Originally Posted by
YungBurke
I know that stem shifters are generally considered to be undesirable, but Id like you hear from you guys about them. I've only had problems in that they get in the way, and Im afraid of getting dome'd by them when Im tucking. I am considering shifting to bar end shifters on this bike when Im building it back up but Im not sure. opinions?
I've used stem shifters for about 4 years and I much prefer them to downtube shifters, much easier to reach but just a simple and reliable. Before that I had barend shifters but I went from drop bars to bullhorns with barend brakes so I had to find an alternate. Stem shifters have one advantage - it's very easy to shift when your hands are on the tops without moving your hands at all. If I had drop bars now I would use integrated brake/shifters. The barends work well but you have still have to reach down to shift a lot of the time.
As far as the supposed danger of stem shifters, I think it's like the lawyer lips on modern forks. Someone got sued so no one will take the risk. I have somehow mysteriously avoided racking myself on the stem of any bike I have ridden in the last 40 years so I don't spend a lot of time worrying about that particular risk.