Harv, boys, you are making me green with envy. Thanks for sharing.

Good job there Harv, I think it's the old brake levers with extensions that had the bad reputation. I have actually momentarily confused which way to move modern (SRAM) brake lever blades in the past and it's just a matter of time before someone blames injury/death on brake levers that can swivel while braking.

I know a fitness trainer and we have ridden together a couple of time and discussed vintage bikes vs modern and fitness. We agreed that down tube shifters require greater core strength and that older riders should change cadence and tempo more often, so we shift too much anyway. It's also a bit of fun for me to see if I can select the right gear, well in advance and follow through on varied terrain.

I think you are doing it right.