Originally Posted by
Miele Man
I like the Old School stuff for simplicity and durability. I've bought a number of vintage MTBs at $40.00 CDN each so I could have spare Deore chainrings, derailleurs and shifters. Most of those parts go onto a dropbar MTB conversion used as a touring bike. I now have a stash of slighty used Old School Deore components that'll last me the rest of my days. Some of those are Deer Head Deore.
I lke index shifting and i think it's one of the greatest inventions since the advent of the pneumatic tire. I love my Campagnolo Ergo 9-speed Mirage shifters on my touring bike and on my Miele Suprema road bike.They raise shifting to a whole new level.
Cheers
Miele Man... I have to say that cost is a big driver for myself as well. I scan places like Kijiji and Pinkbike regularly to find things I need/want. I like digging through parts bins as you never know what you will find. There's a place called Bikesauce in Toronto that scratches the hunt for parts itch, even though they're a far drive now. I like certain parts and having bike stuff so buying complete bikes makes total sense to me. I bought an older MTB for the barends and donated the rest of the parts I didn't need. As much as I want to have bicycle stuff my space is limited now. No garage bin full of older components as much as I enjoyed having them when I could. You never know when you'll need something.
I had a love for Shimano SPD's for a while and appreciated the fact that the off road models continuously used the same cleat, meaning all the cleats I accumulated over the years were still viable. That's the kind of longevity that makes investing in something worthwhile. I liked that cleats were available everywhere so you could get them cheap if you looked around for a bargain.
Ride safe.