Rear Derailleur Help Please

[IllinoisRider]

I believe I will be needing a rear derailleur soon.  I'm having a hard time figuring out which type I need.  If anyone can help me I'd appreciate it.

My current rear derailleur is a crappy Shimano Acera.  I believe it's a top-normal long cage unit.  I'd like to replace it with something nicer, but not too expensive because it's on a beginner bike that I'll probably only ride for another year or so.  My bike is an 8-speed with three rings up front.  Any ideas?

[Brian Miller]

look for an alivio or deore, both are an upgrade over what you have and not too expensive. You will notice better shifting with the Deore more so than the Alivio.

[IllinoisRider]

Thanks.    Are both of these derailleurs 8 speed compatible?  Shimano calls them "9 speed", but I don't see how it matters.

What about the new 2009 SLX derailleur?  It seems perfect for what I need at a price I don't mind paying (50 bucks at a bunch of stores online).

[jake21]

The derailer will work with an 8 or 9 speed cassette.  The shifter is what needs to be specific.  Most shifter are now 9 speed with the exception of the lower and mid range shifters.

[IllinoisRider]

Thank you.

[MountainT]

I don't know that much but I usally order stuff from Nashbar.  When you call them you can talk directly to a service guy and he can really help out as far as what you need to order and what parts work with what parts. 

[Seanbikes]

SLX would be a good choice.  It's decent enough that it won't wear out too fast but still not as hard on the wallet as XT or XTR.  Good quality at a good price.  SRAM X-7 is a pretty good budget line also but you need to use SRAM shifters with SRAM deraileurs.