Originally Posted by
Trsnrtr
I hate to say this publicly since my wife and I own a combined stable of:
10 speed - 2
11 speed - 4
12 speed - 2
but, I always felt and still do, that 9 speed Shimano was amazing and bulletproof except for Shimano 9 speed bar end levers which are junk.
Interestingly, 9 speeds is one thing I've never owned. I had 5 when I was a ute. The Cannondale I bought in 1995 had 7, which I converted to 8 a year later. The Ritchey (1997) had 8, converted to 10 in 2019. The Bianchi (2007) has 10. The Battaglin (built in 2007) has 10. The Canyon(2020) has 11, as does the Litespeed(built in 2022). My various C&V bike have 6, 7, or 8. But never 9. Funny, that.