On my roadie, as you can see from the pics on the link in my signature, the installation is clean and does not spoil the look of the bike - very important for us roadies!!!
Aahhhhh.... Now we get to the real heart of the matter here... Appearance!
Well, there is no accounting for taste, now is there?
And to whoever said, 'maintaining the wire', I'd like to know what is actually required to maintain a wire. It doesn't need adjustment, or lubrication. It doesn't need its bolts tightened, and it doesn't need to be clean. Its just a wire, very simple.
peace,
sam