I have Campy bikes in 8,9 and 10 speed. There is no real difference except gearing. The 10 speed has closer gear ratios. Performance is virtually identical between them.

With that said, Shimano went to a completely different crank/BB design. IMO, the biggest difference in the Shimano 10 vs 9 is the improved crank. I'll bet that if you put the 10 speed crank on a 9 speed bike it would perform as well as the 10 speed. That extra gear just doesn't matter to most riders. Good luck in whatever you choose.


Tim