I must say I am envious in a way. I find that in my twenties a 5 speed
block was plenty but now in my later 50's the more gears I have the
happier I am. That aside, however, I do agree that if its a 9 or 10
block you really can't notice the difference but between a campy 10 ergo
and a vintage 5/6 speed block....a world of difference. It is a joy to
be in just the right gear and to be able to find it while I am actually
standing humping up a 1 in 4 pitch rather than having to sit down and
find the best compromise. And, If I had to climb the hills like that in
my area with a fixed I would die...both on the way up and on the way
down. I must say that we seem to somtimes contradict ourselves. One
gear, five cogs, is enough? Maybe, but we also are quite enamored of
touring bikes with triples that, even with a 5 block, provide 15
choices. Additionally, most of the KOF builders we so cherish build up
their frames with state of the art ergo components. Its fun to ride a
fixed gear or a 10 speed...absolutely! But lets not be luddites about
this.
Edward Albert
Chappaqua, NY, USA