Looking at buying a relatively cheap 2nd hand gravel bike which is likely to have a dated groupset - 9 or 10 speed Tiagra or 105. Would it be wise to also buy a few compatible cassettes, chains and maybe a rear mech too? Likelihood is these parts will still be obtainable in years to come but better to be safe than sorry I guess
I don't think so, some bikes still come with freewheels so 9 or 10 speed won't go out of production any time soon
Glad to hear that you’ve written off my bike as obsolete.
9 speed is still current so I really can’t see why that would be a problem
10 speed is also still current in Tiagra. It can also run 11 speed mechs.
Possibly the only one to watch for is 10 speed early Tiagra (cables exit the shifter at right angles not under the bar tape) and 10 speed 105. These ran a different pull ratio and aren’t current. So maybe there is a risk. But I doubt it. But chains etc. are the same
I'm less sure on on mountainbikes but on road atleast
8 9 10 are interchangeable wrt deraileurs etc its only the shifter that makes a difference.
I've yet to step up to more than x8 (after a daliance with an 11speed ultegra road bike).
My mountainbike has a suitable current 46tooth cog on the back for a 1x8.
If you're happy with a certain set of components and you can stock up cheaply, it's a good feeling when they subsequently become unobtainable or vastly more expensive. Then you want to get the back-up frame, just so you aren't potentially stuck with a bunch of spares that'll become redundant should yr frame fail... buy a bigger house to store all the stuff is what I'm saying.
I would get a set of the ‘consumables’ if You find find them cheap. Shimano will have 9 spd bits forever but lower end which will still work fine. They need a bomb proof cheap groupo for electric bikes as well.
Unlikely to be 9 speed if its 105/tiagra as they went ten speed well before gravel bikes were a thing.
If looking at rear mechs just watch out as tiagra changed the cable pull from one generation to another.
The older 10 speed tiagra and 10 speed 105 you can use a 9 speed MTB mech which gives you more options replacements and for cassettes as the road mechs were officially limited to 32t.
All we have in my household are "dated" 8/9/10 speed drivetrains.
My advice would be not to worry; someone, somewhere will always be willing to sell you a cassette. I'm quite taken with SRAM cassettes lately and have a mixture of PG970 and PG1050 across various bikes (with Shimano mechs).
Also 11 speed chains work fine with all of them (IME) and cost relatively little today, if I was going to stockpile anything it would be PC1110 chains whenever they turn up cheap.
YMMV of course...
Edit:
If looking at rear mechs just watch out as tiagra changed the cable pull from one generation to another.
IIRC Tiagra 4700 changed the cable pull, 4600 will talk to older 8/9/10 speed '2:1' shifters, 4700 and later won't.
I am a bit of a hoarder, but now what I do is make sure I hoard full sets, so its all well and good having a 9 speed cassette but keep a shifter, chain and mech to go with. You'll be gutted when you break one and can't get hold of any of the other bits...
I think hoarding is only really necessary if you find yourself owning a bike with a 'failed' standard.
Would it be wise to also buy a few compatible cassettes, chains and maybe a rear mech too?
There's nothing stopping you, but there's no need. You can still buy brand new stuff for 7/8 speed.
My road bike has 10 speed tiagra shifters with a 9 speed ultegra rear mech from about about 1998. Works fine.
I’d do some sums
The cost of the stock piled bits might be enough to take your budget to a more modern spec bike
Thinking about it, Levers are probably the thing that will drive you towards Stockpiling other parts.
If you end up buying something with older model shimano road group levers (R2000/3400/4500/4600/5600/5700/6600/6700/etc) you'll probably find they just won't bloody die! And while they're still functional it's hard to justify the cost of replacing an old set of 'brifters' with expensive new ones (and the whole new groupset that probably goes along with that).
All of those levers will play nicely with 8/9/10 road (pre-4700), and 8/9 MTB mechs (pre-dynasis) and just about any Cassette, on 8/9/10 speed (depending on the number of clicks at the bar).
actually Ultegra 6600 levers are still a bit sought after in some circles, despite being a "bit out of date", mainly because the side exit make full cable changes easier than under the tape type routing, and the quality of the shifting mean they're still pretty good levers by lots of people's standards...
So if you're doing sums and trying to decide whether to
1- buy an older bike, run it as is, replacing parts as they wear out with the currently available equivalent or...
2- buy an older bike, flog all the drivetrain (and related) parts off and buy shiny new stuff or...
3- buy a whole brand new (or much more recent used) Gravel bike...
I Reckon it comes down to 1 or 3, trying to drag a gravel/cross bike from circa ~5-7 years ago up to spec with current spec 11speed Road/Gravel parts (quite likely to have different brake and/or hub standards) will potentially be a real pain in the arse and/or wallet (IMO/IME)...
Just rolled down the bike shop over lunch to pick up a 7 speed freewheel.
No problems there.
Though i would suggest that the older stuff doesnt get included in deals any more.
I downgraded my MTB mech from X9 to X5, as i couldnt justify paying the full RRP for a 10yr old (brand new, but X9 has been around a while) 9 speed mech.