Andrew R Stewart 

It's funny how one's methods come into then out of fashion a few times in one's life. Steel frames, triple cranks or flannel shirts are examples in my life. I've ridden, built, shifted, wore these for decades and watched the world around swing this way or that way. The current wave of fewer gears with wider steps between each ratio really gets me. I suspect in a decade or two front shifting will be reintroduced and the newbies will claim "Wow! Having more then one chain really helps me find that perfect gear every time." Andy.