Bicycle Mechanics - 8 to 9-speed jump

Howdy.

I am finally making the jump from 8-speed Dura-ace to 9-speed. Anything special I need to know? Will 9-speed cassettes fit on the existing hubs? I have some hand-built Mavic’s and some Spinergy aero-wheels from around 1997. I suppose I just buy an up-grade kit and install it?

Thanks for your advise!!

Jim

The cassettes should fit straight on your existing hub as the spline is the same. have you bought it already maybe hang out for the new 10 speed it should be here within the month drool drool i cant wait!!!:rolleyes:

A few considerations:

- 9-speed will work on your existing hub. But there are two kinds of hubs: Hyperglide and Hyperglide-C (like in Compact). Only the latter take an 11-teeth sproket for the smallest. So if you have a non-C freehub, you either use a 12-xx, 13-xx or 14-xx cassette or you add a tiny spacer near the wheel and use a 11-xx cassette anyway. If you use the latter, beware of tight tolerances on the right side.

- First generation Dura-Ace rear derailleurs (1996 or 1997?) don't use the same spacing as more modern ones. If you have a first generation derailleur, you either need to shift in friction mode or you need a new derailleur. If your derailleur is current, then it will work.

- If you want to shift indexed, you will need a new right-hand shifter.

- The "official policy" is that you need 9-speed chainwheels. With bar-end or downtube shifters, I know you don't need them. With STI or Ergo, most people who stick with their 8-speed chainwheels don't complain.

- As Bikeguru suggested, you might wait for 10-speed. It will be more expensive, you will need a new shifter (and same considerations for rear derailleur), and I have no idea how 8-speed chainrings will work with STI and a 10-speed chain. Time will tell, I guess.

Regards,

You should be OK on the chainrings, but you will need a 9-speed chain. Also, your indexing is different, so your levers will need upgrading. As far as the compact/non-compact body is concerned-you don't need an 11 tooth gear, unless you really feel the need to pedal hard downhill. I rarely even use a 12 tooth gear, 11 tooth gears are purely for pros and mashers.

Originally posted by Dave Stohler
... I rarely even use a 12 tooth gear, 11 tooth gears are purely for pros and mashers.

I agree; my high cogs include four 13s and a 14. For decades, the Tour de France was won on 100-inch top gears.

I've recently gone from 8 to 9 spd on my MTB with an existing 8spd specific chainset. It worked but with the odd slip under pressure, now this might be wear that only became apparant with a new chain, but the rings didn't look too bad - I'm changing it today.

Nice screen name.

:)

You will need to change the small ring up front, the spacing is different.

The minimum parts you need to change from 8speed to 9speed:

1) New STI shifters
2) New chain
3) New cassette (note the C style if you want 11T)
4) New rear derailleur.

Options:
Change the small ring (the 39T or 44T)

NOTE: The changing of the small ring may be something you want. I noticed my old 600 crank sometimes slipped a bit going from the 39 to the 53. I suspect it was the distance/gap and the narrower chain. My solution was to live with this until I wore out the rings and then I replaced the entire crank/BB with a 9-speed splined crank and BB.