I'm using an XT 9 speed rear derailleur with an 11-32 9 speed cassette with a Dura Ace 7700 bar end on my Poprad. It shifts perfectly fine in index mode on dirt/gravel, but I can't see racing with it (I'm not a racer anyway). I do find that if I get sloppy with my shifts the indexing alone sometimes will not click in exactly. So, it will go up two cogs or stay in the gear I'm in, hanging up between gears. This happens mostly when I'm shifting while climbing. If I pay attention to what I'm doing, no problems.
I would say that if you have the parts, use what you have and if it works, you're good to go! If not, then maybe move on to an MTB derailleur.
BTW, I am going to 1x9 on this bike, removing the big ring and retaining the 39t. I will be using a BBG Bash Guard and a Jump Stop as a budget move. If I find I like the setup I'll spring for the narrow/wide chainring.
Here's the bike.
Originally Posted by
AK404
I've got a similar problem, but I was thinking of using a spare Dura-Ace 7700 9spd (short cage) RD (or its Ultegra counterpart) & 12-25 cassette in back with a 38T Race Face or Wolf Tooth wide-narrow chainring up front. Thinking of using a Dura-Ace 7700 bar-end shifter because I don't want to buy too many parts for this.
I'm not planning on doing any serious racing, but what kind of potential problems will I be running into? Should I consider using a MTB RD? I usually keep MTB and road bike stuff apart, so I don't know how it'll all gel together. How will a MTB RD interact with a bar-end shifter?