There shouldn't be any problem getting 2x7 Microshift shifters to work on a 7 speed freewheel (it is in fact a fw), should there?

only if you create a problem.

Microshift 7 speed shifters should be compatible with a Shimano 7/8/9 rear mech AND a freewheel spaced for Shimano indexing. If you are using an old Sachs Maillard freewheel or some other obscure non-Shimano spaced freewheel, I doubt indexing will work very well.

It's a Shimano freewheel on a Bikesdirect.com road bike. It has a double chain ring up front.

That being the case, you should be good so long as the rear mech is a Shimano 7/8/9 speed.

They should work. I had a bike with 3x8 microshift and it worked fine. It was not refined at all and a little harsh when shifting, but it worked for more than 10.000km until I sold the bike.

Save your money and put it towards a bike that makes more sense for your riding. A BD Moto-becane (which is just a bought name with no sense of quality or history attached) with a freewheel is not a bike to put money towards, run it into the ground and if the frame is ok donate to a charity that takes bikes and save your money for the bike that has the shifting and braking you want and ideally find it at your local shop.

Sunrace branded Microshift 2x7 brifters are $30. That $30 is not going to make much of dent in a $2000 new bike.

It's a bolt-on part. If and when the OP is ready to move on to a better bike, he can easily take these off, put the original shifters back on, and sell the Microshifts on Ebay (or use them on his next project)
In any event, if you are not racing, I see nothing wrong with an entry level BD bike. Just keep the hubs, pedals and headset greased and adjusted and it's no worse than most name-brand bikes from the 80's and 90's.

Where are you seeing those for sale? This is all for a friend/former coworker who wanted to start riding but is on a budget. He bought the bike new off BD almost two years ago. If I had been using Facebook marketplace back then, I would have helped him find something on there.

I'm assuming brifters from Chinese brands like Sensah or MicroNew are to be avoided?

Where is a bike from BD 2k that also has a freewheel? That seems hiiiiiiigh like super high. Maybe they listed their fake price at 2K but that price is not real and does not exist.

I mean yes you could but low cost shifters that are used don't have a lot of value and when you look at the bike it isn't going to be one of quality. Nothing has to do with racing here and if this were a vintage Motobecane that is from France and is actually real then maybe could be worth it but if I am going to spend say $500 on a bike which is super low it would be the simplest bike possible with the highest quality parts. I would not want 7 speed stuff in 2025 unless it is pure vintage stuff from the 80s or early 90s.

As far as I was able to determine last year when I was looking for shifters, MicroNew is a blatant rip-off of Microshift; I haven't seen anything overwhelming positive to suggest not going with the real thing. Sensah: I have an 11-speed Empire group and so far it has been a solid performer; it is SRAM-style shifting but not quite as precise. I can't comment on their lower speed stuff because I do not have any knowledge of it. If it were me, I have seen enough positive feedback on Microshift's offerings, & have had positive experience with their 10-speed group, to say that I would not hesitate to going with their stuff. Sunrace might even have something to offer, but again, I have no idea of their quality when it comes to shifters.

I thought on Ebay, but I can't find them now. So either they sold or it was somewhere else. Sunrace's website does not show 7 speed brifters. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Here's the Microshift version for $57:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/18690147001...Bk9SR-z29LXAZQ

You were talking about saving up for a nicer bike. I used $2000 for the starting price of a nice bike. $30 or $50 shifters are not such an expense that it would delay the purchase of such a bike for any amount of time.

No but the point is putting money towards a bike that isn't worth it to start with is just a poor idea And if we are talking road shifters they are 96.99 MAP so double or triple your stated price.

My friend's bike has a double up front, so the 3x7 brifters I'm assuming wouldn't work?

My friend isn't a serious cyclist and he's on a budget. He just wanted something to tool around on, maybe do the occasional 20 mile ride. The bike has a Kinesis 6061 al frame with a chromoly fork. It has Shimano SL-A050 shifters, which he told me are terrible, as they move around on the bars when he tries to shift.

The price is the price. It doesn't get more expensive because you use the magic MAP word.

It works for doubles. Just use the first 2 positions.

Yes the price is the price, a knockoff or fake does not equal the price. I know you want it to be so, everyone does. Cheap stuff below cost is either not real or someone is losing money. and I don't think Microshift wants to loose money Also the shifters you are looking at are 3X and we need 2X here. Thanks for playing all of our runners up will get a copy of the home game.

Another thing is, to further improve the shifting, I encouraged him to replace the Tourney rear derailleur with an Altus one. Do you guys think this one would work all right?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30387906199...mis&media=COPY

If they have to list authentic in the title that is not a good sign. Again Shimano doesn't sell through 3rd parties. Your local shop could get you another similar cheap derailleur with maybe fewer problems than tourney or not but in the end just save the money and put it towards a bike that makes sense for his riding.

Dude, you own a bike shop. You are unaware that 3 speed front shifters can be used for 2?

And I guess you're trying to say that Taiwanese shifters sold for 25% less outside the wholesale/retail supply chain must be counterfeit - but I doubt it.

the Altus shown will be a direct swap with a TX-35, etc. "big pulley" tourney RD... if the tourney you're replacing has Small pulleys, you might need a longer chain... if the stock chain has yet to be replaced, i Highly Advise doing so ASAP.
I've also had great response using the Alivio Derailleurs to replace tourneys...
the Altus is one i think of as a "problem solver" choice.... I've had a couple bikes that refused to work right with a Deore or XT, and installing the altus had everything suddenly working smoothly! and a really badly welded Trike(hanger TOO FAR Forward) suddenly was able to shift with an Altus like the one in the pic, and a better chain...
most cheapo chains exhibit excessive side slop, and that slop causes sluggish shifting...
the standard Go-To New chain for 6-7-8 sp. drivetrains is either a KMC x-8 or a SRAM PC-830. Both work well.
there are "upgrade " models of both available... i try to use the nickle plated ones if the budget allows.
Shimano chains (CN-HG71) also work very well. and tend to last 30% or so longer. IME