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Shimano FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech (09) | $132.26
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:Shimano FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech

BikeRadar verdict

4 out of 5 stars

"No trimming needed plus smooth and almost silent shifting"

By Paul Vincent, Cycling Plus

The 7900 front mech, along with the front shifter that controls it, has a different cable pull ratio to any other Shimano front mech, so they only work together – so no mixing and matching of parts allowed. It works great though.

There’s no need to have a trimming step in the shifter throw any more, as when set up correctly this front mech can handle any combination of front  to rear gear choice without a hint of chain rub.

It's a wonderful bit of design, and with cold-forged alloy construction for the main body parts and nickel-plated aluminium alloy plates this is a fantastic, stiff front mech.

It works with standard and compact chainrings (50t to 56t top gear max with a capacity of 16t) and comes in both braze-on and clamp-on designs for three seat tube diameters – 28.6/31.8/34.9mm. Both options are individually designed. Weight is 64g.

Manufacturers description

Elite road racers demand reliable and precise shifting, and with 10-speed compatibility and super-lightweight yet durable components, the Dura-Ace front derailleur delivers.

* Compatible with Dura-Ace ST7900 shifters and FC7900 / FC7950 chainsets only for optimum shifting performance
* Thanks to improvements in the cage design outer trim is no longer required allowing the rider to focus on racing
* Lightweight nickel-plated forged alloy chain cage reduces weight and increases rigidity whilst resisting abrasion from the chain
* Extra wide pivot link and optimised spring tension combined with the ST7900 STI lever gives a rigid, flex free shift while being smooth and light action
* Forged aluminium construction reduces weight without sacrificing durability
* Hard-wearing Dura-Ace finish
* Maximum capacity of 16 teeth, for use with outer rings 50-56T
* Also available as Band-On fitting £89.99

User Reviews

Post your review

  • User review of Shimano FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech (09)

    can anyone say why teams like columbia are still on 'old' dura ace.

    is the whispers of it not being evolution but devolution true?

    0.3
  • User review of Shimano FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech (09)

    For some reason Shimano keep telling us that 7900 is not compatible with other Shimano series products. This is rubbish. I had an Ultegra SL front mech working with the new 7900 levers,and you can't use 7800 brakes with 7900 levers,well yes you can because i am doing exactly that,all be it with some softer compond pads to give a bit more feel.

    Shimano seem hell bent on trying to make us have to buy the full 7900 which is not cheap. I think Shimano has lost a big share of the market to SRAM,especially with the negative response from most of the peleton to it.

    0.3
  • User review of Shimano FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech (09)

    Works just fine on my xt duel ring set up with xt shifters on my Spark MTB

    0.3
  • User review of Shimano FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech (09)

    Having tried the Dura Ace on two different bikes, i really dislike the front derailleur, on both rigs it was either inordinately tough to go up to the large ring or it pushed it off and dropped the chain, and this was even after adjusting the screws on both top and bottom ends.

    - the no trim aspect is also annoying, my old Ultegra 9 speed was/is far more responsive on the front than this.

    - the rear setup is ok, but nothing great, does what its meant to do, but so does the ultegra version for a chunk of change less.

    - dislike the anodized grey finish, scratches too easily from a dropped chain and or foot rub, why not just leave it polished or brushed.

    Looks like i need to try SRAM for an alternative.

    0.3

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Specification

Name:
FD-7900 Dura Ace Front Mech (09)
Built by:
Shimano
Price:
$132.26

Weight (g):
64 g
Front Derailleur Band Size:
28.6/31.8/34.9 mm

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