I'm far from the uber-experienced rider some posters here are. But compared to the down-tube shifters of the old days and the couple times I tried someone else's bike with bar cons, I much prefer brifters. No problems on my Natchez Trace/Mississippi River Trail tour this past Fall. I was pulling a single-wheeled trailer with about 45 pounds. The bike also had a pair of front panniers/handlebar bag weighing about 15 pounds total.