A better derailleur and shifter?

[Ancientcoin]

Hi.
My ebike, like so many came with a Shimano Tourney which has an all plastic shifter that feels like it could just break off if I pushed it hard enough. I think they're about $14 online.
I search for 7 speed derailleurs, but seem to always get either $14 - $30 or $500+ options.
Does anyone know of a good derailleur and shifter combo that is more mid range? Like $100 or $200 that is available in 7 speed?
Thanks.

 

[m@Robertson]

7 speed is the problem. Its a standard that had effectively died of old age until low cost direct-to-consumer ebikes started arriving from the Far East. Same goes for freewheels. Cassettes displaced them decades ago. As such, the only 7s parts available are bottom end Walmart bike stuff, or more cheap Far East AliExpress imports.

The SRAM X4 7/8s derailleur is still on the market. Its cheap at about $20. Shifter is about the same. But the shifter is 8s only. Here again there are no quality 7s options.

If you can fit an 8s rear cluster, the Box Components Box 4 is the standout. Under $70 for the derailleur, About $35 for the shifter. 8s freewheels and cassettes can be found out there but you have to verify 8s will fit your wheel and frame.

Amazon.com

 

[DieselTech]

7 speed is the problem. Its a standard that had effectively died of old age until low cost direct-to-consumer ebikes started arriving from the Far East. Same goes for freewheels. Cassettes displaced them decades ago. As such, the only 7s parts available are bottom end Walmart bike stuff, or more cheap Far East AliExpress imports.

The SRAM X4 7/8s derailleur is still on the market. Its cheap at about $20. Shifter is about the same. But the shifter is 8s only. Here again there are no quality 7s options.

If you can fit an 8s rear cluster, the Box Components Box 4 is the standout. Under $70 for the derailleur, About $35 for the shifter. 8s freewheels and cassettes can be found out there but you have to verify 8s will fit your wheel and frame.

Amazon.com

Could something like this work for him. It's a 7speed DH derailleur.

 

[Ancientcoin]

Oooo .. that looks purty.

 

[m@Robertson]

I never thought of DH derailleurs. You have to realize a DH application doesn't need much in the way of big cogs in the back, since they are expected to go downhill, and the rider uses a chair lift or a van to get back up to the top of the hill.

So those derailleurs have a 26 or 28T big cog max, depending on which model you pick. That ain't much, especially considering the possibility chain line may not let you get to the inner cog. Before I blew that kind of money on something that would shift great, but not be able to use anything like what you'd consider a high gear, I'd spend a lot less than that and switch to an 8s drivetrain.

And you aren't just buying the derailleur. You also need a matching SRAM DH 7s shifter which msrp's for almost as much as the derailleur does.

Models - SRAM

Models, SRAM

www.sram.com

Total overkill and wrong tool for the job methinks.