I have a set of Suntour Barcons that I like, but I don't think there is any real advantage. It is more about personal preference and with Surly a bit of a fashion statement/anti establishmnet kind of thing. I really like thier stuff and I like bar ends but I can't see any real advantage. If anything the additional cable length with the bar ends may make the shifting feel a bit slower. I had that experince when I used a bike that had down tube shifters vs. the Barcons I was useding everyday. YMMV