9 speeds of love
 

Am i settling with my 9 speed bike or do i need to go to 11.
upgrade groupo.
i love the bike. enjoy it but maybe an upgrade would improve my satisfaction.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5180d0217d.jpg

If you are happy with the gear range and ergonomics, stick with what you have.

put the money towards N+1.

Nice bike! Only you know if it would make you happier with the bike. Do you feel like there are any big gaps from one gear to another, or feel like closer ratios from one cog to another would enhance your riding experience. Personally, a 9 spd cassette is fine with me. This is coming from someone who was used to riding 7 spd mtn.bikes (current is still "only" 8), before finally buying a road bike, so take it for what it's worth.

I agree; my Bianchi is also a 9 despite being 30 years newer than the OP's. ;) But I can't think of a gear I really need that just isn't there, and my granny gear is more than easy enough for the minimal hills I encounter.

In the old days we rode 5-speeds, where the difference between gears was probably more significant.

Why change anything? I would add pedals, though.

EDIT: I would ask the OP how much money (exact figure, please) he's willing to spend to upgrade this bike. Then we can discuss where that amount of money can best go. Exact figure.

Factor in the cost of disc brakes. More important than pedals.

If your current drivetrain doesnt work well, then sure- upgrade.
If you just want to try something different, then sure- upgrade.

If you want more satisfaction when riding, then get rid of those fixie tires and buy some quality tires. That is something which actually will change the feel and speed of your rides for $100.

Curious why you have 2 different brakes.

gearing/
 

all depends on the terrain where your riding.flat lands require less gearing.keeping it simple is best.:thumb:

Like Aggiegrads alluded to, put the money toward N+1. Big difference in currently offerings versus the 80s.

If it aint broke...
 

IMHO, 9 speeds is ideal. Of course it can depend on other factors on a particular bike, but more than 9 speeds is tedious to me. If you can find a 9 speed cassette with tooth numbers you like, you're golden. Ten speed is tedious to me; harder to know/ remember what gear you're in. Less than nine speed, cadence changes are bigger when you shift. Lots of factors, but nine speed is ideal for me, and the chains and cassettes are not too pricey.

For me, the big jump was moving from 5 speeds (2x5) to 2x8. Lots more cadence choices plus an actual climbing gear I'd never had before! It was like the scene in The Wizard of Oz where everything is in color for the first time.

With big jumps between cogs you might enjoy more of them or a triple crank allowing the same range with a tighter cassette.

The pro peloton didn't move beyond 12-23 until they got 10 cogs, with some riders sticking with 12-23 to have one tooth jumps through the 19 cog.

I'm as happy with my 8 speed bike as with my 9 and 10 speed bikes. Same gear ranges, not dependent on number of speeds. I've never owned 11 or 12. I'll buy them if/when I need to, but there's nothing in an 8, 9 or 10 speed that I'm at all dissatisfied with.

Not to say that anyone should avoid "upgrading". That's fun in itself and who knows, might bring marginal functional advantage and a lot of fun advantage (new stuff is fun).