Well, for what it is worth: my 8000 shifters were working perfectly and were both smooth and easy to shift with minimal effort - front and back. After about a year, after the cables change (done in the bike shop), front shifting suddenly became MUCH harder and LBS mechanics were not able to make it shift as easy as before no matter what - and they've tried lots of things, including replacing cable again. After a few rides with such stiff shifting, the front shifter simply stopped working and was replaced under warranty. Replacement shifts nice and easy again.