Originally Posted by
sstorkel
I can think of several ways to lock a derailleur into a single gear if the brifter attached to it fails. That's all you need in order to be able to pedal to the closest bike shop. The perils of brifters on touring bikes are greatly exaggerated by Luddites who have never ridden a grifter-equipped bike...
Unless you are out touring in a remote area, in the mountains. You might be a day's ride away from a bike shop. And then you might actually need to shift gears. None of this may matter to OP, who is just dipping a toe into the touring bike world.