Do I update to 11 speed??

[HarryTheDog]

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

You learn something new everyday! I had assumed it was the same as Shimano.

 

[cyberknight]

Im still using 8 speed for commuting , i will upgrade when i have too , 10 speed on the nice bike which is gonna stay that way as i cant see swmbo accepting the reasons that i need to upgrade .

 

[alecstilleyedye]

try changing the ratios on the rear cassette. when i got a 10 speed bike, it made the 9 speed one feel 'gappy'. i've now got a smaller range on the back of the 9 speed bike and the difference is less obvious and i wouldn't contemplate changing it…

 

[ColinJ]

So are you going to 10 speed?

Yes. I have 10 speed on my Cannondale and get on well with that so I will duplicate that bike's gearing on the Basso.

I'll see if I can fettle the 9 speed shifters at a later date - I have a third frame that the 9 speed drivetrain could be put on.

 

[Fab Foodie]

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.

9 speed will be around quite a while yet.
Downtube shifters are readily available.
I wouldn't waste money upgrading until you really need to.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

Well I guess that no one is using 11spd then. It looks like I'll be using 9 until the shifters break. Thanks all.

 

[winjim]

Well I guess that no one is using 11spd then. It looks like I'll be using 9 until the shifters break. Thanks all.

I do have 11sp Chorus on one of my bikes. It is astonishingly good, although I haven't had a chance to ride it much.

 

[Ian H]

My Omega has been 9-speed since new, about 12 years ago. The Ergo levers have been renovated 3 times (I have two sets to swap); spares are getting expensive and are no longer made. So I have upgraded to 10 with new levers, cassette and chain. The mechanism in the new levers is, I think, more robust, and 10-speed should be around for a while yet. It does feel like a new bike.

 

[Blue Hills]

9 speed will be around quite a while yet.
Downtube shifters are readily available.
I wouldn't waste money upgrading until you really need to.

Yes, it's the shifters that can be a problem, so I bought some spare 8 speed ones

Other 8 speed bits, or stuff that will work perfectly well with 8 speed will be around for years and years. I'm confident of that. It's a big big world still and I doubt everyone in it thinks that their absolute priority in life is to ride 11 speed.

I have a fair few bikes, maybe more than many, but can't see myself going above 9.

OP, if you are happy with the bike as it is, I don't understand your desire to move up before you are forced. If you are really forced, change then. You can always lay in some spare shifters. Keep life simple, enjoy your riding.

edit - to clarify, I have 3 9 speed bikes.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

Yes, it's the shifters that can be a problem, so I bought some spare 8 speed ones

Other 8 speed bits, or stuff that will work perfectly well with 8 speed will be around for years and years. I'm confident of that. It's a big big world still and I doubt everyone in it thinks that their absolute priority in life is to ride 11 speed.

I have a fair few bikes, maybe more than many, but can't see myself going above 9.

OP, if you are happy with the bike as it is, I don't understand your desire to move up before you are forced. If you are really forced, change then. You can always lay in some spare shifters. Keep life simple, enjoy your riding.

edit - to clarify, I have 3 9 speed bikes.

It's just that my biggest worry is the shifters. I have the very early Campag ones and it seems impossible to find others like them. I have seen a pair on eBay but they wanted more than I paid for these new! otherwise I would have got them. Let's face it, any second hand ones could easily be more worn than mine. So far all seems good and 9 is enough for me. But when things go wrong it's going to become expensive, so perhaps I should start buying bits. It does seem though from all the response I've had, that I'll be sticking to 9 for the foreseeable future.

 

[Blue Hills]

I take your point about the shifters sturmey (flat bar is so much simpler, so i'm lucky in that) butvas you say they are still working fine. Are 9 speed cassetes really a problem? Have you checked around, including the often good german online outfits? It surely won't be more expensive to switch systems later, IF you have to. Surely it will be cheaper, such is the way of the world. The 11 speed will be flogged off cheap.
(Then it will go up in price maybe as rarity kicks in, then it will be seen as retro

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

I take your point about the shifters sturmey (flat bar is so much simpler, so i'm lucky in that) butvas you say they are still working fine. Are 9 speed cassetes really a problem? Have you checked around, including the often good german online outfits? It surely won't be more expensive to switch systems later, IF you have to. Surely it will be cheaper, such is the way of the world. The 11 speed will be flogged off cheap.
(Then it will go up in price maybe as rarity kicks in, then it will be seen as retro

Forgot about the German sites people talk about! So far I've never used them but shall certainly have a look. Are you able to recommend any or give an address or link??

 

[Blue Hills]

Rosebikes.co.uk

Bikediscount.de


Rose's postage charge can initially put folk off but no problem if you are ordering a lot and the prices are often very good.

 

[Sturmey_Hub]

Rosebikes.co.uk

Bikediscount.de


Rose's postage charge can initially put folk off but no problem if you are ordering a lot and the prices are often very good.

Thanks for that. As soon as I get the chance today I shall give them a visit.

 

[winjim]

You have "old" Campagnolo 9sp which has a 3.2mm cable pull on the shifters with a pull ratio of 1.4 on the rear mech. Any shifters you buy are likely to be "new" 9sp which has cable pull of 3.0mm and a pull ratio of 1.5. Mixing and matching might work well enough, but to get it perfect, you'd need a new mech as well.

For reference:

• Old shifter, old mech. 3.2mm x 1.4 = 4.48mm
• Old shifter, new mech. 3.2mm x 1.5 = 4.80mm
• New shifter, old mech. 3.0mm x 1.4 = 4.20mm
• New shifter, new mech. 3.0mm x 1.5 = 4.50mm

So you could be about 0.3mm out per sprocket. Indexing on the middle sprocket would put you 1.2mm out at either end of the cassette.