Bar ends are the bomb. Most of the time on my 520 (which has bar ends) I don't need to shift that often (I live in a very hilly part of my state) so moving to the shifters isn't a problem. Even most novices pick them up pretty quickly. I find them elegant and simple (two things I adore). Brifters have a gajillion parts and if they break you replace the whole expensive set-up. Bar ends are just a few parts and if they break are relatively inexpensive to replace (if not fix.) The thing I worry about most is braking not shifting. People have pulled out in front of me, turned in front of me, ran stop signs, and darn near killed me. Thank god for quick reflexes! I want some cyclo-cross style levers on top of the bars of my 520 now. My Aurora has em' but god I wish she had bar ends.