TRP DH7 Rear Derailleur

Over the past four years, TRP has been researching, prepping, prototyping, and testing a new drivetrain. You've no doubt seen it in use at the World Cup level, beginning with fast man Aaron Gwin and his mechanic, John Hall, both of whom had considerable influence on the final design and features. Today the DH7 downhill derailleur and shifter move past the race-driven development phase and officially launch to the public.

TRP DH7 Highlights

• 7-speed system on 11-speed spacing
• Designed for downhill bikes
• Hall Lock - Locks main pivot bolt to prevent derailleur from lifting, slapping, and making noise
• Adjustable G-Spec Ratchet Clutch - Large diameter clutch surface with pawl engagement, on/off switch
• Chain Length Indicator
• MSRP: $179.90 USD derailleur, $119.99 shifter

Specifications

About The Shifter

"Ergonomics are key to Aaron and he wanted something different for a reason," says TRP. "In addition to adjustability, TRP engineers looked at the cable release lever’s ergonomics and devised a system to move it in a linear path to mimic the motion of a rider’s thumb rather than rotating away. This unique ergonomic feature allows for more consistent thumb contact and overall better grip and shifting performance when the trail gets rowdy."

Where's The Cassette?

Can you have a drivetrain without a cassette? In short, it's coming. TRP is selling just the derailleur and shifter, for now, and stated their DH7 components will work with these cassettes and chains.

Initial Impressions

On the trail, the DH7 has impressive shifting performance. The shifter and derailleur were put onto a rental downhill bike with the existing cassette and chain for my first ride, and off we went during a muddy day at Whistler Bike Park.

Upshifts, even under load were quite smooth, there were no issues backpedaling, and no skips. I was also impressed when coming out of corners, dumping gears and mashing away.

"Tektro has been in the bike industry for more than 30 years and is a partner to nearly every major bicycle manufacturer. It’s because of this solid foundation that Tektro will be able to support TRP in competitively entering the drivetrain category." - Matt Pacocha, TRP Representative

It offers intuitive shifting with the ability to adjust the lower paddle's position to your preference. Note that it's all thumbs with this one, meaning no Shimano-style forefinger shifts. Chances are you'll want that finger covering the rear brake anyway. The shift itself is very direct feeling – not ultra-smooth, but also not overly rough or clunky.

Even with Crankworx-level braking bumps littering the trails, the adjustable ratchet clutch and Hall Lock did an honorable job of quieting a rickety rental rig.

In Action

What started as a development project with Aaron Gwin and John Hall turned into an all-out World Cup assault, and TRP has had several other prominent athletes and their mechanics involved. Intense Factory Racing, Scott DH Factory, Commencal/100%, and the YT Mob teams have all helped further refine and rally prototypes before production.

What's The Bottom Line?

Vital MTB appreciates TRP granting riders the ability to adjust things and think the Hall Lock, adjustable clutch mechanism, and chain length indicator are all worthwhile add-ons to a derailleur. There's also an impressive amount of testing and quality control going into the product on the trail, in the lab, and on the assembly line. From what I experienced so far and the results it has helped achieve, the DH7 drivetrain system can indeed compete with what’s currently available from competitors. TRP is pushing hard on all fronts and it's great to see another race-bred product come to life.

I've only had a taste at this point and it'll be interesting to see how the DH7 components hold up in the long term.

Visit www.trpcycling.com for more details.

About The Tester

Brandon Turman - Age: 33 // Years Riding: 18 // Height: 5'10" (1.78m) // Weight: 170-pounds (77.1kg)

"I like to have fun, pop off the bonus lines on the sides of the trail, get aggressive when I feel in tune with a bike, and really mash on the pedals and open it up when pointed downhill." Formerly a mechanical engineer and Pro downhill racer, Brandon brings a unique perspective to the testing game as Vital MTB's resident product guy. He has on-trail familiarity with nearly every innovation in our sport from the past several years and a really good feel for what’s what.

Photos by Scott Hefel, Nathan Hughes, and TRP // Video by Brandon Turman