STIs are hardly automatic transmissions at all you still need to know and understand cadence and the like. In fact STIs are less forgiving than DT Friction shifters. After racing with my friend (with friction shifts, he is more powerful than I am) in a local Crit, the ability for me to sprint with both hands on the hoods and shift by pulling the lever back slightly (SRAM Rival remember?) was enough for me to get the jump on him every single turn. Friction shifts are less finicky obviously and are more reliable but only more reliable than something that is fairly reliable already.