from my experiences with my red shifters, the forefathers of the 900s, i can say the smoothness, weight, and robustness of design is unspectacular especially for the carbon at that cost. actually, if one of these levers isnt attached to anything, it will flop around. this is about getting the saddle that fits your butt, the pedals and shoes that fit your feet, and the bars, tape, and levers that your hands like. the hood and blade shapes are great, and i want the ability to adjust lever reach.