Im in the process of building a touring bike (on a budget, of course). Im using a Trek 520 frame, with an 8 speed Deore LX front and rear derailleurs and downtube shifters. I'm looking for a crankset, but 8 speed stuff is getting hard to find thru Nashbar, Performance, Supergo, etc...
My question is, will a crank designed for 9 speed components work with an overall 8 speed system? I've read the the 9 speed chainrings are thinner than 8, and this might contribute to excessive wear....what's the straight story?
I had the same problem and changed to 9sp cassette and chain ring. I didn't have problems with the front chain ring or shifting but the rear derailler would no longer index. I used and 8 sp chain for awhile then changed to a 9 with no noticable effect. It worked but I paid a performance price.
My opinion after the experiement is stick to 8 sp if you can find it. If you have to upgrade you can probably make it work but will pay a performance penlty unless you upgrade the whole drive train.
My question is, will a crank designed for 9 speed components work with an overall 8 speed system? I've read the the 9 speed chainrings are thinner than 8, and this might contribute to excessive wear....what's the straight story?
it works. shimano recommends using the 9-speed chain for it. i would too. that way, you're crank will last longer. when your casette wears down, you can buy a 9-speed one
