Originally posted by zlj75
Hi everyone. Am finally building up my touring bike, have been searching for a frame forever, and have some questions on drivetrain compatibility. I am going to install 9 speed STI 105 levers, with an 8 speed XT crankset, and a xt 9spd cassette, and I'm trying to figure out what to be wary of. Will I be able to get 9 spd rings for the XT crankset, or will the 8spds be okay? And, can anyone recommend a front der? I have heard about potential issues between STI shifters and MTB front ders...
Thanks for the help. Zach
despite what shimano says about using 8 speed rings with 9 speed chains,I bet an 8 speed ring will work.I tried a new shimano 9 speed cahin on a 7 speed RSX crank yesterday with no apparent issues. I use 8 speed shimano rings with campy 10 speed and no issues.Alot of what they and other makers say is CYA.But you can get 9 speed rings for the xt crank.There are issues with STI and MTB front derailers.A road front derailer might hae issues with the small rings on the xt crank.If I just had to have STI on a touring bike, I would use it for the rear and a barend or downtube shifter for the front.