9 speed or 10 speed for my new bike build up?

[hawkhero]

Starting to build up a Velo Orange touring frame. Not sure if I should build it with 9 speed or 10 speed components. Any pros or cons going with 10 speed?

[RussSeaton]

My most recent touring bike is 10 speed Shimano STI.  Old one was 7 speed Shimano bar-end shifter.  New one works perfectly all the time.  I also have a couple other Shimano 10 speed STI bikes and a few 9 speed and 10 speed Campagnolo Ergo bikes.  They all work pretty close to perfect too.  9 speed has zero advantages over 10 speed.  They all work perfectly and last the exact same time.

Not sure, but 9 or 10 speed may be easier to find in stores or online, or not.  Actually, 10 speed shifters are easier to find than 9 speed shifters.  Finding 9 speed STI or bar-end shifters may be difficult.  Only 9 speed road shifters Nashbar has are their own brand STI style shifters.  Nashbar has 10 speed bar-end and/or STI from Shimano, SRAM, and their own brand.  As 11 speed has become the new normal, its getting harder and harder to find the older stuff like 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 speed.  10 speed is still current.

Seems a bit odd to me to intentionally build a new bike with out of date components.  I'm sure there are some people who will argue that 5 speed friction shifting bikes with 120mm spaced rear triangles are the most reliable.  Why aren't you building a touring bike like that?  If you were building a new house, would you NOT put a garbage disposer and NOT put a dishwasher in it?  It would be more reliable without these electrical contraptions.

[DaveB]

9-speed is obsolete and rapidly getting hard to source and it will get worse, not better, in the future.  10-speed is still current and will be available in a wide range of components for many years to come despite the existence of newer 11-speed stuff.  I agree with Russ, why build a new bike with already out dated components?  9-speed has absolutely no advantages.  You will hear 9-speed chains, etc. last longer.  They don't.

[SlowAndSlower]

The only issue I can see using 10 speed would be mixing road indexed shifters with mtb 10 speed cassettes. Adventure Cycling magazine had an article on gearing that covered the this and how various companies address the issue. I suggest reading this article.

I would give some thought about the braking you will want to use too.

[RussSeaton]

The only issue I can see using 10 speed would be mixing road indexed shifters with mtb 10 speed cassettes.
I would give some thought about the braking you will want to use too.

As I mentioned, I have a Shimano STI shifter 10 speed touring bike.  Shimano 105 triple STI shifters.  SRAM 10 speed 11-32 cassette, assume its one of their mountain bike models.  Shimano Deore mountain bike long rear derailleur, fairly new, 9 or 10 speed model.  Avid Shorty cantilever brakes.  Shimano 10 speed chain.  Shimano Tiagra triple front derailleur, fairly new.  This combination of parts shifts and brakes perfectly.

[Pat Lamb]

As I mentioned, I have a Shimano STI shifter 10 speed touring bike.  Shimano 105 triple STI shifters.  SRAM 10 speed 11-32 cassette, assume its one of their mountain bike models.  Shimano Deore mountain bike long rear derailleur, fairly new, 9 or 10 speed model.  Avid Shorty cantilever brakes.  Shimano 10 speed chain.  Shimano Tiagra triple front derailleur, fairly new.  This combination of parts shifts and brakes perfectly.

Russ, what's the crank on this bike?  How small is your little ring?

[RussSeaton]

Russ, what's the crank on this bike?  How small is your little ring?

The crank arms are 1991 Shimano Deore DX.  Square taper bottom bracket of whatever length gets the arms closest to the frame.  Crank was originally for a 7 speed system.  It now has TA 44-33 chainrings in the outer and middle positions.  Inner chainring is an Avid adaptor thing I think.  It takes the place of the spacers for the inner chainring bolts and allows you to mount a 20 tooth 58mm bcd chainring.  Has five bolt holes and bolts that go into the 74mm bcd holes on the crank.  Then has another five holes at 58mm bcd to mount the 20 tooth chainring.  I think Avid made it a number of years ago.  Now I think all triple cranks come with the inner chainring spacers molded into the crank itself, so no separate spacers and no way to mount this adaptor.  A 44-33-20 triple crankset with a 10 speed 11-32 cassette provides perfect gearing for all terrain.  Almost all hills can be climbed with the 33 middle ring and the inner ring is only used for real mountains.

