Flat Bar Conversion question
 

Hi folks, I am converting one of my lightweight bikes to a flatbar and I would like to use an extra SRAM X7 shifter I bought. I have a 9 speed Shimano cassette and a Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur. When I tried it, obviously there is a "ratio" problem as it took only 5 or 6 clicks to go from the smallest cog in the back to the largest. For the fun of it I hooked up my bar end shifters and it shifted smoothly to each gear. My question is - If I want to use my ultegra derailleur, must I buy another brand of 9 speed flat bar shifter? If so, what works best. How about buying a derailleur that matches the SRAM X-7? Would that be cheaper and work as well as the ultegra? I have a 12-27 Shimano rear cassette and a 50-36 Compact crankset. Obviously, I am struggling with coming up with a combination that will work well and I am open to any suggestions you all might have. Thanks.

SRAM X.xxx shifters are incompatible with Shimano derailleurs. As you've found, the SRAM shifters pull more cable than Shimano derailleurs can use.

You can use Shimano "flat-bar" shifters, but that may mean you will need a different front derailleur. (See my earlier reply here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...my-derailleurs )

Would you object to friction shifters? They're generally cheaper, and learning to shift them is no big deal: http://harriscyclery.net/product/var...fters-2741.htm