Originally Posted by Vintage Schwinn

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STEM SHIFTERS are unfairly ridiculed You should perhaps look at stem shifters as the "four door sedan" while down tube shifters and bar end shifters are the sexy more desireable sports coupe, and sports car models of the FRICTION SHIFTING PAST.

Stem shifters are practical but their commonality on so many ordinary bike boom era 10 speeds has forever stigmatized so many doofuses from realizing that stem shifters are really beneficial for some types of riders.

If you like STEM SHIFTERS, why not install them instead of using the factory downtube shifters.
It isn't hard to do. You won't ruin a bicycle by doing so. You can return it to the stock configuration later on if you wish to sell said bike or just wish to return it to how it was originally from the factory.

Your enjoyment of your bicycle is more important than what others think about how it should be.
You are the only one that really matters.
All shifters do an acceptable job but certain styles may be better suited for certain riding styles and prefered by some and at the same time disliked by other riders.
Go with whatever type of shifter style that you like the best, and forget what the rest of the world thinks about your personal choice of shifter..

Why be so concerned that it might be a fashion faux pas to be seen riding a bicycle with stem shifters.
Oh my, you might be ostracized from the weekly wednesday evening group bike ride because the committee has deemed that you have a non-conforming bicycle that exhibits a vulgarity and lack of refinement that only those that are not cyclists are known to possess........

You can't please everyone, so just do your bike however you would prefer it.

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