jonwvara 

Well, partly we're down on them because they're a sign of an entry level (or maybe mid level at best) bike. And because their finish or quality maybe wasn't typically super great, which in turn is because the market was all in the low end. Though as I recall, the Suntour stem shifters on my old Super Mirage worked very well and had the vaunted Suntour power ratchet feature.
But apart from that, is there something objectively bad about them? I guess they're a little more awkward ergonomically than bar ends. Maybe they're less "racy" than downtube shifters because you tend to sit up straighter to shift rather than leaning down into a cool-looking aerodynamic crouch. Or what?

Sci-Fi

It's mainly a safety issue to why they fell out of favor. Just look at it's lever positions relative to your face and body parts and you'll understand what can happen in an accident situation. Function-wise, it was pretty easy to get to and use. Back then, some changed to thumb friction shifters for faster shifting while keeping your hands wider/further apart on the bars to keep control or moved the controls to the down tube or bar ends.

mkeller234

Like you said, I do not like the position or reach for them. Even on my Schwinn Collegiate, I did not like the position of the stem shifter. My Suburban had a thumbie by the grip that was much more enjoyable to use.

I think they look clunky placed on the stem, especially some of the taller ones that pass the stem height.

Like you said, they normally scream cheap bike. I have seen them on Paramounts as a factory option and they still look bad.

Other than that, I haven't had any functional beefs with them. The suntour power shifters on the stem work pretty nice.

old and new

This is how the Co.s viewed it. The same reasons that the "7" stems fell out of favor as they provided that pointy angle. Stem shifters work OK. Easier to use for some so I don't get rid of them in most cases.

illwafer

in my opinion, it's just the looks.

to me, they are easier (better positioned) to use than downtube shifters. they are in a position that my hands never go (unlike bar-ends), which can be a plus or minus.

what i like about them is that you can get used 6-7speed indexed for next to nothing that fit on any old bike.

bikingshearer 

For the same reason "dork plates" on rear wheels are frowned upon - they mostly appeared on cheaper bikes and you never in a gazillion years would see 'em on a pro's bike. Then, as now, all the cool kids want to ride what the pros ride, or at least come as close as possible.

rhm

+1

The Suntour power ratchet stem shifters on my old Raleigh Grand Prix were excellent. Lately I've been fooling around with a early 70's Schwinn Super Sport with (Huret) "S" shifters that are pretty terrible, but that's not because they're stem shifters. It's because they're big clunky things attached to rusty Huret derailleurs.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I like stem shifters on in combination with an upright seating position.

I also really like Top tube mounted shifters

molarface

I think they're OK, but I'm a dork.
I do wonder about wear and tear on the shifter cables with them. It just looks like they have more twisting on them than other bar mounted shifters.

rhm

Less safe than downtube shifters? With your hand on the center of the bar you certainly lose leverage compared to the hoods or the drops, but you still have more control there than on the downtube.

rhm

I agree that stem shifters are the wrong choice if you're riding from the drops or the hoods. Stem shifters are best if you're riding on the tops of the bars, relying on turkey levers for braking. The fact that so many people were riding like that, however, just shows that the bike boom ten speed was a poor choice for most riders of the era.

Should! But the location of the downtube shifters relative to the handlebar depends on the size of the frame and, therefore, on the size of the rider. Downtube shifters are more conveniently located for smaller riders; tallers rider have to reach quite a bit farther down.

I stopped using downtube shifters maybe a dozen years ago, when I switched to Suntour Command and then STI and then to IGHs. I've only recently started riding a bike with downtube shifters again (it's a PX-10) and I ride it only occasionally. I'm not complaining; it's a lot of fun! But the truth is that on that bike I don't shift nearly as much as I do on my other bikes.

jonwvara 

I like bar end shifters, myself, though I have a couple of bikes with down-tube shifters, too. But caterham, I think you nailed the point I was groping for, which is that when one is riding on the drops or hoods, the stem shifters make you change your weight distribution in a sort of irritating way (my phrase, not yours). I think that's what I was trying to get at with the phrase "ergonomically awkward."
And I think there's also something to rhm's point, that it depends on where the down-tube shifters are mounted. In that sense, maybe brazed-on shifter bosses aren't the improvement people generally seem to assume they are, since they take away the adjustability of clamp-on shifters.
As I said, I like bar-ends, though there's that whole "but...but...cables are shorter with down tube shifters so shifts are faster and more precise." Well, maybe, but I can't say I've ever noticed it.

