Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
Exactly. (Basically, most shops will tell you they're not serviceable at all, although Shimano does have part numbers for every part in the exploded diagram and a little tool to insert the spring - so SOMEONE must service them. )
I suspect that might be primarily because it's just not economical for most shops to service brifters.. it's less work and probably (much) more profit to flat out replace them... not to mention faster if the shop doesn't carry those small parts in stock.

Personally I think I'd want thumbies over bar-end shifters on a touring bike, but having never tried either it's hard to say I don't particularly mind the stem shifters on my mixte... since there aren't a ton of gears to mess with