I have ridden with the sti shifters for years now and never had a problem with them they are very affective if you are riding on the hoods bar end shifters are good but you have to be in the drops to use them so i would say that depending on how you ride would determine a lot on which shifters you use.. as for reliability i have about 8000 miles on my trek 2100 with commuting in all kinds of weather and have never missed a shift.. and a good bike mechanic should be about to set it up for what ever gearing that you are using.. but like any index system when you put new cables on ride and use them for a couple hundred miles then have them readjusted and other than cable breakage you should never have a problem with them...