[RonK]

Taking a somewhat different approach, for my bikepacking build currently in progress, I've decided to forgo the rarely used big ring.
I've opted for a SRAM 2x10 MTB drivetrain with Apex road shifters and TRP Spyre disc brakes.
SRAM uses the same actuation ratios for both road and MTB components, so nearly all are cross-compatible.
Gearing selections are 36/22 chain rings with an 11-36 cassette. These will yield in the range of 93 to a crawling 17.4 gear inches. So even without a triple, top gear will achieve 25mph@90rpm on 29er tyres.
SRAM have recently released the affordably-priced GX groupset, which is hitting the stores about now.

[DaveB]

Shimano Deore mountain bike long rear derailleur, fairly new, 9 or 10 speed model.

For use with 10-speed road shifters you must use a 9-speed era MTB rear derailleur.  The current 10-speed MTB rear derailleurs have a different cable pull requirement and won't work with 10-speed road shifters.

[SlowAndSlower]

Shimano Deore mountain bike long rear derailleur, fairly new, 9 or 10 speed model.

For use with 10-speed road shifters you must use a 9-speed era MTB rear derailleur.  The current 10-speed MTB rear derailleurs have a different cable pull requirement and won't work with 10-speed road shifters.

Except MicroShift has bar end shifters for Shimano mtb 10 speed RDs. See Referenced ACA article.
Yes I know you meant STI road shifters. SRAM??

[SlowAndSlower]

I find all the gearing below 20 inches some what perplexing. So I am grinding up hill using 20 inch gearing and now have to dive towards the side of the road. No way I can spin fast enough to maintain control of the bike and stay out of the ditch!!

[RonK]

I find all the gearing below 20 inches some what perplexing. So I am grinding up hill using 20 inch gearing and now have to dive towards the side of the road. No way I can spin fast enough to maintain control of the bike and stay out of the ditch!!

Well SlowAndSlower, you are not living up to your nom de plume.
22x36@90rpm yields around 5mph on my 29er tires. Balance and control is not particularly difficult at that pace.

[DaveB]

So I am grinding up hill using 20 inch gearing and now have to dive towards the side of the road. No way I can spin fast enough to maintain control of the bike and stay out of the ditch!!

Uh, why would you have to "dive toward the side of the road"?  Do you ride right down the middle normally? 

Well SlowAndSlower, you are not living up to your nom de plume.
22x36@90rpm yields around 5mph on my 29er tires. Balance and control is not particularly difficult at that pace.

That's why I can't understand those who claim they don't want very low gears because they can; "walk the bike faster".   No one can push a loaded bike up a steep hill as fast as they can ride it.

[staehpj1]

I find all the gearing below 20 inches some what perplexing. So I am grinding up hill using 20 inch gearing and now have to dive towards the side of the road. No way I can spin fast enough to maintain control of the bike and stay out of the ditch!!

I don't understand what you mean by that.  I can't say I have ever had a problem with that.  Why would you be diving toward the side of the road and why would it make you unable to maintain control?

[SlowAndSlower]

I don't understand what you mean by that.  I can't say I have ever had a problem with that.  Why would you be diving toward the side of the road and why would it make you unable to maintain control?

I have had many occasions where I am grinding up hill and because of traffic choose to move off towards the shoulder. Suddenly I have no pedal resistance. I just could not spin fast enough for me exert control of the bike. Maybe its just my poor bicycle handling skills. But it happened a lot to me between Virginia and the Mississippi.

Its kind of like when you hit sand or loose dirt, you need to power out of it or go down.