Sorry to post again so quickly but I think you'll get adjusted to the setup, I'm running 9 speed on my commuter/long distance bike with tektro levers and friction bar-ends. Like I said I came from downtube shifters so it was an easier time for me but you'll get the hang after a few rides, I made the switch to friction in the middle of winter. I've recently discovered that I can shift with the bottoms of my hands when I'm riding in the drops using the pad of my hand with a twist of the wrist... hard to explain but it's a nice perk if you like riding in the drops. I've had no problems with the tektro levers and I did a century on them last week.