Originally Posted by
Diatad
Spoke with the mechanic today- he insists that the dura ace shifters will only work with a dura ace RD. I told him I had heard and read otherwise, and he invited me to try. Maybe some sort of fear of liability?
He also told me that my sram 9 speed chain (pc971) was too short and that he had to add a link? Anyone know why?
This is wrong for 9-speed. For 6,7,8 speed (the old stuff) this was true but not anymore. Those shifters should work with any "normal" (non Dyna-Sys) Shimano indexed rear derailer. Mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about.
Chain length is a separate issue, determined by the big-big combination. Had to add a link compared to what? Was the brand new chain not long enough? I suppose this is possible.