Joined: May 2008
Posts: 10,105
Likes: 2,755
From: Fredericksburg, Va
Bikes: ? Proteous, '65 Frejus TDF, '73 Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, '83 Colnago Superissimo, '84 Trek 610, '84 Trek 760, '88 Pinarello Veneto, '88 De Rosa Pro, '89 Pinarello Montello, 'Litespeed Catalyst'94 Burley Duet, 97 Specialized RockHopper, 2010 Langster
DT (down tube) shifters are the most elegant and effective.
Recently, less than 2 years, I tried some barcons. Have them on the tandem which works out well for stability reasons, but it is marginal, from my point of view. Sometimes my knee comes in contact with the lever which is a little painful. On the single with barcons, I have accidently shifted as a result of contact with my knee while stopped, mounting or dismounting the bike. The other view I have about them is the fact they are at the end of the bar where I rarely put my hands.
My commuter has twist shift controls, which work out well for me because they allow jumping across multiple cogs and I can shift both sides at once quickly. This last move is better than DT shifting even with one hand.
No experience with stem shifters or thumb shifters or brifters. I am afraid I will really like the latter, but the cost scares my wallet.