Which way do you swing ?

[Xesh]

Re: swingers

Bottom swing is more flexy and a lot of seat tube bottle cage bosses are right where the band needs to be. Top swing is hidden out of the way behind the chain wheels and looks neater too.

Personally I use bottom swing wherever possible as the mechs tend to last a lot longer, imo. I've had a top swing wear out in just under 6 months before, whereas I've never worn out a bottom swing.

About the flex: I don't think that there's a detectable difference when you're riding. Until the crappy pivots on the top swing wear out that is.

 

[Wold Ranger]

SWING

The main factor is that the seat tube bottle cage mounts affect the mounting area with bottom swing, in many cases, one simply will not fit! Thats why the big S designed top swing.

 

[Grannygrinder]

.

Where possible top pull bottom swing. You don't really want the cable running under the BB in all that mud do you

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: SWING

The main factor is that the seat tube bottle cage mounts affect the mounting area with bottom swing, in many cases, one simply will not fit! Thats why the big S designed top swing.

Big fat lie.
They designed it to piss of all the users of ovalised seatubes
end big fat lie comment


My taking on why...
I'll say that the shift to top route cabling* probably prompted the move to the none conventional (top swing? as I always get confused) as it keeps the cable behind the seat tube instead of coming out to the side where it is vunerable.
I really doubt the bottle bosses had anything to do with it, you just build the bike with them in a different place. Work fine for the many many years before hand.
Also the move to reduce the small stud of seat tube from bottom bracket for increase in rear suspension bikes and make it look a bit neater and lighter helped it along.

If it was for strength and rigidity they could easily have beafed up the conventional model, make them wider, give larger diameter pivots etc..

*top routing keeps the cable away from flying stones, rocks and mud that hit the bottom bracket effecting shifting or damaging the cable even along the down tube. Same reason you find rear mechs going along the top.