Originally Posted by edwardsmarkf

ok thank you all - ok maybe i am the first stubborn guy around to get an idea "stuck" in my head....

but definitely now either the stem shifters or bar-end shifters are the way to go.

so, if i ever want to fulfill my dream of shifting at the brakes, it sounds as if the best option there is a new bike.

i am OK doing some minor modifications, but i really dont have the proper tools or patience to do much else.

side-note: the Peugeot gooseneck broke off in 1994 since i had the handlebars set too high. that summer my wife and i were traveling to Normandy for the 50 year anniversary of the d-day landing. i took the broken gooseneck with me and bought the replacement one there. and i had LOTS of fun trying to get that through airport security on the way back! airport security did not understand what it was, so i had to draw them a picture of a bike.