Originally Posted by Salamandrine

Vintage bikes can cause some problems on an extended tour. If you have to cross a river, sometimes it can lead to the wooden rims delaminating, since they were glued up with hide glue made from old Bessie. At the very least give your rims a frewh coat of varnish before you set off. There is another newfangled device, a freewheel, that can make going down hills much easier, especially on high mountain passes in the Rockies. And if you're going to go that modern, you may as well go all the way and get a coaster brake rear hub. It's a freewheel hub, with a brake built into it! Two things in one! Just an awesome advancement, it allows you to coast -- and brake! Forget that old fashioned stuff!