Downgrading from 10 speed to 8 speed?
#26
Senior Member
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Above ground, Walnut Creek, Ca
Posts: 6,681
Bikes: 8 ss bikes, 1 5-speed touring bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 86 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
sure. i agree. go to 8-speed. less is more...
although i have to admit i recently reinstalled my rear DR on one of my singlespeeds, but only because i heard it, and it's buddy, the friction shifters, whimpering as i passed by my closet the other day. i didn't go all out though. only put three cogs on.
although i have to admit i recently reinstalled my rear DR on one of my singlespeeds, but only because i heard it, and it's buddy, the friction shifters, whimpering as i passed by my closet the other day. i didn't go all out though. only put three cogs on.
#28
SLJ 6/8/65-5/2/07
A name I haven't heard in awhile and I think he's smiling too while telling us to smoking carpet.
Like many others I don't see the swap as paying economic benefits. But I ride Campy so what do I know of economic benefits?
Like many others I don't see the swap as paying economic benefits. But I ride Campy so what do I know of economic benefits?
__________________
“Life is not one damned thing after another. Life is one damned thing over and over.”
Edna St. Vincent Millay
“Life is not one damned thing after another. Life is one damned thing over and over.”
Edna St. Vincent Millay
#29
Fresh Garbage
8 is great if you want to move to friction shifters or bar ends, like me. Otherwise save yourself the hassle.
#30
Mostly harmless ™
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Novi Sad
Posts: 4,424
Bikes: Heavy, with friction shifters
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1105 Post(s)
Liked 213 Times
in
127 Posts
Thanks for all the advice. Had I known 3 years ago what I know now, I would have went for 3x8 with bar end shifters. Most roadies I know recommended 105 and 10 speed because it is "future proof" - like you said - parts availability etc.
In the mean time I had a left brifter broken and was very hard and expensive to get another one - cost over 100 euros.
I got an offer to swap the groupsets from a guy who competes. Got me thinking. Still haven't decided.
In the mean time I had a left brifter broken and was very hard and expensive to get another one - cost over 100 euros.
I got an offer to swap the groupsets from a guy who competes. Got me thinking. Still haven't decided.
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Posts: 5,773
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 453 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
87 Posts
Nothing is future proof, and parts availability, even for cassettes for 7 & 8 speed gets worse every year. I used 8 speed for MTB's but as soon as the XT level was discontinued, made the switch to 9 speed, we are well past that for road bikes, with Shimano only offering HG-41/HG-50 level cassttes, which are effectively Sora. Can't see these disappearing for many years, but at the same time, you only have one option. For 10 speed, that's effectively obsolete at the higher (from 105) level up now with the introduction of 5800 11 speed.
#32
Senior Member
Well you'll struggle to find 8-speed brifters singularly, since only one Shimano groupset uses them, and they're not made for the kind of riders that might do enough riding to break a shifter (which is an effort in itself). The cost of a set of new 8-speed brifters is... guess what, over 100 euros!
#35
Mostly harmless ™
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Novi Sad
Posts: 4,424
Bikes: Heavy, with friction shifters
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1105 Post(s)
Liked 213 Times
in
127 Posts
Used to be a 25 km to and from work, plus group rides after work and on weekends. Guess around 200 km per week. But not 200 miles. Not intensive at all, but I do ride all year long. When it snows, it's an old rigid MTB with studded tyres.
Road bike was used very seldom, but the more I rode it, the more I liked it. Soon I put a rack on the back and used it as a fair weather commuter. Now I'm thinking of getting cheaper spare parts (hence 8 speeds) and riding it all year long. It's lighter, faster, more fun, better seating position...
Road bike was used very seldom, but the more I rode it, the more I liked it. Soon I put a rack on the back and used it as a fair weather commuter. Now I'm thinking of getting cheaper spare parts (hence 8 speeds) and riding it all year long. It's lighter, faster, more fun, better seating position...
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Very N and Very W Ohio Williams Co.
Posts: 2,458
Bikes: 2001 Trek Multitrack 7200, 2104 Fuji Sportif 1.5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
There are no 8-speed chains in that test, however. Maybe 9-speeds are crap. I know I snapped one 9-speed chain in no time. I put a Sram 830 chain on there cuz I had one on hand, been running it ever since. I now have a 9-speed to replace it with but haven't bothered.
Just my .02
Bill
#37
ka maté ka maté ka ora
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: wessex
Posts: 4,423
Bikes: breezer venturi - red novo bosberg - red, pedal force cg1 - red, neuvation f-100 - da, devinci phantom - xt, miele piste - miche/campy, bianchi reparto corse sbx, concorde squadra tsx - da, miele team issue sl - ultegra
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
you can save your drive train some wear and tear by fitting some clip on fenders for winter riding. IME, 8 speed stuff lasted longer than 10 spd and remains on my mtb which has been converted to errand/winter beater with fenders and racks. any racer worth his salt isn't riding 10x3. 10x2 only.
