OK, the more I think about this, the more I think about modernizing the drivetrain on my current bike, the blue Sekai pictured above.

I just love this frame and want to keep riding it, and I feel like I may be ready to move on – for now – from the pure vintage aspect. (I would save everything of course.)

So I’m wondering … what are the options for modernizing the drivetrain on a 120mm spaced frame? I am nervous about spreading it. I’m willing to modernize the build, but bending the frame seems like a bridge too far. Besides I would worry about damaging it - Sekai only made a few 5000s because the ultra-thin tubing was fragile and prone to damage.

So:

1) Is there any way to go STI/ergo with 120mm spacing and a 5-speed or 6-speed ultra cluster?

2) Or … should I be thinking about converting to indexed bar-end shifters? Short of going STI/ergo, would those make shifting easier and help me ride faster?