Originally Posted by
dddd
I've known many fellow riders who missed rides due to either their cable having failed or because of an electric power failure.
...
And riders with downtube levers more often are able to maintain their shift cabling at home (versus down-time and skipped rides as integrated-shifted bikes sit in the shop).
I met a guy on a century ride stuck at the first rest stop with a rear derailleur cable failure. If it had been flat, I think he could have completed the ride, but several big hills were ahead of us.
I should toss a couple of cables in my bag next time, but so far no cable issues with my Campy shifters.
I do all of my own maintenance, although I've heard digging out broken cable bits from some shifters is a major pain.