Someone on craigslist with new st-r700 short reach shifters:

[Cataboo]

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/1292906126.html

[Zen]

I just can't do it. I've already made a deal with Brian.
You have to come into the shop with me some time. It's all this compatibility that confuses me.

[Cataboo]

Your bike is 9 speed - 9 cogs on the rear, this is for 10 cogs on the rear, so it wouldn't work.

Other than that, there really shouldn't be huge compatibility issues - the spacing on all shimano 9 speed indexes are about the same. Sometimes it can be trickier to tune.

Sheldon brown's usually a good website to consult when you're trying to figure out whether or not what you want to do will work.

[Zen]

My bike is one speed.
Slow.

[Cataboo]

My bike is one speed.
Slow.

your bike has 27 degrees of slow. Slowness is an art.