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

[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!!

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.

Well I don't think I am capable of sustaining 90 RPM as I'm seeing more like 3.5-4.5 mph. The problem of balance and control comes when you suddenly are going downhill and not uphill at that gearing. I'm not saying anything other than I have this issue and concern.

[SlowAndSlower]

@DaveB You have never had dive to the side of the road? Believe it or not there are places where the idea of "shoulder" doesn't exist and a few hills.  Virginia and Kentucky readily come to mind along with some coal truck traffic.

[Pat Lamb]

I've always been able to hear coal trucks coming up a hill well before they got close to me, so I could angle towards the side of the road and not have to "dive" towards it.  The Kentucky and Virginia hills and mountains are usually steep enough that, while I may go from 8% to 3% (usually more like 8% to 6%), I'm still going uphill, still having pressure on the pedal, and still having to work to keep from rolling backwards.

Back to the original issue, is there a way to use drop bars and brifters with a full modern group to get to 20 gear inches or below?

[RonK]

Back to the original issue, is there a way to use drop bars and brifters with a full modern group to get to 20 gear inches or below?

Yes - I posted this above. SRAM.

[staehpj1]

Back to the original issue, is there a way to use drop bars and brifters with a full modern group to get to 20 gear inches or below?

With 9 speed, sure easily.  Do you consider 9 speed modern?

Too rich for my blood, but with 10 or 11 speed MTB Di2 mechs you reportedly can use road Di2 brifters.  Not sure if there are other solutions for really low gears with brifters.  I have not done it so you may want to verify before going that route.

Edit: Good to know that SRAM has a solution.

[Pat Lamb]

Back to the original issue, is there a way to use drop bars and brifters with a full modern group to get to 20 gear inches or below?

With 9 speed, sure easily.  Do you consider 9 speed modern?

OK, technically there is ONE Shimano brifter left in production (Sora).  Since everything else is either NOS, or 10 or 11 speeds, 9 speed looks to me like it's obsolete.  (Even if it's what's on all my bikes!)

It'll be interesting to see if any major manufacturer specs a touring bike next year with SRAM.

[RonK]

Back to the original issue, is there a way to use drop bars and brifters with a full modern group to get to 20 gear inches or below?

With 9 speed, sure easily.  Do you consider 9 speed modern?

OK, technically there is ONE Shimano brifter left in production (Sora).  Since everything else is either NOS, or 10 or 11 speeds, 9 speed looks to me like it's obsolete.  (Even if it's what's on all my bikes!)

It'll be interesting to see if any major manufacturer specs a touring bike next year with SRAM.

Several models of Salsa Vaya and Fargo already use SRAM - that is how I became aware of it.

[staehpj1]

Several models of Salsa Vaya and Fargo already use SRAM - that is how I became aware of it.

Hopefully other manufacturers will do the same as Salsa and/or Shimano will offer a solution to avoid losing the touring and adventure markets.

[DaveB]

[The problem of balance and control comes when you suddenly are going downhill and not uphill at that gearing.

That's why bikes have shift levers.  When the grade breaks, you shift to a higher gear.  Roads don't suddenly change grades like falling off a cliff, you should be able to easily see it approaching. 

And, yes, I've ridden back roads in both Virginia and Kentucky, particularly in Western Virginia, and have never had to "dive suddenly" to the side of the road.  If I'm climbing slowly i'm already at the edge of the pavement. 

[staehpj1]

[The problem of balance and control comes when you suddenly are going downhill and not uphill at that gearing.

That's why bikes have shift levers.  When the grade breaks, you shift to a higher gear.  Roads don't suddenly change grades like falling off a cliff, you should be able to easily see it approaching. 

And, yes, I've ridden back roads in both Virginia and Kentucky, particularly in Western Virginia, and have never had to "dive suddenly" to the side of the road.  If I'm climbing slowly i'm already at the edge of the pavement.

That pretty much sums up my take on this as well.

