Originally Posted by
gugie
It's mind boggling to me that you think bar end, stem and downtube shifters are extinct. They're still being sold new by a few companies.
You don't have to like them, it's nice to have choices.
+1,000 Many brand new touring bikes come with bar end shifters. Send me all that obsolete stuff you want.
"Integrated shifters are the greatest innovation in drop bar bicycles in many generations. If their ergonomic merits isn't enough to convince you, then ride whatever you like. As you say, there are plenty of choices. This is certainly an innovation that I would not be without unless there was a damn good reason."
They also have driven up the cost of road bikes, leading those on budgets to adopt hybrids or mtbs instead. They also are much less durable than what they replaced.
I pretty much have every style shifter on my keeper fleet other than stem shifter. Indexed DT shifters, friction DT shifters; STI shifters; bar ends: indexed, friction, Shimano and Suntour. The choice depends on the style and age of the bike, with nothing newer than 1992.