I've been riding and loving bar ends since my first race bike in 1964. Yes, I raced my Legnano Roma with OEM Campy bar ends. I have modern bikes with brifters and even one with Di2. This past year, I fell into the DT rat hole. I acquired a Peugeot PR10 with Simplex down tubes, and immediately grabbed a pair of Suntour bar ends off Ebay. I kind of got used to the DT challenge and never got around to installing the bar ends. Another build came along, and the Suntours went on it. Then, a 1961 Legnano Gran Premio came along with Campy down tube shifters. So in 55+ years I went from zero to two, down tube shifter bikes. Can't say they are my favorites, but at least with only 5 or 6 gears, you don't have to use them as often.
My Peugeot's Simplex. This picture is "as bought", missing front derailleur and cable. All good now. A small lock washer cured the front derailleur slipping.
My newest old school down tube shifters, still a little stiff to shift.
Two Legnanos, DT or Bar end? I'll take the bar end shifters.