The bike has index shifting. It's 23 years old and I purchased it last week as a spare so that I have a better chance of persuading one of the family to accompany me on leisurely rides. I suspect that the bike was pretty nice in its day, but now would probably be considered lower end. It definitely won't see more than 1,000 miles/yr., and likey less than 500. I probably overpaid for it at $260 and am not inclined to dump much more into it to get it serviceable. I added new tires and need only a new rear derailleur and some touch up paint to get it into nice condition. So based on that, is the Sora line adequate for my needs, or would I (actually, the riding partner de jour) notice the diffence with something higher up the food chain?