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.
Not only that, there are still a few production bikes you can buy brand new with bar ends.
They're not for everyone, but like any component a rider has to give him or herself a chance to get the hang of using them. Someone told me they'd put a set on and rode for a couple miles and decided they "hated 'em." Jeez. A couple miles?
I have a pair on my Carre and I really like how handy they are when riding in the drops. It's not a big deal to reach down to shift, which I do intuitively with the palm of my hand to push down, and a finger to pull up. As for DT shifters being "extinct"... I beg to differ. They are my preferred shifting mechanism and I've got 'em on most of my bikes. I far prefer them over shifters integrated into the brake levers. But vive la difference! We all have our preferences.