery.com
Purchase Price (approx):
Shifter - $29.70 USD
Derailleur - $57.60 USD
Usage:
More gravity fed riding, but also earning the descents. Currently running it on a Dartmoor Hornet hardtail.
Pros - Not SRAM or Shimano (but is listed as compatible with Shimano 11 speed gear, which may also mean it's interchangeable with SRAM 11 speed as well, no?). Competitive price. Competitive weight. Snappy lever feel. Works well. Good build quality. Easy setup.
Cons - Not readily available. Unproven warranty support (Microshift state 4 year warranty!), bar mount is not hinged for easy removal and installation.
Comments:
So far this has been sitting in my build box since about January. I only just got around to putting it on a bike this week
Initially the build quality looked good out of the box. Gloss cover on the shifter and a matte finish on the derailleur. The shifter came with an inner cable installed, so that was good.
The shifter is currently installed next to an XT M8000 brake lever and there's no issues with them conflicting, the shifter sits in snugly below the brake lever without any worries or looking out of place. The bar mount band itself is very low profile and neat looking. It uses the same 4mm boot head as the Shimano kit next to it. The downside to it is that it's not a hinged design, so the grips have to come off for removal.
The shifter is different ergonomically compared to the XT I've been running most recently. The shifting action itself is lower lever push for an easier gear and you can go up basically as many gears as you like with one long push of the thumb. The action is smooth, light and crisp. I would say it's a lighter action than the XT.
Shifting down to a harder gear is something different to the XT. You can only shift down one gear at a time, and only trigger style with the index finger. This is where I've had most issues. I've always change down with my thumb in all the Shimano shifters I've used, basically forever. So that took some getting used to.
The action itself is very instant and a positive firm click drops the gear fast. Multiple fast trigger pulls were also fast, and there was no lagging between shifts. Ideally I would have liked to be able to do more than a gear at a time, but it's certainly no deal breaker.
Reach wise, I have fairly large hands and I'm finding that there is no perfect spot for the paddles. Far enough out for my thumb to sit on the meaty part of the paddle and I have to cock my wrist to far for the downshifts. If the trigger for my finger is closer for less wrist movement, then the thumb paddle is too close.
I ended up finding a fairly happy medium, and I think it's just something that I'm not used to, the action of changing with the index finger. By the end of the first ride it was becoming more natural, and there were certainly no issues with hand fatigue, or pain, or anything to that extreme.
All up I'm happy with the shifting feel and speed of the shifter. A nice piece of kit.
The derailleur mounts directly to the hanger, not by way of a link like on the Shimano derailleurs. The mounting bolt is also a pivot point and there is a slight bit of play at that bolt, maybe half to one millimetre, but it didn't feel excessive and there were no problems with the installation.
The B limit screw sits directly on the hanger and I did notice when I was installing and adjusting it, it did take some paint of the hanger itself where they touched. I found it best to pull the derailleur body back, so the B limit screw wasn't touching the hanger when I adjusted it. I'm running a 10-42 SRAM GX cassette and there was more than enough adjustment left with the B limit screw. Microshift state it can take up to 46t.
The cable install is a straight path from it exiting the outer to the clamp point and the cable just clamped under a washer. Easy path, easy install. The whole derailleur is also tucked away quite nicely under the chainstay, very low profile, so should stay put of the way of the rocks and trees fairly well.
The derailleur runs a clutch which is activated by a switch on the face of the derailleur. There's an audible click from the clutch when the cage is moved and it's active and there a good amount of tension on the cage itself.
I'm currently running a chain which is probably at least 2 links too long and no chain guide. There were absolutely no issues with the chain retention on the hardtail. So far I've only ridden at the You Yang's, but some decently rocky sections on Cressy, the black section of Junction and Lactic and zero issues with the chain hanging on.
All up so far I would say that this is a great alternative to the 2 big S's and I would happily recommend them to others. Testing time is only short so far, but from the look of the build quality and the function so far, send to be a quality piece of kit. Time will tell...
Pictures/Videos: I've taken a few so far (not all that great, but hopefully passable), but will take some more, thinking about the mounting and cable lines that would be good to show;
Microshift XCD, SL-M861-R, 11 speed shifter.
Microshift XCD, RD-M865M, 11 speed derailleur.
