Originally Posted by
bikemig
That's a little tendentious. The left on a shimano 9 speed bar end is friction. That will work with a wider range of front derailleurs and triple cranksets than STIs. That may be an advantage for certain uses. Or perhaps the product managers who spec out touring bikes are clueless since they generally choose bar ends over STIs . . . . You should let Surly know that they're doing it all wrong with the LHT.
No more tendentious that stating that STI is "delicate". Using barends or STI is a personal choice with each having advantages over the other. Having the shifters right at the place your hand is when climbing is more advantageous than having to move your hand to the end of the bars to downshift rapidly on a steep climb. Not having shifters that get bumped by everything which knocks the bike out of gear when you park is advantageous. Being able to simple "click" the bar and the bike shifts is advantageous.
Surly (and other bike makers) put barends on touring bikes because tourists have a streak of retrogrouchiness a mile wide and don't like any of that new fangled stuff because, well, you know, it fails all the time just like all that other new fangled stuff...like aluminum and any crankset, derailer, or hub made after 1992. In lots of tourists minds, anything made in 1992 is too new.