Panthers007

I had them on my Motobecane Grand Touring bike back in 1981. They worked just fine. They, too, were Suntour. When a ditz ran me over and sent me flying over the handlebars, they didn't get in my way at all.....My prized Moto GT was a total loss. Good think she had insurance.

noglider 

It's mere snobbishness over fashion. I used to be a snob for the above-stated reasons. There was also a belief that the extra bit of housing caused the shifting to be a bit precise. Strictly speaking, this is true, but how much precision is really important when you're commuting or tooling around at 12 mph?

Stem shifters are JUST FINE. You just won't see them on high-end bikes.

bigbossman 

There is nothing wrong with stem shifters, and for city/campus bikes they are actually a plus.

Schnayke

I always didn't like hitting one with my knee while climbing.

Rabid Koala

I had some SunTour power shifters on a Nishiki back in the 70's, I grew to like them quite a lot, at least until I tried barcons...

RatedZeroHero

I would never want to see my boys impaled upon some stem shifters!!!

PS I'd leave the dork disc on if they didn't degenerate into a crappy yellow mass of sh*t...

curbtender

Give them what they want. I have people all the time tell me they are looking for a bike with stem shift(not way down there) and suicide levers (brakes up top). Oh, and those skinny tires.

Doohickie

I like stem shifters just fine. They are a helluva lot better than downtube shifters, at least for me. I had a bike with downtube shifters for 20 years and they never felt right; shifting always felt awkward and off balance.

spiker

My winter bike, a 25" Raleigh Rocord, has stem shifters & the rest of the fleet (63 cm & up) on the down tube. Obviously I'm on the tall side. I find my hands just fall right onto the DT levers, feels natural & intuitive. On the stem it feels either as if I'm doing half a Funky Chicken, one arm out flappin' in the breeze, or I'm giving myself abdominal thrusts.

I set up my step daughter's mixte with upright bars & cruiser seat & the stem bars work beautifully there

cycleheimer

I recently got a fairly decent touring bike that was converted (and nicely so) from DT to stem shifters. They even had the DT shifter bosses removed (somebody did a "pro" job, but ... ). They had also added safety levers for the brakes. Again, a "pro" job. To me, these 2 things stuck out as "cheapo" low-end in the photo used for the ad. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it in person, and figured I could convert it back. After riding it, however, I like it the way it is. It is a true touring bike, and I find I like the changes that were made...even though I am conscious of it looking like a lower-end model. I was concerned at first that the extra cable housing length would add drag on the smoothness of the shifting, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. The safety levers are also nice and tight, with minimal play. As far as my other road bikes...I have no plans to convert them to stem shifters, or adding safety levers. One bike with them is enough for me.

Charles Wahl

They're unpopular with C&V because there are no really sexy, high-quality ones. They all were manufactured for low-end bikes, and they look it! Someone prove me wrong, and post a photo of beautiful Simplex retrofriction stem shifters, or the like.

Sci-Fi

Might as well post some images of a couple of bikes with stem shifters (not mine):

DavidW56

I have a single DT shifter on my 5-speed Peugeot, and I have to say that it sometimes is a bit dangerous trying to find it while pedaling fast. I use this bike for commuting, so the pavement is usually bad, and there's usually traffic, and I usually don't ride in the drops, as I'm applying the brakes every block, so I'm trying to keep my eyes on traffic and the pavement simultaneously. Hm. Maybe I should go back to the Suburban with the stem shifters.