An interesting bike I saw today

[All uphill]

I'd do it just for the fun of it. Do you need any more reasons?

Good point.

I'm a bit protective of builds like this, and could see myself building something similar as arthritis advances and fitness recedes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

As to controlling the front mech with a lever rather than a brifter, it's long been a gripe of mine that indexing something that has two positions is a bit stupid. I've never found brifter-based front shifting to have any advantage over lever-based. Indeed my current (105) one is a bit on the awkward side to shift up to the big ring. Maybe hand mobility has played a part, perhaps arthritis as @All uphill suggests.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Here’s an interested crank. It’s designed for a rider with a limited range of movement and it moves in a pendulum motion

 

[vickster]

Hope it doesn’t burn their house down!