Originally Posted by
Cavell
Its a combo shifter/brake. .
This is important. You have an older early '90s bike. They normally had cantilever brakes of some sort. The new combo brake/shifter might be designed for v-brakes. The levers/brakes are NOT compatible and can be dangerous. Can you please take a picture of the brakes that your bike has and then show us the shifters you are planning on getting?
I have seen some LBS mechanics actually say "Eh, its no big deal to use v-brake levers with cantilever brakes" but in reality, it can be dangerous.