Show us your mixte!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What does the shellacking do for the cork (other than make it a prettier color)? I've been wondering about that -- I love my cork grips, but it seems like the shellack would make them slick and less comfortable? How does it work?

People also use shellac to seal cloth bar tape. Shellac helps seal the tape in position so it does not unravel or shift around. An old French cycling trick.
Also helps the tape repel rain and sweat. Also, if you prefer to wrap the tape ends with fine hemp twine instaed of ugly black plastic electrical tape, the shellac helps lock the twine into position too.
Here's an article about shellac and hemp twining your bars:
http://www.outyourbackdoor.com/article.php?id=428

I also felt like a fool swerving around trying to change gears. They're in an awkward position when you're used to the ones on a road bike.

Lots of people still like using traditional downtube shifters on their road bikes. My husband has them on both his Rivendells. Once you get used to them they are kind of fun, and you feel more connected to the shifting process, sort of like how some people like driving stick shift.