Originally Posted by s70rguy
Why is it that countless racers shifted gears while climbing, racing in a criterium, or whatever other difficult circumstance one can think of, and you can't? I personally believe that it is an acquired skill to anticipate or do whatever it takes to get in the right gear at the right time.
OK, that left aside, the combination of pre-2001 9-speed Campy Ergo brifters works perfect with 7 speed freewheels. It's the 5 mm cog spacing that counts. You need a pre-2001 Campy rear derailleur to work with the brifters. IMO the brifters look good too, on a retro bike. Get a used pair of Record or Chorus brifters, they are very strong.
I have lived in several cities that had topography similar to Rotterdam - we used to joke around in Dallas and say that you could stand on a can of cat food and see entire city (because it was so flat) I have a double chain ring on the front, and it is very hill where I live. Here is my scenario for hill climbing.
I average around 17 mph over the long distance, going into a hill I accelerate upto 25-30 mph turning on the big front ring. About 2/3 the way up the hill my cadence drops off and my speed hits around 10-11 miles per hour. I have to downshift, and I can't do it standing up.
Have you ever seen a recreational rider or a pro stand up and climb and change gears on a downtube...