At some point I will probably get a little bag for the little rack on the Roaduno:The correct bag is this one, which is sold out:Until theyre available once again, being a modern consumer with no ethics, it occurred to me maybe I could get something super cheap on that website named after a giant river. So I took a quick look, and heres what popped up:I shant be getting itits too big for one thingthough I was quite tempted because I love the name:Engwe is, I assume, an homage to the noted guitarist:And Electric Techno-Paranoia is exactly the opposite of Electric Techno-Foolhardiness, which is when you ride an e-bike you bought on Amazon in a large body of salt water:That cant be a good idea.Speaking of techno-paranoia, if youre convinced the Spinergae Ive been riding are going to ass-plode at any moment, youll be either pleased or annoyed to know that Ive now reduced the likelihood of that happening by 50%:I did this for a few reason. For one thing, there was still play in the front bearings, despite my having changed them. (Or maybe because I changed them, who knows?) For another, the front wheel was noticeably flexy when climbing out of the saddle, which was a little disconcertingas was the susceptibility to crosswinds when descending at high speed:Mostly though I did it because the only thing more 90s-tastic than riding a pair of Spinergy Rev-Xs is riding a rear Spinergy Rev-X with a wire-spoked front wheel. It really does seem like the way to go, too, because you get the predictable handling and feel of the standard wheel up front whilst reaping the aero benefits and slightly sproingy ride quality of the rear wheel. Really, the only way you could possibly improve this setup would be to ditch the rear Spinergy too and use a pair of normal wheels.But that would be silly. Another indication that the rider of this bicycle suffers from techno-paranoia is the friction shifters:Friction shifting may not be for everybody, but its three chief attributes are the following:It works very smoothlyIts extremely simple mechanicallyIt offers tremendous compatibility as your shifters dont care how many cogs your rear wheel hasFor these reasons I admit Ive been puzzled by these Growtac integrated friction levers that have been all over the Worldly Wide Internet for awhile now:And which I see Path Less Pedaled has just gotten his hands on:[He should really work on making his videos even more click-baity.]I am, first and foremost, a bike dork, so I appreciate any and all forms of mechanical shifting. I also think these are nifty and intriguing. At the same timewhy?I guess you still get the compatibility of friction shifting, and maybe even the feel (though the levers return to position just like on an indexed shifter, which just seems weird), but what is the point of a friction shifter that is just as mechanically complex as its indexed counterparts? The beauty of a friction shifter is that its pretty much unkillable. Also, you can mount it in different places on the bike, and even a complete numbskull can set one up in minutes. On the other hand, whats great about integrated shifting is the convenience and the comfort, though that comes at the expense of more involved setup and increased vulnerability in a crashthough practically speaking most integrated levers are extremely durable, and barring mishaps will work reliably for decades. Furthermore, even I, an outspoken sufferer of techno-paranoia, have to admit that at least when it comes to mechanical shifting, the whole obsolescence thing is mostly a non-issue. Ive got two bikes with 9-speed Dura-Ace in my possession at the moment, and cassettes and chains are both cheap and abundant. Same goes for 8- and even 7-speed. (Yes there were 7-speed integrated shifters.) And while the bacon-grease smoothness of a good quality friction drivetrain is sublime (yes, I realize bacon-grease smoothness and friction are diametrically opposed concepts), the punchy accuracy of a good-quality mechanical integrated shifter on a race-oriented bike is pretty exhilarating too.I guess what Im saying is I just find these kinda wishy-washy, thats all, and I wonder if maybe weve hit Peak Friction, just as weve hit Peak Gravel, and Peak Flared Bar, and all the rest of it. Like how exotic does a friction shifter need to be? Why not just pick one or the other? Its almost like riding a singlespeed with two speeds:Wait. Oh, also, youre supposed to turn your levers in now:Im not particularly interested in turning my levers in myself, but I see that people do it, so Im sure theres something to it. What I do take issue with is his characterization of the traditional lever position: Youre not giving double hand jobs he notes amusingly. But think about it. If you were to give a double hand job, wouldnt your hand position be more similar to the one you use when grabbing inward-turned levers?If you were giving a double hand job, the only way youd have your hands in front of you and straight up and down would be if the hand job recipients were lying side by side on massage tablesbut even then youd have to be standing in between the tables, so your hands would have to be quite far apart, farther even than on a pair of those crazy-wide Crust bars.Meanwhile, the inward-turned lever position he demonstrates is exactly how youd administer a double hand job if the recipients were standing face to face and in front of you. Clearly riding with your levers turned in is the double hand job position. I mean come on! Its almost like this guy has never even given a double hand job at all! I on the other handWait.