..FWIW, I just took some perfectly functional Record 8 speed brifters off a Bob Jackson Super Tourer that someone before me assumed was an upgrade. It was PIA always reaching forward every time I wanted to shift gears. I replaced them with some very plain looking Sora 8 speed indexed downtube shifters, rebuilt the wheels with new, better rims and a Shimano compatible freehub, and I'm a lot happier when I ride it now.
I just find it a lot easier to drop one hand to the downtube and be able to shift either lever, or both at once with one hand.