Shifting

A friend at work gave me an old bicycle (a Giant—that’s the name, don’t blame me). After I added a few essentials for commuting safely (rear-view mirror, front and back lights, etc.), the bike was ready to serve as a backup to my old Trek hybrid (which badly needs a new middle chain ring—on order from a shop in New York City).

All bikes are a little different and take some getting used to. The Giant has slightly smaller wheels but with wider rims and thus bigger tires, so the center of gravity has changed a bit. But the main difference is the shifters. The Trek has the newer click-shifters, while the Giant has the old “continuous” shifters. Alternating bikes is like switching between a mandolin and a violin (i.e., between a fretted and fretless instrument).

Since I play the violin and haven’t touched a mandolin for years, this is perfectly fine. The Giant also brings back fond memories of my Fuji road bike, which had lever shifters on the down tube. (Bicyclists sure are a fruity bunch, aren’t they?)