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 316
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
7 Posts
i setup my 10 speed mechs just as fast as i setup 8 and 9 speed mechs. i find the cassettes and chains are a bit much at the LBS, but chainreaction sells em cheap
#39
we be rollin'
Shimano Ultegra 8 speed bar-end shifters: Shimano Ultegra 6480 Triple 8sp Bar End Shifter | Chain Reaction Cycles
This winter I plan to build a touring bike with Shimano Ultegra bar-end shifters. It's going to be an 8 speed setup (although the LX rear derailleur is really 9 speed and the LX front derailleur is 7 speed).
This winter I plan to build a touring bike with Shimano Ultegra bar-end shifters. It's going to be an 8 speed setup (although the LX rear derailleur is really 9 speed and the LX front derailleur is 7 speed).
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280
Bikes: Nashbar Road
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times
in
228 Posts
It seems like a dumb question, but are there any inexpensive 8-speed integrated shifters? It just seems wrong to pay $150 for low end Claris shifters ...
#41
Senior Member
OP, did you think about a 4500 9 speed setup? They are fairly cheap and easy to find parts for.
#42
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: take your time, enjoy the scenery, it will be there when you get to it
Posts: 7,281
Bikes: 07 IRO BFGB fixed-gear, 07 Pedal Force RS
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Nope. Even my older 9 speed 4500 Tiagra setup requires less tuning than the 10 speed. I think the Shimano 10 speed drivetrains (4600/5600/5700/....) are finicky. I have three bikes with the Shimano 10 speed and I spend a lot more time tuning/cleaning those than my workhorse 9 speed.
#43
Senior Member
No, I am not. But thanks for volunteering your opinions. Shimano 10 speed drivetrains (all of them) are temperamental. They run great when finely tuned (which mine are) but they do need careful attention. Compared to the 9 speed Tiagra on the touring bike that just keeps going, and going. The only thing I do is to swap the chain on that bike every 4000 miles or so.
#44
Senior Member
I also think you are doing something wrong. I ran 5600 for a few years, and it was only finnicky when the cables wore out. After replacement, it was set and forget for a couple of years.
#45
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 429
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Anecdotal evidence on both sides of the argument, but I found no difference in difficulty of adjustment between the Shimano groups I've had experience with. The 10 speed 105 I run now on my main bike is easily the most reliable I had so far. I'd say adjust difficulty was the same for all and I would describe it as easy.
W.R.T Shimano, I've used following quite a bit:
Downtube:
7 spd : Exage, RSX, 105
STI Brifter.:
Ultegra 8spd, Tiagra 9spd, Ultegra 9spd, 105 9 spd, 105 10 spd
W.R.T Shimano, I've used following quite a bit:
Downtube:
7 spd : Exage, RSX, 105
STI Brifter.:
Ultegra 8spd, Tiagra 9spd, Ultegra 9spd, 105 9 spd, 105 10 spd
#46
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: take your time, enjoy the scenery, it will be there when you get to it
Posts: 7,281
Bikes: 07 IRO BFGB fixed-gear, 07 Pedal Force RS
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
No, I am not. But thanks for volunteering your opinions. Shimano 10 speed drivetrains (all of them) are temperamental. They run great when finely tuned (which mine are) but they do need careful attention. Compared to the 9 speed Tiagra on the touring bike that just keeps going, and going. The only thing I do is to swap the chain on that bike every 4000 miles or so.
#47
Mostly harmless ™
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Novi Sad
Posts: 4,424
Bikes: Heavy, with friction shifters
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1105 Post(s)
Liked 213 Times
in
127 Posts
I decided to stick to 10 speed for now. I still regret getting more than 8 speed in the first place. From my experience - it is the sweet spot. Wide range, relatively tight gearing and cheap and reliable, cable/housing dirt/rust tolerant (more than 10 speed definitely).
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 4,770
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 630 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 369 Times
in
206 Posts
Nope. Even my older 9 speed 4500 Tiagra setup requires less tuning than the 10 speed. I think the Shimano 10 speed drivetrains (4600/5600/5700/....) are finicky. I have three bikes with the Shimano 10 speed and I spend a lot more time tuning/cleaning those than my workhorse 9 speed.
OP, did you think about a 4500 9 speed setup? They are fairly cheap and easy to find parts for.
OP, did you think about a 4500 9 speed setup? They are fairly cheap and easy to find parts for.
#49
blah blah blah
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,520
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Shimano 10 speed drivetrains (all of them) are temperamental. They run great when finely tuned (which mine are) but they do need careful attention. Compared to the 9 speed Tiagra on the touring bike that just keeps going, and going. The only thing I do is to swap the chain on that bike every 4000 miles or so.