Originally Posted by ridelugs
rust never sleeps? i've ridden touring frames from the 30s that ride great. good steel is remarkably rust repellant, and when a surface does rust, the rust prevents further rust from forming. only ocean town bikes, or bikes you never clean in the winter, or bikes that were baptised at salt lake city need worry.
in other news: why would you ever, ever "upgrade" to sti and or 9 speed shifting. A, chains, and cassettes, and therefore rings wear out fast, B. you probally will have to use either octalink or an external BB, which dont last as long as a square taper unit, C, they are more annoying to adjust, D. replacement costs are astronomical, ie new friciton bar cons are 80 dollars for dura ace, whilst dura ace sti are far more vulnerable, and cost 420 dollars more. 420 dollars! E. 9 speed hubs are weaklings compared to 6 speed hubs, in terms of wheel dish. F. Sti shifters look like unsightly bulges on the front of your bars, G. using a proprietary pin for a chain is a hassle.
Now, why stick with friction: cheaper, lighter, sexier, more mechanically sound, longer lasting, easier to adjust, more durable, less hype
A) Marginal differences to cassette and chain wear and I can't think of any reason why chainrings would wear faster because of a nine speed drivetrain.
B) Nope
C) I'll go along with that
D) There's no requirement to go with DA brifters, although even 105 are still more spendy than barcons and levers
E) I haven't done the math, but I don't think a 135mm spaced ATB hub with a 9 speed cassette has a significant difference in dish from a 126mm spaced old skool hub with a 6 speed freewheel.
F) There's no accounting for taste
G) That's why sensible people use SRAM chains.
All that said, I agree that price/performance puts 8 speed way ahead of 9.