Originally Posted by
jon.sa.km
due to my lack of coordination and the constant fear of crashing into stationary objects I have decided downtube shifters are not for me.
With indexed dowtube shifters, it takes a fraction of a second to make a shift, and you don't even need to look at the shifter.
You really need to learn to be able to take a hand off the bars long enough to do that. Otherwise, you really limit your ability to do rides of any length. You can't drink, or eat during a ride, adjust clothing, or just relieve some pressure on your hands.
With some miles and a little practice shifting with D/T shifters should become a complete non issues. I'd keep the bike as is, and give it a fair test.