9-speed Durace parts availability

[3chordwonder]

I'm about to welcome an older bike sporting 9-speed Durace to my dusty garage.

Should I start stockpiling NOS spares as I come across them or are things like chains etcetera for the 9-speed system still available from Shimano?

[eddief]

for are brifters. and you know how often those break. otherwise probably plenty of everything else for many years to come.

[3chordwonder]

Thanks!

[11.4]

The bottom brackets are already out of production; Shimano only offers the 105 Octalink. If your bottom bracket is English and it's a double crankset, you can use the track 7710 bottom bracket which is basically an Ultegra clone with steel cups instead of the aluminum ones. It's a tad heavier but quite durable. The 105 has a reduced set of bearings. If you want to ride the 7700 bottom bracket, shop right now. There are still some around but they're going up in price, and Ultegra 6500 bottom brackets (the nicest Octalink BB's) have gone through the roof.

The brifters are already becoming a bit hard to find and because they're largely non-repairable and have a number of picky little bits that can terminate their lives, it's worth an extra pair. This is the first part to die in a crash as well.

You can use 10-speed derailleurs, the new 7850 rear hub, and of course any brakes with the group.

[texbike]

---------

[3chordwonder]

Thanks for the indepth answers to my question, much appreciated.

The bike is a Seven, so I'm going to make a wild guess and say it's an English BB thread in case I come across a NOS 9-speed BB.

Or am I sorely mistaken in that assumption? I know this particular bike was delivered with Durace - so it's not like it would have been originally built for Campy and then refitted with Shimano, which is one way I can imagine there being an Italian thread.

Sounds like the rest of the drivetrain can be 'upgraded' to 10sp Durace if and when necessary.

You can tell I don't do my own spannering!

[dave thompson]

Your Seven uses an English threaded bottom bracket.

[barry1021]

to find. New Ultegra 9 spd cassettes are very reasonably priced now--wouldnt hurt to sock one away in your preferred gearing

b21

[dwightskin]

Interesting how the OP, 3chordwonder, is welcoming an "older bike sporting 9-speed Durace" That could be anywhere from 3 years to 10 years old! Whew, blow the dust off that old geezer.

For my money, I would save a bottom bracket, but for the shifters, I would upgrade to 10 speed shifters and use a jtek shiftmate to shift the 9 gears. Or just get a 10 speed cassette (and 10 speed chain) along with new shifters and everything else should be OK to run it.

The 10 speed shifters are more comfortable, probably lighter and maybe even more durable.

Actual DuraAce 9 speed cassettes and bottom brackets are hard to find, but ultegra is available and 105 is very available.

Dwight

[Grant McLean]

Actual DuraAce 9 speed cassettes and bottom brackets are hard to find,
Dwight


I know of at least half a dozen suppliers with 9 speed dura ace cassettes
and bottom brackets in stock... shops can order it if they don't stock them.

The Ultegra octilink BB is a far better choice than the needle bearing 7700
for the average person not interested in constant maintenance of the bearings.

Just about everyone I knew in the '90s changed their 7700 bb for an ultegra,
that thing lasted forever.

-g

[dirtdigger88]

come on you can still find new 7 and 8 speed Dura Ace parts-

9 speed may be getting more expensive but you can still get anything you want

jason

[eddief]

i'm in the dark ages with square tapers on all four bikes.

[barry1021]

is currently having 20% off through Saturday. Add in 10% points and the 9 spd Ultegra cassettes (much better value than Dura Ace) and dura ace chains are a good deal.....

b21

[Grant McLean]

come on you can still find new 7 and 8 speed Dura Ace parts-

9 speed may be getting more expensive but you can still get anything you want

jason

Hey Jason,

When are you having a sale??

:D

-g

[PaulE]

and can't find a set on ebay or elsewhere, you can always buy the new Shimano High Grade STR 600

High Grade (http://bike.shimano.com/catalog/cycle/products/component.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441763171&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302053419&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181785&bmUID=1197057938006)

There is also already a STR 700 version for 10 speeds and a STR 500 for 8 speeds. The nine speed version says it's for smaller hands though.

[HSG Racer]

I have an almost complete near new DA9 set in my basement. DA10 came out shortly after I bought the set and I quickly upgraded all my bikes to DA10. So, if you need any DA9 components, email me an I can check to see if I have it.

:cool:

[3chordwonder]

Interesting how the OP, 3chordwonder, is welcoming an "older bike sporting 9-speed Durace" That could be anywhere from 3 years to 10 years old! Whew, blow the dust off that old geezer.

Dwight

Hey Dwight... now,I did carefully write 'older', not 'old'!

As a ti/carbon bike built more than 4/5 years ago with 9-speed, and probably designed almost a decade ago, reality dictates that it is what it is: one 'generation' removed from what's available right now. Just like myself.

I'll assess what state the various components are in when I get it. I'm sure the 9-sp Durace is plenty good enough not to warrant changing it all to 10sp Durace.

Main reason for my question was that I'd prefer not to get caught out a year or two down the track having to do the whole 'upgrade' just because of one suddenly hard to source component wearing out - you know what I mean.