To upgrade to 9 speed, or not to upgrade??

Hi All,

The shifter for my rear derailer seems to be about to go belly up - to
downshift I have to press the lever a bit against the center of the
mechanism, otherwise it just goes round doing nothing.

So assuming I will need a new rear shifter soon, and that my rear
derailer can handle a 9 speed cassete, should I upgrade to 9 speed -
I'm presently using 8 - or would that be a bad idea?

My concerns a

1) possible need for much more adjusting of rear shifting - presently
I simply turn a knob on the rear derailer that pulls the cable, once
in a blue moon - and,

2) Durability of drivetrain components - I don't mind chainging my
chains more often, but I would like my cassete and chainring to last
just about as much - and

3) Can I still get an 8 speed fair quality shifter (MTB)?

Let the wise (experienced) man - and women, by all means - speak their
minds, please!

PS - I would like the extra cog on a 9 speed cassete, but still can
live with "only" 8 cogs :-P

Cheers,
jbr

Double posting... SORRY! Disregard.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 21:17:12 GMT, (BigBen)
wrote:

Hi All,

The shifter for my rear derailer seems to be about to go belly up - to
downshift I have to press the lever a bit against the center of the
mechanism, otherwise it just goes round doing nothing.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 21:17:12 +0000, BigBen wrote:

So assuming I will need a new rear shifter soon, and that my rear
derailer can handle a 9 speed cassete, should I upgrade to 9 speed -
I'm presently using 8 - or would that be a bad idea?

No reason not to.

My concerns a

1) possible need for much more adjusting of rear shifting - presently
I simply turn a knob on the rear derailer that pulls the cable, once
in a blue moon - and,

No, no difference in terms of adjustment ease, and a new shifter will
shift better than a worn one.

2) Durability of drivetrain components - I don't mind chainging my
chains more often, but I would like my cassete and chainring to last
just about as much - and

No difference that I could tell in terms of wear. Just as many parts,
with essentially the same wear surfaces, so you will get the same wear.

3) Can I still get an 8 speed fair quality shifter (MTB)?

Not really likely. Cheaper models only, unless you want to go to a swap
meet, where the quality is uneven, to say the least.

For me (I use Campy) 9-speed cassettes are now significantly cheaper and
more widely available than 8-speed; if fact it's moving towards 10 being
the better deal, though it is not there yet. Shimano 8-speed is probably
still available at a good price, but 9-speed is certainly competitively
priced.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Let's not escape into mathematics. Let's stay with reality. --
_`\(,_ | Michael Crichton
(_)/ (_) |

BigBen wrote:
Hi All,

The shifter for my rear derailer seems to be about to go belly up - to
downshift I have to press the lever a bit against the center of the
mechanism, otherwise it just goes round doing nothing.

This sounds like a gummy grease problem. Spray WD-40 or GT85 into the
shifter, actuate it many, many times, and it should free right up. It helps
to rotate the shifter on the handlebar so that it points up. Report back
here.
--
Phil Lee, Squid

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 20:31:01 -0400, "Phil Lee, Squid"
wrote:

This sounds like a gummy grease problem.

Funny, I just thought that given the wear, the lower part of the
mechanism wouldn't be engaging in the upper part, enough to rotate it


Spray WD-40 or GT85 into the
shifter, actuate it many, many times, and it should free right up.

It doesn't seems like its stuck - I can push the lower lever time and
time again, with no effect at all. If I thighen the screw in the
centre of the shifter, then it kind of gets stuck, hard to release
cable...


It helps
to rotate the shifter on the handlebar so that it points up.

Say again?? Normally I have the centre of the mechanism level with the
handlebar. You sugest mounting it how?


Report back
here.

Will spay it tomorrow, and report back.

Thanks,

jbr

BigBen wrote:
1) possible need for much more adjusting of rear shifting - presently
I simply turn a knob on the rear derailer that pulls the cable, once
in a blue moon - and,

Not a problem imho, the main parameters are wear, and component
(cable/housing and cassette mainly) quality...


2) Durability of drivetrain components - I don't mind chainging my
chains more often, but I would like my cassete and chainring to last
just about as much - and

9speed gears have almost the same thickness, but the chain is
significantly narrower, and I've heard people (roadies) regretting the
good'ol'times of 7-8 speeds in this regard (chain lifetime).


3) Can I still get an 8 speed fair quality shifter (MTB)?

The easier to find would be a shimano Alivio or Acera... Is it fair for
you? Otherwise, see guys like http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/ ...
For cassettes, there may be still HG70 ones available I think.

Nicolas, still in 7 speeds ;o)

On 19 Jul 2006 03:24:06 -0700, wrote:

9speed gears have almost the same thickness, but the chain is
significantly narrower, and I've heard people (roadies) regretting the
good'ol'times of 7-8 speeds in this regard (chain lifetime).

I don't understand this. The cogs are the same thickness or just
about, so why does a narrower chain wear out more quickly?

JT


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On 19 Jul 2006 03:24:06 -0700, wrote:

The easier to find would be a shimano Alivio or Acera... Is it fair for
you?

I know that in Shimano groups, Alivio is the top for 8 speed (MTB).
What can I expect interms of precise actuation, and durability? (I'm
not sure which shifter group I have right now, but I think it lasted
fairly, and I don't think it is any higher in the hierarchy than
Alivio.

On that matter, would Sram parts be better? I just might change my
rear derailer for an "inverted action" one - that is, shifts to a
biger/lighter cog when release cable, instead of when you pull cable.

So, replacing both shifter and derailer is an option I'm considering.
Given that, better value for money is with Shimano, or Sram?

Thanks,

jbr

BigBen wrote:
I know that in Shimano groups, Alivio is the top for 8 speed (MTB).
What can I expect interms of precise actuation, and durability?

One "advantage" of 8spd is that you can use old Shimano (DX or XT) or
Suntour (XC Pro) thumbshifters... and they work very well.

On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 10:58:50 GMT, (BigBen) wrote:

On 19 Jul 2006 03:24:06 -0700, wrote:

The easier to find would be a shimano Alivio or Acera... Is it fair for
you?

I know that in Shimano groups, Alivio is the top for 8 speed (MTB).
What can I expect interms of precise actuation, and durability? (I'm
not sure which shifter group I have right now, but I think it lasted
fairly, and I don't think it is any higher in the hierarchy than
Alivio.

Those aren't bad, but there are still many remaindered, NOS 8s XT and LX pieces
out there that can be had at low prices. Or there were when I last looked about
six months ago.

On that matter, would Sram parts be better? I just might change my
rear derailer for an "inverted action" one - that is, shifts to a
biger/lighter cog when release cable, instead of when you pull cable.

So, replacing both shifter and derailer is an option I'm considering.
Given that, better value for money is with Shimano, or Sram?

Both are excellent companies with good products. You left out the fact that SRAM
also makes Shimano compatible products that'll let you mix and match.

Ron