Road derailleur jockey wheels and cages

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When to replace your derailleur jockey wheels

The jockey wheels are the two small toothed wheels in the cage. They rotate constantly beneath the chain, exposed to dust and spray. When worn, they make noise, guide the chain poorly and impair shifting — often long before the derailleur itself is at fault.

Two jockey wheels, two roles

  • The upper jockey wheel, known as the guide pulley, aligns the chain with the selected sprocket. It has a little side-to-side play: this is normal and intentional.
  • The lower jockey wheel, known as the tension pulley, keeps the chain taut. It spins faster and is usually the first to wear out.
  • Both are sold in pairs, with their bolts and sometimes their bearings.

Choose by part number, not groupset name

An 11-speed pair of jockey wheels does not have the same tooth thickness as a 12-speed pair. Check the derailleur’s exact part number — RD-R7000, RD-R8150, RD-R9250 — rather than just the groupset name: Shimano reuses the same commercial names across generations.

The cages

  • The cage consists of an inner plate and an outer plate, sold separately by Shimano.
  • Replace it after a fall has bent it, or when its return spring has weakened and the chain starts to slap.
  • The versions GS (medium) accommodate a larger sprocket than SS (short), but changing the cage does not always increase capacity: it depends on the derailleur.

To find out more: How to choose your road bike rear derailleur

See also: Road rear derailleurs · Road derailleur hangers · Road chains