plantluvver - I think what bcipam meant to say was that it can get hard to find an equivalent replacement part for a bike that is 15 years old. If the shifter breaks and originally was an XT level part, since it was maybe 7 speed you are looking at a lower quality replacement part today. This is going to happen on all of the components - derailleur, shifters, and even brakes. It can get quite expensive on a $65 dollar bike to add new shifters and derailleurs if they need to be replaced. Also keep in mind replacing the tires/tubes - age can do a number on those parts.