Fred Rednor wrote:
> (snip) As for shifting with one's fingers while on the move... Riders
> really did this? And for up-shifts as well as down-shifts?
> I'm speechless.
The bikes (1930s I believe) I've seen pictures of with two chainrings and no front derailleur had a very small inner chainring that was only used for climbing mountains (there was a rubber block mounted on the chainstay just next to this very small chainring so that the chain would ride on it rather than the length of the chainstay when climbing in the small chainring). I'd guess they mostly shifted the chain on the chainrings while stopped at the bottom of the hill, but maybe not.
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA USA
http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)