Whatcha ridin'?

I don’t know much about bikes, iab, and from your first post couldn’t figure out what was so great about all the old bikes you posted since the names, dates and brands don’t mean anything to me, but looking at the details (names still mean nothing to me) I can appreciate them a bit more. Some nice looking engineering and detailing on the small parts. Don’t really get how any of it works or why it’s good, but I like what I see.

So to change gears, you move those levers somehow? With your hands? How do you reach down there and not get your fingers stuck in the pedals while changing gears?

R