I've owned a pretty wide variety of bikes, and over the years I've found exactly what works best for me for different types of riding. For commuting I use my early 90s mtb which has, by this point, all new parts. However, the shifters are Ultegra bar end shifters mounted to Paul Thumbies; essentially top-mounts. I prefer them to Rapidfire shifters. This bike requires very little maintenance. I basically just replace the chain once a year.
For recreational riding I have an
early 80 touring bike built up with only a small front rack and handlebar bag. It has the original Suntour drivetrain and Dia Compe cantilever brakes with non-aero levers. I've owned vintage "racing" bike with all the original components, but they weren't as comfortable and usually didn't have room for fenders and I couldn't mount the racks or bags I wanted. I've also owned an
early 90s Bertoni road bike with modern Campy components and new wheels. It was basically a modern bike with a nice steel frame. This bike was like a rocket but I always found myself riding my touring bike instead. The Bertoni was faster, more efficient, had better brakes, and the shifting was insanely fast, but it wasn't really enjoyable to ride.
For one thing, I found that I did not like having the shifters and brake levers in the same place. Having the shifters so close at hand, and having ten cogs to choose from, I found myself shifting all the time, even when it would only make a microscopic difference. And for whatever reason this (or maybe it was the bike in general) made me feel like I needed to ride as hard as possible at all times, but no matter how fast I was going it felt like it wasn't enough. So I'd always ride so hard I'd almost kill myself while feeling like I was going too slow. For whatever reason I've found I simply prefer downtube shifters. I've also found that I don't like indexed downtube shifters. Something about the feel just annoys me, which is strange because I'm perfectly fine with the indexed top-mount shifters on my commuter bike.
Another thing I didn't like about the brifters was having all the cables running under the bar tape. I've learned that I prefer the feel of just the handlebar covered in thin, cloth tape. This is probably the main reason I don't like aero brake levers in general. I should also add that I prefer to ride with my hands on the ramps just behind the brake hoods, and not on the hoods themselves. If I rode on the hoods my touring bike would suck, because I don't even have the gum hoods on them!
The other problem with the Bertoni was that there wasn't clearance for tires any larger than 23 or 25mm. I'm not getting any younger, and I much prefer the smooth ride of at least 32mm tires. On a long decent my touring bike with 32mm tires doesn't seem
that much slower than the Bertoni with 23s, but it's about ten times more comfortable while doing it, and I can bring my camera, lunch, and extra clothes with me.
All that being said, it's probably obvious that I'm not concerned about going as fast as possible all the time, and I don't go on bike rides specifically for a workout. I either ride for utilitarian purposes, or strictly for pleasure. If I had any desire to race there's no way I'd use my touring bike for that, of course. And I can't say that my vintage bike is much of a financial advantage. I bought it for $50 but I've probably spent another $1000 making it exactly the way I want, and the frame still has the original, dull, scratched-up paint! But still, it's the best bike I've ever owned and if I had a new, super expensive custom bike made for me, I know it wouldn't be much different from my current bike, just with clearance for even wider tires (really my only complaint about it).