Front mech - top or bottom pull?

[TB78]

Apologies for the newby question, but I could really do with some help here...

I need to replace my front mech on an old Kona Fire Mountain (8x3 speed), but I can't work out whether I need a top or bottom pull mech. Does 'top' refer to the cable pulling from the top, or does it mean the pivot is on top of the cage? The old mech has the band below the pivot, so it can clamp the frame low down on the seat tube, and the cable pulls straight from the top (not looping under the BB like others). So that's what I'm after - I just can't work out whether that is what you call a 'top pull' or a 'bottom pull'.

Thanks in advance.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Pulling from. is Top pull and Bottom pull.

Sounds like you have a newer Fire Mountain, later 90's possibly and this is where confusion starts to creep in, before then there were just the two mechs (top pull came around 91/92)

but 1996 year Shimano brought in the Top-Swing(tm) mech where the band is lower than all the mechanical bit, as in it all swing at the top. The older style became the 'Conventional style or at some point became know as Bottom Swing'

I can add pictures...

 

[raidan73]

Re:

Hi and welcome to the forum

What you need is top pull i.e. pulls from the top. I think you have a top pull top swing front mech although I don't think will make much difference which 'swing' you get as long as you get top pull.

Hope that help?

EDIT: Fluffy beat me to it!

 

[FluffyChicken]

Searching for pictures I came across this post
http://blog.treefortbikes.com/index.php/posts/978 which should help.