10 speed on touring bikes

[Erudin]

I've noticed new tourers (eg. Thorn and Dawes) now have 10 speed gear as the norm, and some are downgrading to lower speeds as soon as they buy them. Does your tourer have a 10 speed cassette, are you happy with it?

[Mick F]

My bike is a "tourer", and not a "racer". I tour with it and never race.
It was originally built up by me as a 6sp double, then went to a 7sp double. 7sp was the maximum you could get back then.

8sp came along, but it needed a completely new hub, so I never bothered. Many years later, I modernised to 9sp (and went to triple at the same time), then later to 10sp triple.

I'll be on 11sp before my cycling life is through, or maybe 12sp. I'm all for as many ratios as I can get. The more the merrier for me, but I think I'll go "backwards" to friction DT levers for it as the continual Ergo developments aren't really necessary. If my 10sp Ergos bite the dust, they won't be replaced no matter how many cogs I have on the cassette in the future.

[CREPELLO]

No. 9 is plenty for me.

For some reason, whenever I vote in these polls I get a message saying my vote is invalid So my vote hasn't registered.

[Bicycler]

Yes. I mean it wouldn't be a deal breaker for touring in Europe. I'd prefer to stick to 8 sprockets or fewer and not have STI shifters but I would wear through a 10spd drivetrain before deciding whether it was worth the faff of upgrading ( ) to fewer gears and separate controls.

To be fair to the bike manufacturers they don't have a lot of choice because component manufacturers are progressively adding gears to their groupsets. Less than 10 speed increasingly means budget components

[karlt]

Less than 10 speed increasingly means budget components

Double win.

[Bicycler]

Less than 10 speed increasingly means budget components

Double win.

Haha, I agree. It is amazing how often the budget stuff works just as well as the expensive stuff

But, in an industry where branding is so important and there are too many snobs, are big bike companies going to put an entry level groupset on their flagship tourer?

[beardy]

10 speed Tiagra offers a range suitable for tourers and at a good price, it also works well enough.

The reason why I would not have a ten speed is because the chains can not be broken and joined with a chain tool not using any special links.
I use powerlinks to join my chains but like the fact I can always sort them out with a chain tool if needed.

[foxyrider]

Given that my tourer did one tour on 8 then upgraded to Campag 9 then again to 10 i've never seen any reason not to use 10 in terms of wear or even cost.

I have in fact just bought a new 'tourer' running a compact 2x10, whilst i might end up fiddling with the ratios it won't be because its 10 speed.

[RickH]

10 speed Tiagra offers a range suitable for tourers and at a good price, it also works well enough.

The reason why I would not have a ten speed is because the chains can not be broken and joined with a chain tool not using any special links.
I use powerlinks to join my chains but like the fact I can always sort them out with a chain tool if needed.

In 6½ of running a 10 speed the only times I've needed my chain tool has been to remove excess links when fitting a new chain. I keep the spare bit of chain, along with a couple of Wipperman Connex links (I like them because they are entirely tool free to join & split - an indefinite number of times too) in my toolkit in case I ever need to do anything out on the road.

Rick.

[TrevA]

I've just replaced the chain and cassette on my 10-speed Trek Domane. Tiagra 12-30 cassette was £12.99 and chain about the same price (SRAM1051). A couple of quid more than I paid for a 9 speed cassette and chain on my audax bike, but not a problem. The original chain and cassette had lasted for 6000 miles over 2 summers of riding, so it's a myth that 10 speed stuff wears out quicker.

[Bicycler]

A while back I had a bike which was 6 speed with an ultraglide cassette. Chains/sprockets honestly did last a lot longer than the modern 9 speed I had for comparison. That's even before you get into turning around worn out ones

I need to get myself one of those 6000 mile chains...

[swscotland bentrider]

My Fuego recumbent tourer is 10 spd XT throughout. Used it this year in Europe with no problems. Its done 3k miles on the original chain and sprockets. My conventional tourer is 8 spd. Mainly low rent kit. Used it in Brittany and the Highlands over the last 12 months. No problems. Amazing how cheap kit works just as reliably and almost as well!

[HowardW]

Where is the no I only want hub gears.....

[Erudin]

Where is the no I only want hub gears.....

Added

[Pandaz]

I voted YES

but saying that, I've been quite happily running a Sora 8 speed set up the last ten years!