Originally posted by Davet
I'm fairly new to tandeming (had the bike for 6 months) and it seems to me that bar-cons would be much easier shifting under almost all circumstances.
If you could describe the situations where you thought barcons would be easier to use it would be helpful. Not everyone rides tandems in the same way or with the same goals in mind. Therefore, it is quite possible that barcons could be the way to go for you. Then again, perhaps there there are some nuances or "tricks" that we could offer up to resolve any teething pains you're having with STI on your tandem.
Also, please remind me/us what year-make-model of tandem you're riding.
Bottom Line: There is no "best" shifter choice for tandems. All you can hope for is figuring out if it's the barcons, Shimano STI or Campy Ergo's that are "best for you".