not changing from 8 speed

[perpetual dan]

I have an 8 speed road bike (mostly Sora). The front (triple) changing isn't right - STI has been sticking for a while if I overshift, and is getting harder to adjust reliably. Changing the levers seems like a likely prospect. Magpie tendencies aside 10 speed seems to involve changing a lot of bits all at once at great expense. This means my options are:
 - 2303 STI set, at £130 ish. I'm not sure I want a downgrade.
 - Hunt around for old stock Sora triple in 8 speed, probably a similar price.
 - R500 triple at £210 ish.
 - 6480 bar ends plus R600 brake levels at £90 ish. Sounds like a plausible alternative.
All plus cables if not sold with bits.

So, the questions:
1) Am I over-estimating the scope of changing to 10 speed?
2) Any reason not to fit bar ends?
3) Any extra bits I'm not factoring in?

Thanks!

[rafletcher]

1) No, I don't think so - front & rear mechs plus probably a band-on to braze-on converter for the front, rear hub (so a rebuilt wheel) and cassette, chain, shifters.

2) No, if you like them

3) Probably 

[Polar Bear]

Nowt wrong with 8 speed.  I personally have stuck at 9 speed for similar reasons.

[mcshroom]

Nor is there anything wrong with 2300 kit. Having tried Sora 8sp and currently using 2300 (and 2200) on my bikes I couldn't really tell a difference.

[Biggsy]

2)  It is not always necessary to change the chainset and front mech, especially if you don't mind the performance being very slightly sub-optimal.

The lower running cost of replacement 8-speed chain and cassette is a good reason to stick with 8-speed if you're happy with eight sprockets on the back, but do consider 9 or 10-speed (or even 11-speed!) if you might enjoy smaller steps between the gears without narrowing the overall range.  That's what it should be about, after all.

[perpetual dan]

Thanks all.

I had forgotten about the different hub, so 10 speed is even more expensive than I was imagining!

I'm happy enough with 8 speed - I have 10 speed on the mountain bike (because the deal for that was cheaper than an 8 or 9 speed version by the price difference on several chains), where it keeps nice gaps between wider high and lows. But I can't recall wishing for a gear in between two I have on the road bike - I'm not that much of a finely tuned athlete. One lower is, of course, a different matter.

[Karla]

Different hub?  Why?  Shimano 8, 9 and 10 speed road hubs are all 130mm OLN, what's the difference?
[EDIT: I'm positive that they're compatible: I'm currently running an 8 speed cassette on the same wheel as I used to use on a different, 10 speed bike.]

Another option is 'Shimergo': Campag 10 speed shifters work with Shimano 8 speed mechs and cassettes.

[phantasmagoriana]

I thought the hubs were the same too. I'm planning to upgrade from 8 to 10 soon (nothing against 8 speed, but my current drivetrain is not triple-compatible, so I'd be having to change everything anyway as I want a triple!). I wanted to keep the wheels though, and had just assumed I could stick the new 10 speed cassette straight on; is this not the case?

[tom_e]

Why would you need a different hub?
I did it myself - changed 8 speed to 10 on the same hub.  You just use the little spacer that comes with a ten speed cassette.

As an aside, If you're not after spending money on the shiny then a bar end for the front shifter would seemingly sort you at a push?

[Woofage]

Another option is 'Shimergo': Campag 10 speed shifters work with Shimano 8 speed mechs and cassettes.

^ this. Many (most?) shifters have the LH non-indexed so any front mech will work. On one bike I have Campag Veloce 10sp shifters with a "9sp" Ultegra rear mech (but with an 8sp cassette) and 105 front mech. I think the chain is 8sp.

[cuddy duck]

Presumably you've rejected downtube shifters as a possibility?

[LEE]

Why would you need a different hub?
I did it myself - changed 8 speed to 10 on the same hub.  You just use the little spacer that comes with a ten speed cassette.

+1

I regularly swap 8spd & 10spd cassettes between wheels, it's a 5 minute job.

The spacer is required as a 10spd cassette is slightly narrower than an 8spd (which seems odd to me, and like bad planning).  It makes the cassette stand proud of the hub/splines to allow proper tightening/compression of the cassette to the hub (It will work without the spacer but you will ride around wondering what the hell the rattling noise is.  Don't ask me how I know this).

