Do I update to 11 speed??

[Sturmey_Hub]

After years of trouble free cycling on my trusty 9 spd, I am finding it hard to keep everything well maintained. I use wipermann chains and clearly the company still makes these and these aren't the problem. However, good 9 spd cassettes do seem to be coming a little harder to find. More worryingly, the Campag Ergo shifters seem even more difficult and there only seems to be one option available. So far they seem to be working fine, but no doubt the time will soon come when they become well worn and wont shift properly.

So do I take the plunge now - before the summer - and update everything? Is 11 spd worth it or is it one sprocket to far?

 

[Apollonius]

Campagnolo 9 speed are readily available from Wiggle etc and very cheap. Your Ergo shifters, like most things Campagnolo, (I am still sometimes using a 1960s Record derailleur) will last for ever. Carry on using it, would be my advice. You will wear out before your Campag does!

If you are longing for more gears, then get another bike and keep the 9 speed for winter. Mrs A has 9 speed, 10, speed and 11 speed bikes. I doubt whether she knows which is which when riding them. I find little or no difference between 10 speed and 11. The issue for me is the size of the biggest sprocket: 29 on the 10 speed and only 27 on the 11. That matters most to me!

I suspect you are fancying a new bike with a bigger range. It makes little difference, would be my view, but a new bike!!!

 

[HarryTheDog]

One of the things keeping me on 10 speed is rear wheels, my really posh carbon wheels ( 2 sets) wont take a 11spd cassette. So are you planning to change wheels as well? Are you goint to stick to Campag?. I have always been a Shimano person so don't know the rarity of Campag 9 speed cassettes though @Apollonius posting above says no problem. Wouldn't ebay be a good source?.
New things are nice but these things tend to be a want instead of a need.

 

[winjim]

One of the things keeping me on 10 speed is rear wheels, my really posh carbon wheels ( 2 sets) wont take a 11spd cassette. So are you planning to change wheels as well? Are you goint to stick to Campag?. I have always been a Shimano person so don't know the rarity of Campag 9 speed cassettes though @Apollonius posting above says no problem. Wouldn't ebay be a good source?.
New things are nice but these things tend to be a want instead of a need.

Campagnolo 9, 10 and 11sp all fit on the same hub.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

It's not a need just yet, but I am thinking whether it would be better to go to 11 before pushed to do so by lack of availability. I don't want to go to 11 just for the sake of it. I have 9 spd Campag hubs and if they can take 9, 10 or 11 spd then that's great. It's just the levers which slightly concern me. It seems that I can't get down tube shifters any more.

 

[goody]

Ribble have got 9 speed Xenon shifters for £63.

 

[winjim]

Ribble have got 9 speed Xenon shifters for £63.

Not exactly high end though.


Also bear in mind there is a difference between "old" 9sp and "new" 9sp Campagnolo.

 

[Apollonius]

It seems that I can't get down tube shifters any more.

Do you want to stick with down-tube shifters? I think that might be more difficult.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

The shifters I have are the very early ones with pointy hoods.

 

[Apollonius]

Ergo 9 speed handlebar mounted (not downtube) levers are also readily and cheaply available.

 

[Mugshot]

11?
Pfffft, have a look at THIS and get with the program grandad!

 

[ColinJ]

The 9-sp ergo shifters on my Basso are finally showing signs of wear after 17 years of use. I bought some 10-sp shifters from a CycleChatter last year and will be upgrading the bike once my Cannondale comes out of hibernation.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

11?
Pfffft, have a look at THIS and get with the program grandad!

Unfortunately I can still remember going to the bike shop and picking individual sprockets off the board to build my 5 speed hub! Part of the fun was deciding which sprockets to use for the coming weekend.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

The 9-sp ergo shifters on my Basso are finally showing signs of wear after 17 years of use. I bought some 10-sp shifters from a CycleChatter last year and will be upgrading the bike once my Cannondale comes out of hibernation.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

So are you going to 10 speed?