let's talk 8 speed.........

So why was it so short lived ? For me it seemed like it was the top shimano set for only a couple of years. (97-99)
From memory by about 1999 , 9 speed was the way to go, and pretty much still is.
Did Shimano get it right with 9 (and 6 and 7 speed) and wrong with 8 ??

My 7 speed Specialized shifts so well compared to my 2 8 speed GT's. Yet the shimano cassette,shifters and mechs are all bottom of the range stuff ( well, it is my wifes bike !). You really can't hear/feel the changes.
By comparison my 2 XT equiped GT's never shift as well.

8 speed was born around 93? 94? for mountain bikes

m900 1992/3 onwards with 8 still found on the lower stuff

As above Shimano brought out 8 speed when they released XTR on the world
That was late 1991. Suntour around the same time. Someone will have done it earlier on road bikes as well.

How long was seven speed around for... given early 90's was a large MTB boom tech tends to advance quickly at that time.



I'll add that 8speed is compatiable with 7 speed, distances are the same and you could make 7 speed by dropping a cog and spacer if you wanted, or make 8 speed (on 7 speed freehubs) by adding a screw on 11tooth.
Chains are the same, shifter would work with either (you may miss or have an extra gear on the shifter)

Now 9 speed is after my time BUT it not compatible so when bikes are speced with it you need to buy 9 speed. Bring it down the range and you have blanket 9 speed and so sealing of 7 and 8 speed to a death as you cannot buy much of it or need to change to much at once from that nice new bike you bought.
That's my guess.


Though 8 speed cassetes and chains can still be bought and can single speed.
5/6 speed is much harder to get hold of.

I prefer 8 speed, had a great time using it for the 1st time in... 8 years... on the weekend. For me even though the 9speed has more ratios, I jsut always found the 8 worked better for me. Only reason i changed after 7 years of happy use, broke a shifter and in the 5 minutes before I discovered buying stuff on the internet in 2000, you jsut couldn't get an XT 8speed shifter where I lived :evil:

Wow.I must have missed the first half of 8 speed's dominance.Bought the karakoram just as 8 speed was in decline.

Dunno what it is though,as the 7 speed specialized still shifts better !

You've only got to see the silly prices that anything Xt and 8 speed goes for on ebay.It's enough to turn me onto 9 speed stuff. In particular a set of M739 shifters. these seam to sell for close to what a new set would be (if you could buy them). £50 is not unusual. My LBS did have a set of NOS XT STi's (boxed). I only wanted a set of shifters, but found myself buying them anyway !

Cassettes are still available but only 28-11's . Can't find any 30-11's (did they do 32-11's ?)

i didnt really ride with 7 speed, but i do like the shift of an 8 speed compared to 9 speed
im building up a 1991 specialized rockhopper with 7 speed so i will see what i missed?

For me 7 speed was fine (I only used DX thumbies for that), 8 speed was better (using 94 XT rapid fire plus was just brilliant at the time), then going to 9 speed... was the same but more gears to click through that didn't "seem" to do anything, and a thinner chain that i seem to break more often (but that could be lack of maintence...)

Dura-Ace Integrated 8 in 1989 was the first 8 speed group. Followed by the first road STI kit in 1990, but that was a test bed for a little while and didn't go into production for a little while...

the great roberto":1xr3hwox said:

did they do 32-11's in 8 speed ?

Click to expand...

Yes they do.

Note 'official*' 8 speed started out in the none compact world with XTR and was 12-28 & 12-32 configurations. It's also interesting to note this brought the 'spider' concept to the cassette.

You can buy HG-50 11-32 from here http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Shim ... -16589.htm

oh and CRC still have some, mainly SRAM
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Cate ... =PRICE_ASC

Like I mentioned before 8 (unofficial, as in not with a groupset) speed used a screw on sprocket and was usable before XTR was introduced. If I remember correctly it did mean redishing the wheel and moving some nuts around.