indexed stem shifters were certainly made, i just do not know if any one is making stem shifters any more. i reccomended handlebar end derailleur control levers to one of my friends and he told that he never rides with his hands at the end of the drops so i said, you ride with your hands on the shift levers on the down tube? that is obviously nonsense, but he did take my advice. next time i saw him he said i hate to admit this but reaching to the shift levers at the end of handlebars is lot easier then reaching for control levers on the down tube. several posts on this subject complained that harris cyclery only had indexed handlebar end levers but both suntour & shimano levers had a friction & index options. if you use brifters index is the only option. i like the fact that the front levers are friction only, so you can use any combination of control levers & derailleurs, my chainrings have the center & large rings closer together than the center to granny ring.