Hot take: old 9-speed parts are more reliable than new 12-speed groupsets

I put a 9-speed Deore drivetrain on my commuter last month after my 12-speed XT started ghost shifting after two muddy rides. The shifting is so crisp and I haven't had to adjust anything since day one. But then my buddy swears his new 12-speed Ultegra has been bulletproof through 2,000 miles of rain and gravel. Am I just lucky with old tech, or is there something to these simpler systems holding up better in real world use?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_park81d ago

Man idk lol, I ran a Microshift 9-speed on my commuter for two years through slush and salt and it never missed a shift once. I think the simpler spacing just handles dirt and cable stretch way better than modern hyper-tight cassettes. My buddy with 12-speed is always bleeding brakes and indexing while I'm just riding my bike.

mason_lee1d ago

Modern 12-speed works fine if you actually maintain it properly.