I've had 10spd (105) for a few years now and it's nice and slick.  I'm glad I have it on my "best bike" but I don't think I'd ever bother on anything below my best, certainly not on a commuter or hack.  10spd raises the cost of everything for not that much benefit.

Shimano improve their ranges all the time so that my 105 is probably as technically blingy as Dura Ace from 10 years ago. 

If you like Bar End shifters then I'd go 8 spd and Bar End shifters.  That would be as reliable as a log-burning fire.

[perpetual dan]

OK, so no new wheel - thanks for the clarification.

Presumably you've rejected downtube shifters as a possibility?

Not entirely, but it would be band on around an oval tube and there are bosses for adjusters near the top of the down tube so it wouldn't be the most elegant solution.

[perpetual dan]

As an aside, If you're not after spending money on the shiny then a bar end for the front shifter would seemingly sort you at a push?

It would and I'd do that if it were properly broken and I couldn't afford to do the whole job. In the end the lack of symmetry would annoy me though.

[mattc]

In the end the lack of symmetry would annoy me though.

It never bothered Lance!

[Does that have any weight these days?  ]

[Biggsy]

In the end the lack of symmetry would annoy me though.

It never bothered Lance!

Yeahbut he was off his head on drugs! 

[MacB]

you could fit a thumb friction shifter up on the top near the stem. Some cheapo ones going on Amazon at the moment for about £6.

They are old school with the screw on bracket so you'd just need to bend it out a bit to fit. Or use an extension part to fit it to the wider clamp area, or even convert a light bracket.

[perpetual dan]

An update: the family were very good to me this Christmas. I got the bar end shifters and Cane Creek SCR-5C brake levers.
Problems so far:
1) The gear cable outers for the bars were too short to run the full length of the bar tape. I'd rather do that as bar-bag interference seems likely otherwise. Got some new ones.
2) The gear cable inner for the rear is also too short. Quite why I didn't measure before going to the bike shop for outers I'm not sure.

Otherwise, I've got it all re-padded, connected and bars taped up. I like the reach of the levers at first go. Looking forward to actually being able to ride!

[jsabine]

1) The gear cable outers for the bars were too short to run the full length of the bar tape. I'd rather do that as bar-bag interference seems likely otherwise. Got some new ones.

In practice, bar bag interference isn't a problem. The extra cable friction can be though - suck it and see, but the extra bends round the bars can be a bit too much.

2) The gear cable inner for the rear is also too short. Quite why I didn't measure before going to the bike shop for outers I'm not sure.

It'd be long enough if you were running the cables the way they were meant to go ...

(Well, probably)

[saturn]

I did today's club run on an 8 speed which has only been used for pub duties for the last year or so. While the gear shifts aren't quite as slick as 10 speed the only real differences I noticed were those attributable to the frame. If buying a new bike I'd go for 10 speed but I think the only reason I'd bother upgrading an 8 speed bike to 10 speed would be if it was my favourite frame which I wanted to keep as my best bike.

[perpetual dan]

Tandem length cable bought and fitted. Front shifts are better that they've been for a long time, and all gears and brakes are working well. The ability to trim the front is very satisfactory. Thanks for the input 

1) The gear cable outers for the bars were too short to run the full length of the bar tape. I'd rather do that as bar-bag interference seems likely otherwise. Got some new ones.

In practice, bar bag interference isn't a problem. The extra cable friction can be though - suck it and see, but the extra bends round the bars can be a bit too much.

The old STI version had cables which needed to be worked around the bar bag, and its mounts when not in use. It always felt like a compromise which would put pressure on cables in some situations. At the moment it is working fine, but I've got this in mind if it starts to get sticky.

2) The gear cable inner for the rear is also too short. Quite why I didn't measure before going to the bike shop for outers I'm not sure.

It'd be long enough if you were running the cables the way they were meant to go ...

(Well, probably)

Yes, I know.  Although it was 15cm too short with a fairly tight curve (the supplied outer) from the chainstay boss. It doesn't look that much longer as a way round.