Friction feels smoother to me on the front than indexing. I don't know why.

My ideal setup would be a barcon for control of the front and brifter for the rear. Unfortunately Shimano STI levers are enormous and may make for an uneven fel when combined with a slimmer aero lever. Campy levers are smaller, so maybe that might be something I'll do on a bike in the future.

'Course, different generations of STI are shaped differently than others.