This article is part of a series called ‘A love letter to…’, where Cycling Weekly writers pour praise on their favourite aspects of cycling. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.

Love it or loathe it, the bike industry is built on selling us new ideas. And let’s be honest, we lap them up; our hunger for fresh kit is driven by desire as much as need. Often those innovations deliver genuine gains, however small; just as often, they serve the brands’ pursuit of efficiency and margin. Electronic shifting is a prime example. For manufacturers, removing cables simplifies set-up and frame production.

For riders, it means higher prices and performance benefits that are, at best, marginal. So before we turn our backs on good old mechanical shifting , perhaps we

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