Maybe you’re looking to give yourself a more upright position on your road bike. Perhaps, you’re hoping to upgrade the drive train on your hybrid. Whatever the reason, if you want to run flat bars with one of the new SRAM 22 eleven speed drivetrains you’re in luck. As the next logical step in the evolution of their flat bar shifters, the S-700s slate in above the 10 speed SL-700.
Relying on the same form factor as the current SRAM X-series mountain bike shifters, the S-700 is a two lever design. While it will shift with the same mechanics as the mountain bike line, the shifter uses the Road Exact-Actuation technology instead of the X-Actuation found on the mountain bikes. To build in the 11 speed compatibility, the S-700 front shifter is Yaw compatible which should bring excellent flat bar front shifting to the road world.
The shifters are limited to 2×11 drivetains which means no triples, though you can get fairly low with a SRAM WiFli set up. Also Matchmaker X compatible, the shifters will play nice with single clamp set ups if you plan on running SRAM hydraulic brakes. Available in February 2015, a pair will retail for $81 (€72, £62).
