Originally Posted by
adlai
Comparing my 8 speed bike to my 9 speed it does feel like the 8 speed is slightly more solid.
the thicker chain and more spacing between gears means that it shifts better and doesn’t skip between gears. The chain has never fallen off of the 8 speed while the 9 speed has had numerous chain falls and even a chain breakage.
I imagine that 10 and 11 speed are even worse.
Not at all! My 10 speed Tiagra 4600 triple setup is rock solid both front and rear and makes very little noise on shifting. It is the quietest shifting bike I have owned (granted it my FIRST STI bike, as the others were 5-speed freewheel bikes.)