Is anyone else abandoning
 

8 and 9 speed STI/Ergo for their modern builds?

I've had two bikes set up with 8s Ergo, had an 8s STI bike that's now a 9s, but no more.
I've decided that early brifter tech, while there's nothing really wrong with them, just won't be in my game plan from here on.
I've had one 10s Chorus bike, although now sold, but I really liked it. And every component was lighter than my mixed 8/9s Chorus and performed at least as well if not better.
So in my future, everything will be either pre-STI downtube 7s(or less) or 10s+ brifters. Let the parting out of the Guerciotti begin.

Anyone else with me? Or am I just out there?

I've got one bike which has shimano 8 speed STR500 shifters and a mix of derailers, and two bikes with 9 speed groups (1 Dura Ace, 1 Ultegra) and I don't see myself upgrading any of them unless something breaks. I've been very pleased with all three sets of shifters.

I honestly can't say I've ever owned 10 speed brifters, or done more than test ride them so I can't speak to the weight or performance.

I have one 10 speed road bike, two 9 speed bikes, two 8 speed bikes and one 7 speed bike, all brifters. Any bike I'm serious about riding on group rides has brifters, period. I was just communicating with another BF member explaining that there are no friction shifting bikes on the B level rides I go on with three different clubs. Downtube index shifters are still in use, but very rare. Before someone says it's because these folks only have new bikes, that would be incorrect. Some of them have vintage bikes like me, but they don't use them on fast rides.
My 7 speed is a fun bike and I love the Bianchi frame, but 7 speed just don't cut it on hilly group rides. For some reason, I find there is a big difference between 7 and 8 speed, but not so much between 8 to 9 to 10. Still, my ATF is the bike with the 10 speed rear.

I find the early ergo-power bikes to be quite fascinating, with their oddball brifter shape, solid brake levers and combo of brifter with delta brakes. Besides, where I live you can get along just fine with a 5-block on the back, so to have 8 or 10 is just gravy. I must also not be the only one to think so if you look at the bidding on these brifters: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...372104987.html

I agree with Citoyen. You'll find out soon enough when you list your 8 and 9 speed comps on ebay that not everyone is abandoning it!

By the way, what are you doing with the 9 speed stuff? ;)

I'm still waiting for 8 and 9 speed brifter prices to crash. Hopefully it will be soon. I have at least one other bike I want to put something like that on - but I'm cheap. :o

I would like to have some brifters on my 9 speed. I am currently useing friction dt but it is a little sensitive for my skill level. 6 and 7 speed are ok with friction but the 9 speed requires more attention than I care to provide. I have been too cheap to get them so far. Maybe Santa will drop some down my chimney in a few months.

For me 5 & 6 speed bikes are where it's at. I just like the pre-index shifting era. As for the new stuff, 9 speed Shimano. It's cheap, works great & has unlimited gearing combinations.

One bike with brifters (and those may go to bar ends shortly)...and it is a 7 speed cluster.:lol: Out of 16 or so ridable bikes only 3 have indexed shifting, if you discount the ORIGINAL indexed shifting on IGH bikes.:D

Aaron:)

Not going to happen. More are being crashed or broken tha produced. Like you, I'm cheap as well.

Me three cheap! Hmmmm, maybe we'll have to go with the Shimano's...:)

For range of cogs, I'm still fine with 8-sp in this area.
The 9th, for me, is the 11t, and the 10th, for me, is the 21t or 23t...
So as far as range goes, 7 and 8 are more than enough.

For smoothness and reliability, I'm an 8-sp guy. I like the thunk.
My smoothest, in order:
8-sp Shimano 600 STI
9-sp DA STI
8-sp DA STI
8-sp Ergo (Chorus)
9-sp Ergo (Chorus)
8-sp RX100, Sora, RSX, and 9-sp Ergo (Mirage), 7-sp RSX

The main affecting variables, in my experience with the above:
Matching RD, cassette to the shifter.
RD adjustment. RD adjustment. RD adjustment.
Ergo's seem to like a little lube and the RD's need to be clean and lubed.
Shimano seems to tolerate lack of maintenance much better.

