Madrone Jab Derailleur
Options:
- Cages: Short and long cage versions
- Mounting: standard hanger, UDH w/ Stiffener Plate, and Offset UDH for T-Type cassette w/ Stiffener Plate
- Cable cams for many different combinations of drop bar and/or MTB shifters and cassettes; see details below
Blister’s Measured Weight: 324 g (Long Cage, Shimano 12-speed MTB Cam, including UDH Stiffener Plate)
MSRP: $298 (derailleur only; optional add-ons described below)
Intro
Third-party derailleurs from smaller brands are having a moment, perhaps spurred by the ‘big two’ drivetrain manufacturers (SRAM & Shimano) focusing so much on electronically-actuated options. With their Jab derailleur, Madrone is one of the smaller brands leading this charge to give folks more options when it comes to shifting gears on a variety of bikes and drivetrain systems.
The Jab is a mechanically-actuated option, designed for long-term durability and repairability, and it offers a great deal of customization in terms of cage lengths, mounting options, and cassette and shifter compatibility. It also gets a heavy dose of machined aluminum bling and is assembled in the US.
While that doesn’t come cheap, the adaptability and serviceability of the Jab seem quite compelling. Let’s see what Madrone has cooked up.
Design, Compatibility, & Options
The general form factor of the Jab is relatively conventional. It mounts to a standard derailleur hanger, but there are additional options for stiffening plates for UDH-compatible bikes that we’ll cover in more detail below. The Jab uses a familiar parallelogram and two-pulley cage arrangement to handle shifting and chain tensioning duties, while a clutch at the cage pivot helps rein in chain movement. So far, so normal.
Things get a lot more interesting in the finer details. For starters, the Jab is compatible with a wide array of different shifter and cassette combinations — for both flat and drop-bar bikes. It can also be converted between different setups, rather than being locked into a specific drivetrain ecosystem, as is the case with derailleurs from SRAM and Shimano.
(There is a limited amount of unofficial mixing and matching that can be done with derailleurs from the bigger players, but the array of options on the Jab is far, far wider.)
The main feature that drives that flexibility is the Jab’s bolt-on, replaceable cable cams. Different shifters pull different amounts of cable per shift, and different cassettes feature different spacing between gears, requiring different amounts of derailleur movement per shift. The Jab’s various cam options account for those differences and permit a wide array of shifter / cassette combinations, some of which aren’t supported by SRAM or Shimano.
At the time of publication, Madrone offers the cam options listed below, but says that more options are planned down the line. The Jab comes with your choice of cam, and additional options are available for $24.
- SRAM Eagle 12-speed shifter & cassette
- SRAM Eagle 12-speed shifter + SRAM T-Type cassette
- Shimano 12-speed MTB shifter & cassette
- SRAM 11-speed MTB shifter & cassette
- Shimano 11-speed MTB shifter & cassette
- Shimano 12-speed drop-bar shifter & cassette
- SRAM 11-speed drop-bar shifter & cassette
- Shimano 11-speed drop-bar shifter & cassette
- SRAM 11-speed drop-bar shifter w/ Ratio 12-speed modification + SRAM Eagle cassette
To support those various cassette options, the Jab is offered with two different cage lengths. The shorter option is designed for cassettes with a 40- to 46-tooth large cog, and the longer one for 44- to 52-tooth options. Either way, the Jab is intended for 1x drivetrains only.
The Jab also offers two different versions of the pulley assembly where the cable enters the derailleur; one with a barrel adjuster for use with drop-bar shifters (since those don’t feature an adjuster at the shifter), and another without for MTB shifters that have their own barrel adjuster. As with the other options on the Jab, you can swap one version for the other if needed.
The other main selling point of the Jab is its emphasis on durability and serviceability. The vast majority of the components are machined from aluminum, with far less plastic used than most other derailleurs. All the parts are replaceable with basic hand tools and are available from Madrone.
They also offer a mail-in rebuild service for a flat rate of $85 (plus shipping), which includes the replacement of any parts needed to return the derailleur to full functionality. Cosmetically damaged but functional parts won’t be replaced, and if the derailleur is deemed to be damaged beyond repair, Madrone will instead offer a crash-replacement discount on a new one.
Finally, the standard color option for the Jab is gray with a black cage and other accents, but blue, purple, and silver variants are also available. Those other colors typically come at a slight upcharge, but at the time of writing, the gray version is out of stock, and Madrone has dropped the price of the other three colors to the baseline price of the gray one ($298 before options).
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) First and foremost, how does the shifting performance of the Jab compare to high-end options from the big two S-brands?
(2) And how does the Jab hold up in the long run? Its emphasis on durability sounds promising, as does the idea of easy rebuilds, but does it deliver?
Bottom Line (For Now)
Most modern derailleurs offer limited cross-compatibility with different shifter / cassette combinations, and they tend not to be very serviceable or rebuildable.
The Madrone Jab is meant to tackle both those limitations — and be a viable option for the long haul — and we’ve started spending time on one to see how well it delivers. Check out our early impressions below, and stay tuned for a Full Review once we’ve piled on a lot more miles and abuse.
Flash Review: Our Initial On-Trail Impressions
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out the Flash Review below to read our initial on-trail impressions. Get our Digital Access Pass to view all our Flash Reviews and Deep Dives, or become a BLISTER+ member today to get access to that and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Flash Review: Madrone Jab Derailleur
The Madrone Jab derailleur sounds very promising on paper (and looks great), but how does it perform compared to the big-name options on the market? Here are our initial thoughts.
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