I gotta 8 speed. Should I really make the investment to 9? Or would I just be blowing my money? I'm worried about parts availability for 8 speed rigs.

I gotta 8 speed. Should I really make the investment to 9? Or would I just be blowing my money? I'm worried about parts availability for 8 speed rigs.

I think it would be a waste of money to "upgrade" to 9spd. There are no benefits other than one measly gear. In the opinion of many of us this was just a marketing ploy by Shimano to boost sales. Of course companies like SRAM had no choice but to jump on the bandwagon.

8spd stuff is still readily available at many M/O places. Ebay is also a good place too. I have a set of 8spd shifters in my cupboard that I got for a good price. www.phattire.com provided my cassettes I have in stock.

Actually, not much is really needed to keep your 8spd running. You only really need shifters and cassette. Everything else 9spd will work on 8spd - rings, chain, derailers.

Read my FAQ for the whole story -

http://www.execulink.com/~dtierney/wmc/faq.htm#DQ2

Don't make the investment until your rear der. decides to quit. I've got 8 speed on my hardtail and I'm quite happy with it. I could easily replace it with 9-speed, but until my '97 xtr gives out, I'm keeping it. At this point it's a test to see how long it can last! It's been through the White Rim in a day and multi-day, 24 hours of Moab, countless road trips, lots of miles.

Don't make the investment until your rear der. decides to quit. I've got 8 speed on my hardtail and I'm quite happy with it. I could easily replace it with 9-speed, but until my '97 xtr gives out, I'm keeping it. At this point it's a test to see how long it can last! It's been through the White Rim in a day and multi-day, 24 hours of Moab, countless road trips, lots of miles.

Woopsie!! The derailer is a dumb animal and just takes directions from the shifter. It can't tell if it's suposed to span eight or nine gears. There are no built-in detents or clicks - they're in the shifter. But you knew this - you own a bike shop! (insert huge smiley-face here!)

I guess what I was saying is that I'll be running it until it gives out to see how long it goes. After that, I'll replace everything at once. It gets replaced in bits and pieces now. For me it would really be more cost effective to replace a drive train once that failure happens than try and keep 8 speed for the shifters. I guess I wasn't so clear.

I'm such a dork! I re-read what I posted. Mikey is right, you can run 8 or 9 speed on an old derailer. I was focusing on my situation and the economics that I'm looking at. Anyway, I guess the jist of what I'm saying is that don't buy a whole new drivetrain when you don't need to. Upgrade when the parts are used up and worn out. Eventually it will get harder and harder to get 8 speed, so yes, eventually making the switch makes sense. But right now, no, not unless you need to replace stuff.

Good thing I don't work in that bike shop, with all my little brain farts. Speaking of work...

Ahhh that's ok; I call 'em Senior Moments, what's your excuse, frazzled parent? I've been there and survived. There is an afterlife.

i think 8 speed parts will be around for quite a while. but, the 8 speed parts of the future will probably become low end quality and heavy. many cheap bikes are still running 7 speed, and low end mtb's are 8 speed.

going from 8 to 9 speed would be fine when parts break but otherwise IMO not worth buying new for the sake of new.

Rita

frazzled working mom. Drive D to the bus stop, come home, drive J to school in GJ (30 miles round trip), come home, drink morning coffee all before 9am. Do some housework. Go to office, haul stuff to client's house, go to second client's house, pick up J, take him to rock climbing, run back out to Fruita, pick up D. Run back into GJ to get J and go to family night at his school, come home, get kids ready for bed, tuck in. Tuesdays are worse, but Mondays and Wednesdays usually leave some time for a ride.

frazzled working mom. Drive D to the bus stop, come home, drive J to school in GJ (30 miles round trip), come home, drink morning coffee all before 9am. Do some housework. Go to office, haul stuff to client's house, go to second client's house, pick up J, take him to rock climbing, run back out to Fruita, pick up D. Run back into GJ to get J and go to family night at his school, come home, get kids ready for bed, tuck in. Tuesdays are worse, but Mondays and Wednesdays usually leave some time for a ride.

Ok Sar you forgot the bit about "sit around in housecoat with feet up watching Oprah and Jerry". Bwaaaa.