10-sp? My only 10-sp is Dura Ace 7800 down tube shifters, running a full 105 set, otherwise.
Works great, and the $300 I saved buys another bike. It's a century bike so I anticipate more and hammer less.

Like USAZorro, I'm waiting for the price to drop on some stuff, but given the quality of the C&V bikes that can use the older stuff, I doubt it will happen for a while.

Bite your tongue!

I have one bike with campy 8 speed ergo, its my daily rider and my only ergo/indexed bike.
The brifters have been rebuilt twice and I have spare parts to rebuild ( G spring, index gear) one
more time. Where I am ( northern texas ) I really dont' have much need for more than 8 gears.
That said, I do have a pair of 10 speed brifters salted away, one day I'll probably build up
one of my bikes as 10 speed, I just haven't found any reason to do so just now.


Marty

I've got a Pinarello Prince built up with 10 speed Chrous but I always find myself resorting to my Gianella with 8 speed Dura-Ace and that''s over my Marinoni 8 speed C-Record and GT with 9 speed Ultegra.

:)I will take your 8 speed brifter throw-aways! I have plenty of "or less" downtube technology to trade!

I am friction shift all the way, with barcons or downtubes on the 6- and 7-speed road bikes and thumbies on the 7- and 8-speed mountain bikes.

"I am friction shift all the way,"

Guys that good, you don't even hear them shift, much less notice it. I'm always humbled by that.

all ur friction shift r belong to us.
I like my 8spd dura ace paramount, but wouldn't consider upgrading my campy 7spd silk hope.
I'm sure it would be easier and faster to ride, but I feel it deserves to remain original, as the paramount is.

Right now I have one seven speed brifter bike, two eight speed, and one nine speed. Plus I have one DT friction bike, one bar end indexed bike, and one trigger shifter bike. I enjoy all of them.

I will be flipping the two eight speed brifter bikes. The seven speed is most usable for me, due to my lack of adequate motor (it is a road triple). Other than the Trek 1000, all of the bikes are lugged frame steel.

I think there always will be a market for 7 and 8 speed brifter bikes, as riders who want to move up to brifters, without spending over $1,000, will be seeking them.

05 Trek 1000 (8 speed STI)
Mystery Miyata Frankenbike (8 speed STI)
84 Lotus Classique (6 speed DT)
87 Miyata 215 ST (barcons)
95 Giant Kronos (7 speed STI)
03 Colnago Master Lite (9 speed STI)
92 Trek 950 (trigger shift)

It's all downtubes and barends for me. I've been building 9 speeds lately.

Bob my only experience with 8spd brifters (we did not call them that then) was back when I was selling them and it worked so we did not know from anything else. however I was very inpressed with how smooth my 9spd Record in 2000. I recently got a '90 Bianchi with a mix of things and it works well.

your parting out you Guerciotti? does this mean you will have 9spd Ergo shifters for sale? if the price is right I may be interested.

The only bike I own that has indexed shifters is my mtb unless you consider my 3 speeds.

At the risk of sounding like a retro-grouch, it is my experience that it makes no difference (to me) beyond 7/8 speeds. I have had several bikes with 9, and two (now zero) with 10-speed rear ends, and it just starts to not matter anymore.

My big complaint is the split between the double front. I like blocks (corncobs, straight gears, whatever), which results in what has historically been referred to as "Alpine" gearing (run through all the gears on the little ring, then siwtch to the big ring and do it again). It seams like the switch from the small to big ring always happens in the 60-70 gear inch range (a range that I frequently run through), which, in turn, results in a whole lotta chain running up and down the entire cog set. I have managed to avoid this on triples and MTB's, but not so much with road-bikes.

Half step works well up to about 7-speeds, but beyond that, it does not make much sense. Even at 7-speeds, you do nto get the subtle changes in ratio that you get with a block, but it is as close as I have been able to manage.

As a Marine riding a bike, I can only use 5 speeds unless I ride with no hands....