9-Speed Older 105 vs. 10-Speed Newer 105

[Starfish]

I think you should think about this in terms of whether, if you buy 105, you will eventually want to upgrade. If you think you will be happy with 105 for as long as you have the bike, by all means get it and save some $$$. If you view it as a temporary compromise, and think that you'll eventually be upgrading piece by piece, you should seriously consider buying Ultegra or DA when you purchase the bike, because it will be cheaper.

Yes, I agree. And, this is what I am trying to determine. Having only experience with a several years old 9-spd set up, I am curious how folks feel about the new 10-spd 105, after they have had it for awhile?

Thanks for all the great info, ladies. Keep it coming if you have comments!

[spokesnwheels]

Just speaking from experience. I ride with a 105 set-up, and have had the same one for 10 years. 105 Double and a 12/23 on the rear. Honestly I had the chain jump once off of the front der. just recently.

I am moving to a triple sometime in the near future, and I am considering sticking with the 105 group.

I haven't ridden anything with DuraAce or Ultegra, so I don't know the difference. I'm just happy with what I have experienced.

[Mr. SR500]

They are all very good groups. 105 is a great value for performance, but that said Ultegra is only around $200 more then 105 and the real sweet spot considering Dura-Ace is about $550 more then Ultegra.

With the higher end groups they are lighter and will shift a tad faster, and maybe smoother. I would say that a new 105 group would be on par with a 9 speed Ultegra maybe even DA group, as far as function. The new stuff is really nice.

Doubles are going to shift better then triples, simply by nature. You might look at a compact crank 50/34 with a 12/27 will give you a nice low end, without moving to a triple.

Also I would go 10 speed, while 9-speed components are still available, everything is now 10 speed, so it will be easier to get parts and upgrade in the future. I've got both 9 and 10 speed and wish everything was 10. Add in both Campy and Shimano and I have very few parts that I can swap between our 5 road bikes.

[mimitabby]

I have a 10 speed (campy) I honestly think all these extra gears are overkill.

I'd like to see a nice lightweight gear set with 3 gears in front and 5 in back.
then they could make the chain bigger again.

but what do I know?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My new custom bike is a 9 speed. 9 speed parts are not going to disappear any time soon....to many people like them! New parts for them can be found all over the place with the click of a button.
Don't count out 9 speeds just yet!