Originally Posted by
Commando303
I guess I should be filed under "stupid noob," then. Anyhow, I think it tends to come down to "what your bike happens to come with," doesn't it?
No, you are the one seeking the answers to life, the universe, and everything. Unfortunately, you won't find them here.
FWIW: among my bikes, I have grip-shifters, trigger-shifters, and bar-end shifters. Then I have two bikes with no shifters at all (a single speed and a fixed gear).