Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,813
Likes: 1,790
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
I recently bought the MicroShift 7s "STI" levers for like $55.
They have both shift levers in front of the handlebar so can be shifted in both directions from the drops!
The base-level Shimano STI levers have a poorly-positioned mickey-mouse ear shift lever that can only be shifted from above, which would seem intended to make a beginning rider stay a beginning rider, instead of embracing the speed of a road bike while shifting in both directions.