Originally Posted by AlanK

I generally disagree, though that might be true of the 520.

It's seems true that no one bike (or one anything) will do everything exceptionally well. It can't be both exceptionally light and fast, and also stable and durable. It can't be both a great, fast road-bike and a great off-road bike, etc.

But one bike can be reasonably good for many applications even if it isn't great for everything. A good touring bike can be reasonably efficient, durable, reliable, and usable for a variety of roads and terrain even if it doesn't do any of these things exceptionally well. An efficient road-bike can't handle gravel and single-track, while a mountain bike won't be efficient on pavement.

Unless you're someone who wants a bike for every need/occasion (I'm not), many of us just want something suitable for many applications even if it doesn't do any single thing exceptionally well. For many of us simplicity and functionality are paramount, which is why I prefer simple and functional bar-end shifters over brifters. There is very little that can go wrong with bar-ends and they are easy to field-service. If an integrated shifter brakes in the field, you're pretty much SOL.