It looks like Ultegra will also be 10 sp next year. Trying to keep up with Campy it seems. BTW, does anyone really believe that 10sp offers any real world advantages over 9 sp?
I think the better question is “does that extra cog give you a real world advantage?” 
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BTW, does anyone really believe that 10sp offers any real world advantages over 9 sp?
Absolutely, the more gear choices the better. A 12-25 is better than a 12-23 on most terrain.
Shimano is marketing to the “Bigger is Better” crowd.
Such a shame, it’s not about size it’s about how you use it.
-The next greatest signature…when I feel like it…
** “does that extra cog give you a real world advantage?”**
Good question- does it? I would guess it might if it gave you a lower low gear. Is it much of an advantage to if it’s just used for a smaller spread between the low to high gears?
The new 10 speed doesn’t give you more upper or lower-gear room. It gives you a 16t cog (or some other middle gear) that you didn’t have before.
I live in a hilly area and upgraded the road bike this winter. I have 9sp Dura-Ace. The question was opt for ten gears or go to a 50/34 compact crank. IMO, it was a no brainer. I went for the compact cranks.
If you live in a flat area you’d really have to wonder about 10 sp.
"The new 10 speed doesn’t give you more upper or lower-gear room. It gives you a 16t cog (or some other middle gear) that you didn’t have before. "
-vs-
“If you live in a flat area you’d really have to wonder about 10 sp.”
Now I’m gettin’ confused. How does another middle gear help me in the hills? I could use another lower gear, but another middle one? What for?
Exactly. But the 50/34 compact cranks with an 11-23 give more versitility than 53/39 with 12-25. And a lower end, higher end and closer gear spacing.
I just got the new DA 10 sp and the extra gear doesn’t really matter but the quality compared to the 9sp is outstanding. You get more than just one extra gear. Is it worth it? That’s up to you to decide.
Mikael
Does anybody know if the Ultegra 10 speed is going to look like the D/A10? No offence to the D/A10 owners, but I’m not thrilled about the looks of the crankset. I’m sure it’s awsome kit, just an aestetic thing with me.
TIA
Brett
"the extra gear doesn’t really matter…the quality compared to the 9sp is outstanding…Is it worth it? …That’s up to you to decide. "
OK, I go along with that if its so. My point though was about performance advantage or lack there of. Sort of like comparing discs IMO.
In Reply To
OK, I go along with that if its so. My point though was about performance advantage or lack there of. Sort of like comparing discs IMO.
I don’t think you will go faster with a 10 sp. Once in a while (9 sp), I feel that one gear is little to easy and the next one little too hard. This has as much to do with cassete choice as with 9 vs. 10 sp. So, faster with 10sp? Not me anyway.
Mikael
Does anybody know if the Ultegra 10 speed is going to look like the D/A10? No offence to the D/A10 owners, but I’m not thrilled about the looks of the crankset. I’m sure it’s awsome kit, just an aestetic thing with me.
TIA
Brett
Most people(including me) I’ve talked to felt the same way looking at the pictures, but seeing it up close on a bike it looks gorgeous.
I’m still running 9 spd, but I think the potential advantage of having the extra 10th gear would be to have the option of using a 12-25 or 12-27 and still have reasonable gaps between gears. I often use a 12-27 because of doing some steep climbs, but would sometimes like closer gearing in the middle. This is where 10spd could help. Even if you didn’t usually need the hill gears, you could run them and have the bailout gear without the bigger gaps in gearing… kind of like the best of both worlds.
Ultegra 10 is not quite as “edgy” as the duraAce 10, sort of like the difference between BMW’s 7 series and 5 series styling. they can afford to push the enveloppe with the high-end stuff a bit more than with the middle of the road products.
Gerard.
BTW, does anyone really believe that 10sp offers any real world advantages over 9 sp?
cerveloguy,
IMHO I think this is a question for the expert, Record10ti. If anyone knows the answer, he does and he has the personal experience to boot!
Maybe we’ll be fortunate and be granted his response.