Purchased From:
Worldwide Cyclery;
microSHIFT XCD Right Trigger Shifter, 11-Speed Mountain, Shimano DynaSys Compatible
Shop & Learn About The microSHIFT XCD Right Trigger Shifter In The Shifter, Flat Bar-Right Collection - Features & Specs: Color: Black, Drivetrain Speeds: 11 MPN: SL-M861-R UPC: 6579930668674710495432861, Rear Der/Shifter Compatibility: Shimano DynaSys - Compatible with Shimano mountain 11-speed...
www.worldwidecyclery.com
microSHIFT XCD Rear Derailleur - 11-Speed, Medium Cage, Black, With Clutch
Shop & Learn About The microSHIFT XCD Rear Derailleur In The Rear Derailleur Collection - Features & Specs: Cage Length: Medium, Chain Wrap Capacity (teeth): 41 MPN: RD-M865M UPC: 6579931716464710495436135, Color: Black - XCD rear derailleurs are compatible with Shimano mountain shifters and...
www.worldwidecyclery.com
Purchase Price (approx):
Shifter - $29.70 USD
Derailleur - $57.60 USD
Usage:
More gravity fed riding, but also earning the descents. Currently running it on a Dartmoor Hornet hardtail.
Pros - Not SRAM or Shimano (but is listed as compatible with Shimano 11 speed gear, which may also mean it's interchangeable with SRAM 11 speed as well, no?). Competitive price. Competitive weight. Snappy lever feel. Works well. Good build quality. Easy setup.
Cons - Not readily available. Unproven warranty support (Microshift state 4 year warranty!), bar mount is not hinged for easy removal and installation.
Comments:
So far this has been sitting in my build box since about January. I only just got around to putting it on a bike this week
Initially the build quality looked good out of the box. Gloss cover on the shifter and a matte finish on the derailleur. The shifter came with an inner cable installed, so that was good.
The shifter is currently installed next to an XT M8000 brake lever and there's no issues with them conflicting, the shifter sits in snugly below the brake lever without any worries or looking out of place. The bar mount band itself is very low profile and neat looking. It uses the same 4mm boot head as the Shimano kit next to it. The downside to it is that it's not a hinged design, so the grips have to come off for removal.
The shifter is different ergonomically compared to the XT I've been running most recently. The shifting action itself is lower lever push for an easier gear and you can go up basically as many gears as you like with one long push of the thumb. The action is smooth, light and crisp. I would say it's a lighter action than the XT.
Shifting down to a harder gear is something different to the XT. You can only shift down one gear at a time, and only trigger style with the index finger. This is where I've had most issues. I've always change down with my thumb in all the Shimano shifters I've used, basically forever. So that took some getting used to.
The action itself is very instant and a positive firm click drops the gear fast. Multiple fast trigger pulls were also fast, and there was no lagging between shifts. Ideally I would have liked to be able to do more than a gear at a time, but it's certainly no deal breaker.
Reach wise, I have fairly large hands and I'm finding that there is no perfect spot for the paddles. Far enough out for my thumb to sit on the meaty part of the paddle and I have to cock my wrist to far for the downshifts. If the trigger for my finger is closer for less wrist movement, then the thumb paddle is too close.
I ended up finding a fairly happy medium, and I think it's just something that I'm not used to, the action of changing with the index finger. By the end of the first ride it was becoming more natural, and there were certainly no issues with hand fatigue, or pain, or anything to that extreme.
All up I'm happy with the shifting feel and speed of the shifter. A nice piece of kit.
The derailleur mounts directly to the hanger, not by way of a link like on the Shimano derailleurs. The mounting bolt is also a pivot point and there is a slight bit of play at that bolt, maybe half to one millimetre, but it didn't feel excessive and there were no problems with the installation.
The B limit screw sits directly on the hanger and I did notice when I was installing and adjusting it, it did take some paint of the hanger itself where they touched. I found it best to pull the derailleur body back, so the B limit screw wasn't touching the hanger when I adjusted it. I'm running a 10-42 SRAM GX cassette and there was more than enough adjustment left with the B limit screw. Microshift state it can take up to 46t.
The cable install is a straight path from it exiting the outer to the clamp point and the cable just clamped under a washer. Easy path, easy install. The whole derailleur is also tucked away quite nicely under the chainstay, very low profile, so should stay put of the way of the rocks and trees fairly well.
The derailleur runs a clutch which is activated by a switch on the face of the derailleur. There's an audible click from the clutch when the cage is moved and it's active and there a good amount of tension on the cage itself.
I'm currently running a chain which is probably at least 2 links too long and no chain guide. There were absolutely no issues with the chain retention on the hardtail. So far I've only ridden at the You Yang's, but some decently rocky sections on Cressy, the black section of Junction and Lactic and zero issues with the chain hanging on.
All up so far I would say that this is a great alternative to the 2 big S's and I would happily recommend them to others. Testing time is only short so far, but from the look of the build quality and the function so far, send to be a quality piece of kit. Time will tell...
Pictures/Videos: I've taken a few so far (not all that great, but hopefully passable), but will take some more, thinking about the mounting and cable lines that would be good to show;
Attachments
Last edited:
my Primal frame is in the shed awaiting bits, your Hornet looks good BTW.