Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark McM
You do realize that Potenza rear derailleurs have plastic composite knuckles? (That's why there are no all black Potenza rear derailleurs.) Previous plastic derailleurs (such as from Simplex and SRAM) have not been the most durable.
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This.
Back in the Spring I built a Soma Fogcutter for an all-purpose bike. Campagnolo Chorus cranks with Potenza shifters and derailleurs, 11-32 cassette. I put several hundred road/gravel/single track miles on it without a problem or accident.
Yet on my first REAL gravel ride (in the mountains,think Southern Cross combined with Six Gap) the rear derailleur begins shifting poorly. I reach the lowest point on the route and the plastic knuckle on the Potenza rear derailleur separates/breaks, requiring me to single speed it (mostly uphill now) 40ish miles back to the car.
I noticed a lot of chain slap (on the descents) before the derailleur broke, and I expect this caused the knuckle to separate. I encountered no sticks and had no crashes on this bike up to this point.
I'm pleased with all of the Potenza components EXCEPT the rear derailleur. I've left that plastic part off of my bike from here on.