Carrie Anne, have you ever used any kind of friction shifters? Are you most concerned about the lever position or the indexing/friction difference? I've never used STIs so can't help you regarding that transition. I use downtube friction shifters, once moved to barcons and then back to downtube shifters. I found downtube shifters to operate quicker, be more trouble-free, and provide a more natural hand position than barcons. Veronica is a barcon user and will have lots of good things to say about them. Someone here (SK?) just switched a bike from barcons to Ergo levers.