A customer brought in a 1980s road bike with downtube shifters last week

He said he found it in his dad's garage and wanted to get it rolling again. While I was adjusting the derailleur, he asked me why the shifters were 'down there' and if it was broken. It hit me how much has changed. I remember when index shifting was the new big thing, and now a lot of riders have only ever used brifters. It's not just the parts, it's the whole feel of working on them. Setting up friction shifters takes a different touch, more listening and feeling for the chain to settle into the right spot. I had to explain how they worked, and he was kind of amazed by the simplicity. It made me miss the quiet focus of that kind of tune-up. Do you ever get bikes like that in your shop, where you have to explain the old tech?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.wren23d ago

See this with old electronics too. People find a Walkman and have no clue how a cassette works. The basic feel of physical things is getting lost. Makes you value the hands-on stuff more.

perez.derek23d ago

Totally, my nephew found my Game Boy and tried to swipe the screen.

oscar71221d ago

Yeah, like Wren said, it's wild how fast basic skills like reading a map or winding a tape fade away.