"Vintage books, old china, antiques; maybe I love old things so much because I feel impermanent myself."      
          - Josh Lanyon -

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These days, bicycles are becoming more and more complex. My wife's bicycle has shifters on the brake calipers, those things you squeeze to make the bike stop. If you want to change gears you just move them to the left or to the right, depending if you want to shift up or down. 

I'm still pretty low-tech when it comes to bikes. My shifters are on the ends of the handlebars, thus the name: bar-end shifters. I also use toe clips instead of the newer clipless pedals. The idea, at least for me, is that the fewer parts there are, the less likely something will break. Or so I hope.

Today, while out riding my bike in an attempt to get into shape for my trip, a guy passed me. If you’ve read any of my other journals, you’ll know that this is NOT an uncommon occurrence. Luckily for him, my allergies weren't bothering me. From behind me I heard him pipe, "Bar-end shifters??? They still make those???" 

As it was slowly dawning on me that I might've just been insulted, he glided past me. There was a sly grin on his face and it was only after he passed that I noticed his bike, and the reason for the grin.... he had bar-end shifters.

Heart

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