Quote Originally Posted by SadieKate View Post
Wow, you must use a different internet than I do. 30 seconds found these from very reputable dealers.

http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp...t=55&brand=226
http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/c/COMPCASS9RDSH

There's also a little company called SRAM that makes Shimano-compatible cassettes, as do Miche and IRD, perhaps you've heard of it?

I'm with yellow as far as leaving the conversation. You appear more concerned with bling or some mind game than making your girlfriend happy and getting her on a bike. You get her there, you can upgrade any frame to 10 spd down the road. Upgrading girlfriends is a whole different ballgame.
A cassette might have been a poor example but 10 speed stuff is much more readily available than 9 speed or 8 speed. And as the years go by it will be harder and harder to come by 9 speed parts.

I've been through this bike newbie phase myself and have learned that once you start riding you'll want to upgrade to something beyond sora/tiagra/mirage/xenon. I would like to have something mid level to begin with that I can keep for a long time. I guess it's a gamble for me since I don't know if she'll stick with it but it's a gamble I'm willing to take.

We're heading out to a local trek dealer this afternoon to check out their inventory so hopefully they'll have something that fits her.