there does seem to be a certain
reflexive disdain for stem shifters
from people who went through the seventies.
it seems to be one of those shibboleths
that are the touchpoints of seperating
yourself out from the crowd of dilletantes,
such as knowing campagnolo, 531,
tubulars, etc.
however i've always considered this view
of stem shifters unfair. perhaps because
i came to biking later on, i never viewed them
with the perceived knowledge, around the old
bike shop mentality.
i still use them to this day, and i never
ride the bar tops. also i don't have to
change position to shift. there is a very
natural circular motion from the drops to the
shifter and back that is the essence of
conserved motion.
i've never come anywhere near hitting them
with my knees while out of the saddle,
and i'm unconvinced this is possible,
since i don't think they are spaced further apart
than downtube shifters.
as far as injury, it never occured to me.
i've been in several bad crashes, and my head
hands and bones were far more of a concern.
one thing i will say is that most stem shifters
are an aesthetic nightmare, but the chromed schwinn
set i find to be small masterpieces.
one last point, when i got my first bike
with downtube bosses this year, i was excited
about finally using downtube shifters.
unfortunately because of some perceptual problems
from a stroke i had a couple of years ago,
it became apparent that my left hand couldn't find
the shifter (once the hand is out of my sight,
it loses spacial orientation), so after a few months
i switched back to stem shifters.
Stephen Fredette
Hull, Massachusetts