I'm having some work done, the shop was gracious enough to send me out on a loaner bike. It's amazing how different it feels.

After 2 years riding only Di2, real shift levers feel like you could push them for miles.

Going back to "normal" shaped bars after being accustomed to tapered ones feels like I'm trying to bear hug a car. I wasn't sure about the taper at first, but now the hoods feel goofy wide.

That's all.

I feel you! My wee brain takes time to re-adjust... and I’ve been reminded that a lovingly maintained older mech group is a thing of beauty.

My road bike w/eTap is out of commission for ~2wks, so a buddy loaned me his ~10yr old BMC SLC01 w/SR11. I expected it to feel ragged, but it has been dream to ride because he keeps it in tip-top shape. I forgot just how smooth, quiet and quick mech shifting can be plus the swelling sense of pride from nailing perfect shifts. Like you said, the throws are forever long versus electronic and, in this case, the Campy-specific thumb shifter buttons are beyond awkward and bordering on annoying.

On the other hand, I rented a low-end road bike with Shimano mech shifting a few years ago. The bike was the current model year, but it hadn’t been lovingly cared for by either the renters or the shop. It was a rotten ride and Clouded my memory of how good mech groups could be or were... I’ve been reminded that an older, well-maintained mech group can be sweet. Care and maintenance to the rescue! Not necessarily neat and new to the rescue.

Yea going from 44cm cowchippers to 38cm nonflared bars between my gravel bike and road bike take a few miles to get used to again. Switching between shimano and sram and disc vs rim as well

You can also get used to getting used to it. If you have a variety of wildly-different bikes that get used regularly, it stops feeling weird to switch between them.

I switch between an older road bike with 1980s style aero brake hoods -- just rubber covered hooks -- on 42cm traditional bars and downtube shifters, and another with brifters on 38cm compact drops. One has traditional circular chainrings and 172.5 cranks, while the other has Biopace and 170 cranks. Always takes a few minutes to adapt if I haven't ridden one or the other for awhile.

The bikes are pretty similar otherwise but it doesn't take many differences to make them feel very different at first. Some rides one feels familiar and some days it feels like a stranger's bike. But it's all good.

I've got enough bikes... and each one is a little different.

One gets used to it quickly.

So, did you get downtube shifters?