Ok, allow me to release my inner retro-bike geek for a bit. I have a penchant for... well, the older stuff. All carbon-fiber whammo-zammo frames just don't move me as much as a really sweet lugged steel frame does. Combination brake/shift levers ("brifters") are OK, but I'd much rather have just regular old brake levers and some primo downtube shifters.

My bike is now running on a steel frame, and I am just utterly in awe of the way it rides. But I figured the downtube shifters would always remain a Holy Grail I'd never have because I run 9-speed in the rear.

Those linked to above are 9-speed downtube shifters.

Now I can replace my brifters with some lighter-weight (hah! funny to say that after announcing I have a steel frame) brake levers and run the downtube shifters. I will be a happy boy.