10SP versus 9SP

[jackthelad]

Guys was wondering if you could enlighten me to the benefits of 10 speed over 9 speed,when buying a groupset for a new build.I can get 9 speed reasonably priced and was wondering if spending the extra on 10 speed is justified,and do you get that much better performance at the 105 level

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

In the best tradition of progress in this industry, for 10 speed you will have the privilege of paying them more for less reliable and durable kit, because 18 or 27 gear is missing the all important 2 or 3 you have always wanted.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Guys was wondering if you could enlighten me to the benefits of 10 speed over 9 speed,when buying a groupset for a new build.I can get 9 speed reasonably priced and was wondering if spending the extra on 10 speed is justified,and do you get that much better performance at the 105 level

i suppose it depends on your riding, if your a racer in the hunt for closer ratios then yes and yes. if like me a commuter, general average joe, then no and no. the current blocks available for 105 are quite limited and not exactly cheap either. hope that helps.

 

[jackthelad]

guys thanks for the replies,brompton, I am basically an average joe,but I do like to travel at a decent pace.I also get the read mist If i catch up with a good cyclist and like to compare myself with them by keeping up or setting a faster pace.I never thought of myself as a racer but now you come to think of it a bit of the racing is in all of us I guess.Maybe its just the sport being a competitive sport.

 

[accountantpete]

You can go just as fast with 9spd as 10spd.

10spd's are a good choice if you have a fixed cadence and like a couple of more gears to keep you within your comfort zone.

So nice - but not essential.

 

[MacB]

If we're really honest with ourselves, for us average Joes, they could have stopped at 5/6 speed and we'd have everything we needed

 

[jay clock]

In answer to the question, sod all difference. In my view.

 

[cyberknight]

As said above you get a little more choice of gearing to keep on top of your most efficient rpm but otherwise you do not really need it.

During the week i use a bike with an 8 speed cassette , 16 gears but i only regularly use maybe 11 of those .

At the weekend i use a bike with a 10 speed cassette , 20 gears but most of the time i do not use any more of the gears.

If i was racing i would fit a cassette with smaller jumps between gears to keep on top of the preferred but for normal cycling you do not notice the difference.I was in a similar dilemma a few months ago and i opted to go 10 speed as i was buying the bike on C2W so the difference in cost was £7 a month and i may as well get the best i could as it will be my last bike for a long time.

If you can ride happily on 9 speed then their is no real reason to go 10 , but if you get a bargain then why not ?

 

[PpPete]

There are some bits you can mix & match between 9 & 10 speed to good effect.
The durability issue really applies most to chains & cassettes - so 9 speed heavy duty is good. HG50 cassettes (Deore/Tiagra) are great for the price, as are KMC 9 speed chains.
The mechs on the other hand....are agnostic as to number of speeds.
I use a 105 front and an Ultegra rear mech on my 9 speed.... but only because I got those particular ones cheap, and I like a little bit of bling.
Shifters have to match the number of speeds on the cassette, unless you delve into the murky world of Shimergo.

 

[Moodyman]

I have 8 speed on my commuter and 9 speed on my road bike.

Both serve me well in hilly West Yorkshire and perform admirably.

I only use 11 of the 24 gears on my commuter which ranges from 5mph to 38mph per commute.

My 8 speed parts are cheap as chips - KMC 8-speed chain for £8 - the same model for 9 speed was £18.

Can imagine that 10 speed will be dearer still.

 

[jackthelad]

guys the reason i asked 10 v 9 was that on the net you can get tiagra groupsets for about £250
and 10 speed for about £400 - £450.So was basically wondering if it justifies paying the extra,just trying to find out if 10 speed had the wow factor to pay the extra as I have never tried 10 speed

 

[Smokin Joe]

It's definately not worth paying a £150 premium for one extra sprocket.

 

[gbb]

It's definately not worth paying a £150 premium for one extra sprocket.

Agreed. I have an 8 speed setup, had a 9 and now have a 10 as well.
There's bugger all difference in real terms on journey times from one to the other. Sure the 10 speed has more useable combinations for hills etc and thats nice...but at the end of the day a 12T is a 12, irrespective of whether its on a 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette, so top end, you won't go any faster.

Don't get me wrong, given a 9 or 10, i'd have 10, but if it were me building a bike for commuting and pleasure and having to decide which based on cost, it'd be the 9.