Thinking of my new bike with MTB XT flat bar shifters & a 105 crankset/cassette – will this work? CRC says that the crankset is only compatible with 105 road type shifters though?
any advice before I part with the cash!!

On a flatbar roadbike I have run Deore LX 7sp rapidfire shifters across a 105 groupset. I am now running a Deore XT longcage mech on that same 105 groupset on a drop handlbar bike except the shifters are now Sora STI.
I’d have thought you’d be ok but in truth cannot really comment about the more modern 10sp stuff.

10 speed mtb and road are not good bed fellows. iirc rear mechs do not cross over but can use 9speed mtb mech with road shifters. how that works the other way I cannot recall.

road 6-10 speed and mtb 6-9 speed work together (if the chain fits), mtb 10 speed has 2x (or so) the cable pull, so doesn’t.

mtb and road front shifters are not cross compatible either.

Hi.I have tested the following:
1.road 8 or 9 speed works well with MTB 8 or 9 speed.
2. Cranks all work fine with whatever, but best with the right set-up…ie you probably wouldn’t notice any drop in shifting performance.
3. 10 speed MTB cassettes have different spacing to road 10 speed with shimano. Will not work.
4.10 speed MTB shifters have different cable pull to road shifters.
Hope that helps…

The spacing is off, but only by 1mm across the casette, so it can just about work if you set it up right, its only 0.4mm at each end as the top and botom are limited by the screws not the gears normaly.

Your best bet is the ultegra level flat bar shifter, or 9 speed, or pauls components thumb shifter mounts and shimano downtube shifters to match the groupset.

all good comments, thanks

advice before I part with the cash

…reads like you haven’t purchased anything yet, so why not, as TINAS suggests, just opt for the proper flatbar road shifter.

Tiagra

or if you prefer – Ultegra (although it’s out of stock at CRC, I’m sure your LBS can get it for you).

Agree with TINAS wholly, the cassettes, whilst being a different width, work fine, but you may as well get the proper shifters rather than bodge.

yep went for the proper flat bar shifters in the end, twas me that cleared out CRC!

Some eBay seller was doing the Tiagra ones for £59.99. Same internals as the Ultegra and work a treat with 105.