Originally Posted by
Ember
Also, what's the biggest different between bar-end shifters and brifters? Is it being able to leave your hands on the handlebars and shift at the same time? Because my current bike has finger triggers and like those. I know the brifters are more expensive, but I'd rather pay up and be more comfortable.
I think it's more a question of which matches your cycling style more closely, rather than which is "better" or "more comfortable".
While everyone has their own unique style, in general, most of us fall into two categories--those who find a gear and stick with it, and those who find a cadence and stick with it.
If you find a gear and ride it--adjusting your cadence and pedal pressure with changes in traffic, terrain and wind--then bar end or downtube shifters will work just fine for you. (Or in the extreme, a fixie.)
I'm in the other category. I've found a fairly narrow band of cadence and pedal pressure that I prefer. Thus, I shift gears frequently in order to stay in that range. I'll run the cassette from one end to the other and back between stoplights. Integrated levers facilitate that. They let me shift so easily that I'm not even aware that I'm shifting. It's just that automatic. If I had to use bar ends or downtubes, my right hand would never be on the bars.