Been commuting since 1978. Was carless for 20 years and live in snow country. Tried internal hubs, but changing flat tires out on the road is too much hassle for me and I don't like a heavy rear end on the bike when going up or down curbs and other obstacles. Tried flat bars, but my wrists and hands don't like them so I use drop bars. Bar ends have been the best so far and require very little attention. When snow and ice build up on the freewheel, it can usually be cleared by pulling up on the bar end to run the der up the cassette. Sometimes the ice is really bad and only a thaw will clear it from the sprockets.
Friction shifting is by far the lowest maintenance and can go for years without any service. My short commute bike for trips 10 miles round trip has friction and I have not had to address any shifting issues since 2002 when I changed the housing and cables. My long commute bike has bar ends on it, and I changed from index to friction in 2001. The index shifters wore out after only 8 years, but the friction shifters (Suntour Bar Cons) are decades old and work beautifully.
If you must have index shifting, stick with bar ends as they really are super low maintenance. Cables don't break off in the shift lever like brifters, and they don't gum up like brifters.
This is the most durable, low maintenance shifting that I know of aside from IGH, which as stated earlier, I do not like for the reasons previously stated.
Oh, yeah, I ride steel frames. Vintage ones can be had at prices far lower than anything new on the showroom floor.
Last edited by TiHabanero; 12-11-19 at 01:24 PM.