Are there any drop-bar shifters that would work with an older, 3x9 Deore XT groupset?

I'm considering converting my rigid MTB / hybrid city bike into a drop-bar gravel bike, and I'd like to do it with minimal changes. I've got:

a 3×9 Deore XT groupset;
and hydraulic disk brakes (Shimano BR-M355).

Sadly, I don't know which year the groupset was made. I think the bike, Scott Sub Speed 20, came out in 2016, but information on it is seemingly impossible to find online. The one page I did find lists different components, so my guess is the bike's previous owner swapped them out.

I know modern MTB and road groupsets aren't interoperable, but I've heard that wasn't always the case, and I know 3x groupsets aren't made anymore (at least not by Shimano), so maybe it's possible?

by LingonberrySpecific6

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nickobec on July 29, 2025 8:04 am

Any Shimano 3×9 compatible road shifters will work. Challenge is finding 3x left shifter, most are 2x. Sora 3×9 is readily available as are Microshift and Micronew depending on your budget.

You can also go 3×10, by changing your chain and cassette and using a Shimano 3×10 compatible road shifters (excluding Tiagra) that does restrict it to Microshift and Micronew.

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Are there any drop-bar shifters that would work with an older, 3×9 Deore XT groupset?

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