Originally Posted by
GeorgeBMac
the 9 / 27 speed system is more than adequate for my needs and I figure it is probably more reliable.
If you were talking road gear you'd be on the money there, but I'd guess the 10s MTB stuff may actually be more precise than the 9s stuff because Shimano revised their cable pull; that stuff is called Dyna-Sys or something IIRC.
Originally Posted by
GeorgeBMac
But, ultimately, it will all be electronic and increasingly computerized with a shaft drive instead of the old, inefficient chain.
I guess a shaft drive would be more efficient if you didn't have to have meshed cogs at each end (LOL)... but there's no beating a clean chain's 98% efficiency.
Originally Posted by
FBinNY
Extra gears are a nice thing, but we may have reached, and passed, the point at which the drawbacks exceed the benefits (except for those needing buzzwords to sell new bikes).
If you agree that front shifting sucks next to rear shifting, then there's a pretty good reason for continuing to add cogs... but yeah, chains certainly don't need to get any narrower.