I miss downtube shifters.  I miss them in the same way I miss the days before the widespread use of race radios, when races were less choreographed and more unpredictable.  Racing on downtube shifters, a rider had to be seated and take one hand off the bars to shift.  Shifting had to be planned into race tactics.  These days, we can enter a hairpin bend in one gear and exit out of the saddle in another all while never moving our fingers off the brakes.  We can shift into any gear we want while mashing the pedals up a steep incline.  With downtube shifters, a rider had to plan for corners and enter the turns in the gear they planned to exit it in; they had to commit to the gear they were going to sprint in.  If they were in the wrong gear when an attack went, they had to stay (or get) seated, reach down and feather the derailleur into the proper gear – overshifting slightly and easing the chain back into the cog.  Similarly, a rider planning to attack had to choose a gear before launching themselves up the road.  A far cry from today’s bar mounted shifters.  Besides, downtube shifters were beautiful: simple, elegant, and light.

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I have had a carbon bike fail, but it was one of the earliest carbon bikes to hit the market.   When mounting a carbon seatpost into an aluminum or carbon frame, a thin layer of friction paste should be used prevent seatpost slippage. I am riding a red, white and blue Trek Postal road bike that I built some 14 years ago. I am concerned about the longevity of my carbon fiber frame and the glue used to construct it when used in this hot and dry environment. Since then carbon and the construction techniques used in bikes have come a long way. Have you ever experienced a carbon frame failure on an older bike. We all know that when mounting an aluminum seatpost into an aluminum or steel frame, a thin coat of grease should be used to prevent corrosion and fusion of the two materials. The bike has spent its entire life in the hot and dry desert southwest. The lifetime of both the carbon materials and the glue used to construct your frame is longer than yours or mine. The bike has accumulated over 15,000 miles, has been well maintained and has never been crashed. But if you’re looking for an excuse to buy a new bike, I’m sure I can help with that.

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