Looking around the forum I see this touched on, but not really specifically addressed. Forgive me if you guys feel like this is a subject that has been flogged to death. Here's my situation -- I'm looking to upgrade to XT shifters/rear derailleur. Being forward thinking, it seems as though 9spd is the way to go since new 8spd XT derailleurs (and shifters) for that matter are harder to find and will continue to become so in the future. My question is this -- I've got an LX Parallax hub circa 1996 -- what do I need to address with this hub WRT to installing a 9spd cassette? Will I simply be able to swap cassettes?
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If you can fit a 8spd cassette on your freehub you can fit a 9. If not, you have 2 options. One is replace the hub with a newer 8/9 compatible unit(respoking and all), or you can potentially(but not always) replace just the cassette freehub portion and extend the axle.
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Yup, 8 and 9 speed cassettes fit in exactly the same space. The big money is in the shifters. If you are replacing shifters anyway, I think that I'd upgrade to 9-speed.
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In the 8 vs 9-speed compatibility, there is a side issue that needs to be taken care of: whether or not your freehub can take a cassette that starts with an 11 cog.
Basically, if you are presently using an 8-speed cassette that starts with an 11, you are OK. If not, remove your cassette and check your freehub against Sheldon's page (near the end, search for "11") to see if your freehub can use an 11 cog or not. If it can, you are OK. If not, either stay with one that starts with 12 or more (ex.: 12-25) or change the freehub at the same time (another 20-25 $, plus labour).
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This is where downtube has the advantage... win...!
(锕侊箒)~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by operator
This is where downtube has the advantage... win...!
Explain that one.
(锕侊箒)~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by operator
This is where downtube has the advantage... win...!
You mean : the old downtube shifters? Actually, I could rephrase and say "this is where friction has the advantage."
Older downtube shifters were in friction mode only, or as in the case of Suntour shifters, in retro-friction mode, which means they are compatible with any number of gears, but also that you need to guess exactly where to position the shifters. Not as complex as it sounds, but still not as simple as indexed, especially for the mechanically challenged. By comparison, index shifters click at each gear position and are easy to use, but they are good for a certain number of gears.
Current downtube and bar-end shifters have both an indexed and a non-indexed mode. STI doesn't.
(锕侊箒)~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by Michel Gagnon
You mean : the old downtube shifters? Actually, I could rephrase and say "this is where friction has the advantage."
Older downtube shifters were in friction mode only, or as in the case of Suntour shifters, in retro-friction mode, which means they are compatible with any number of gears, but also that you need to guess exactly where to position the shifters. Not as complex as it sounds, but still not as simple as indexed, especially for the mechanically challenged. By comparison, index shifters click at each gear position and are easy to use, but they are good for a certain number of gears.
Current downtube and bar-end shifters have both an indexed and a non-indexed mode. STI doesn't.
Geeze,I know about friction, and index. AFWIW, Campy downtube and barend index have never had a friction mode.
(锕侊箒)~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by sydney
AFWIW, Campy downtube and barend index have never had a friction mode.
Sorry, I thought having read they had.
Originally Posted by operator
This is where downtube has the advantage... win...!
Explain that one.