I am a bit puzzled by the references to diving suddenly to the side of the road as well as balance and control problems related to lower gearing (at least any gearing options that I have used) and I too have ridden across Kentucky and southwestern Virginia on little back roads.  I am not doubting that it is a problem for SlowerAndSlower, but I have a hard time relating to it, since for me it seems to be a complete non-issue.

As a result I have no suggestions other than to say that it seems like something one ought to be able to get used to with a bit of attention to traffic, the grade, and where one is on the road.

On a different note:
The biggest annoyance I had on the back roads of Kentucky were drivers who refused to pass even when they could see well ahead and I waved them by.  We ran across a few of them and I found them really annoying.

[RussSeaton]

is there a way to use drop bars and brifters with a full modern group to get to 20 gear inches or below?

Nashbar and Performance Bike have all the parts.  Both stores sell Shimano STI shifters for triples in the 105 and Ultegra models.  Both stores have long cage rear derailleurs in road models and mountain models.  The mountain models are available in 9 speed too.  If what was stated before about road STI not working with newer 10 speed Shimano mountain rear derailleurs.  The road long cage rear derailleurs are stated to only go to 32 teeth.  But I suspect they would also shift a 34 tooth cog just fine.  Triple front derailleurs in road and mountain and 9 or 10 speed.  Cassettes in 9 or 10 speed in 11-32, 11-34, and 11-36.  Chains too.  Triple or double cranksets in mountain with a low inner ring of 22 teeth.  A 22 inner chainring and a rear cog of 32 or 34 or 36 will get you a low gear of 19, 18, 17 gear inches with 700C tires.  It is very, very simple and easy to get a low gear less than 20 gear inches with 9 or 10 speed and using Shimano STI shifters.  But new 9 speed shifters are getting rarer.  Shimano still makes road triple cranksets that use a 74mm bcd inner chainring, so you could easily get a 24 tooth inner chainring on a road triple crankset.  If using a mountain crankset bothered you.  A 24x32, 24x34, 24x36 low gear will get you to 20 gear inches or lower.

[SlowAndSlower]

That pretty much sums up my take on this as well.

I am a bit puzzled by the references to diving suddenly to the side of the road as well as balance and control problems related to lower gearing (at least any gearing options that I have used) and I too have ridden across Kentucky and southwestern Virginia on little back roads.  I am not doubting that it is a problem for SlowerAndSlower, but I have a hard time relating to it, since for me it seems to be a complete non-issue.

As a result I have no suggestions other than to say that it seems like something one ought to be able to get used to with a bit of attention to traffic, the grade, and where one is on the road.

On a different note:
The biggest annoyance I had on the back roads of Kentucky were drivers who refused to pass even when they could see well ahead and I waved them by.  We ran across a few of them and I found them really annoying.

Yes I have stopped and got off the road because a diver wouldn't pass.

But oh how do I regret using "dive" as a figure of speech which was meant to convey a sense of urgency to get out of the way for what ever. I guess I expected too much from a everyone's visualization and imagination. I simply commented, not as a statement, not a request for bicycle riding lessons, not an analysis, but simply a fact of what I have experienced.

I am sorry that this has cause so much distraction from the OP and I do apologize.

[SlowAndSlower]

Just a note. I am reverting back to bar ends from 105 10 speed and have found the newest Shimano 10 speed bar end offering no longer have a friction mode.

[hawkhero]

So I read the adventure cycling piece on 10 speed comparability   So micro shifts bar cons will work with 10 sp XT rear dérailleur? Glad I read that. Was going to buy shimano a bar cons.

[SlowAndSlower]

MicroShift 10 speed bar con Shimano MTB compatibility http://www.microshift.com.tw/BS-M10_Shifters.html

Universal Cycles https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=74329 I have gotten good service from this store.

BTW I ordered MicroShift 10 speed bar con Shimano Road compatibility as I am using an 9 speed XT rear derailleur.

Good luck on your build.