I can tell you when I converted an Ultegra 9 speed bike with 52/42/32 crank, to a flatbar setup, I replaced a Ultegra triple front derailleur with a FD-R443 front derailleur and it worked (indexed) perfectly..here is the cut and paste from the Shimano website.http://www.shimano.com/publish/conte...andlebar.html#

9-Speed Flat Handlebar front derailleurs are specifically designed to run between the SL-R440-9 Rapidfire shift levers and Shimano 9-Speed road cranksets. Model FD-R440 is for double chainring systems. For triple chainring systems, use model FD-R443 (for 52T big ring) or model FD-R453 (for 50T big ring).