Originally Posted by
Trakhak
I remember my first ride on a bike with Shimano indexed downtube shifters---the pleasure of that authoritative clunk into gear after decades of the drunkard's walk of friction shifters.
My first bike shop bike—a Centurion Sport DLX—had friction shifters. But the shop had a Centurion Prestige with 7400 Dura Ace on display. I remember reaching up and moving the lever a click or two (much to the shop owner’s wife’s consternation). It was the stuff of my imagination. I knew right then and there the Sport DLX wouldn’t be around long.