Originally Posted by
SuperLJ
Well, to each his own.
My Bertin has been equipped with Simplex Retrofriction shifters since I bought it new in 1979, so I'm quite familiar with those also. Compared to the Shimano Fingertip Control shifters, I can't say that I prefer one over the other, but it's apples and oranges since the former are down-tubers, and the latter are bar-ends. I've never had the pleasure of using Retrofriction bar-ends, and as rare they are, I'm pretty sure I never will.
I do very much prefer the pleasast light action of Shimanos, with their clock spring, to the ratcheting SunTour Barcons, but that's just me - YRMV.
Hey SuperLJ, I finally did something with my fingertip control bar ends that have your old covers on them. Was going to put them on my Motobecane grand touring when I rebuild it, but thats pretty far down the road, and I decided that I will probably keep the suntour ratcheting DT shifters it came with, since I like them.
So I put them on my old Trek 560 to replace the blueline DT shifters on it. The inspiration was simply that it would be easier to get my water bottle out without the DT's.
Not my sexiest bike, but its my fastest, the one that all my Strava king of the mountains were done on. Got them pulling Cyclone derailleurs. Works great.
I would love to try simplex retros someday, but it will probably never happen. Lucky me, I can sleep on a pile of peas under the mattresses, and use any shifter without to much pain.