Originally Posted by arex

Got a dumb question about shifters. The bike I'm putting back together is 3x7 HG gearing, and I need some road-type shifters to work with it.

Finding 3x7 or 3x8 bar-end shifters is almost impossible, though that's what I'm really after. There's a lot of 3x10 shifters available that convert to friction, which I'd be fine with...however, I don't know anything about the standard amount of cable pull on new shifters, and whether it's sufficient for controlling a 7-speed derailleur. It makes sense that it would be, but I'd like to be sure before I invest.

Also, I found some inexpensive Shimano 3x8 brifters, ST-2300 and ST-2303 assemblies. Anyone have any experience with the quality of them? I'm fairly sure the RH 8-speed shifter would work, but I'm not sure about the LH 3-speed. Did I read correctly that Shimano road and MTB front derailleurs have different throws, and I'd need to swap in a road derailleur for this to work?