Interesting takes from all of you on this.

I have a few brifter trash bikes, that came that way at purchase.

One is Shimano (DA), the other two incarnations of Campy. All are
8 cog rears, because I am phobic about narrower chains than those.

Here are some obligatory show off pictures:





All of this is only an excuse to say that I, too, think
they work swell, and are a particularly nice feature
on the tourist. But they are expensive and I hope
to god I can figure out how to fix them when and if
the time comes.........I probably ought to be working
on that now.

As much as I dislike Shimano as a company, the DA brifter
setup shifts more cleanly, positively, and with a shorter throw
than either of my Campy equipped bikes. It is possible I
am not familiar enough with them to set them up as well,
but I do not think so.....and I had to do considerable repair
and replacement in the drive train on the Battaglin, which is
the Shimano equipped bike. The others were pretty low miles
when I got them. File this in the FWIW folder.