The microSHIFT Marvo XE caught my eye, all those years ago, because of its distinctive 'Robot chic' style. It's deliberately square and clunky, with CNC highlights, all kinds of unnecessary facets and angles and perverse details like the cuboidal cable stop. Every next surface is emblazoned with stylish but irrelevant writing. This ostentatious outbreak of function-free nonsense reminds me of a 2020s Citroën - and is equally annoying, charming and fascinating.

The Marvo XE is constructed to a high standard with an aluminium b-pivot bolt and titanium cable clamp bolt and adjustment screws. Strangely, but in the microSHIFT tradition, it does not have a cable adjuster.

This is an, unused, example of the long cage version with fetching red anodising. Some of its features are:

• The writing on its b-pivot bolt says 'Aluminium 7075 8-10 N.m'.
• The writing on the outer pulley cage plate is 'CNC ALUMINIUM'.
• The titanium pulley bolts have Allen key heads.

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• Derailleur brands: microSHIFT
• Themes: A riot of colour
• Country: Taiwan
• Date of introduction: late 2010 for model year 2011
• Date of this example: unknown - but it does carry a sticker showing 'LD'
• Model no.: M64L
• Weight: 224g
• Maximum cog: 34 teeth (source: microSHIFT)
• Total capacity: 45 teeth (source: microSHIFT)
• Pulley centre to centre: 100mm
• Index compatibility: 9 speed Shimano
• Chain width: 3/32”
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: sprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: Aluminium (including the hanger bolt) with titanium cable clamp, pulley and adjustment screws.

Ref. 2116