Originally Posted by
noglider
Spokes and rims have gotten much better, too. I was a full time bike mechanic from 1978 through 1984. I first got my hands on DT spokes in around 1981. Holy moly, what an improvement, not just more precise but also more fatigue resistant. And since then, rims got much better, too, in precision and durability. Other than that, I agree with your list. It includes reliable and durable equipment. I've seen more Cyclone derailleurs fail than VGT derailleurs, so I would choose the latter for a tour. I also so more SunTour freewheels fail than other brands. If I had to use a freewheel for some reason, I would choose a modern Shimano.
I built my first wheels with DT spokes in late 79 IIRC, and at the time they were still a little suspect. I broke plenty of them BITD, but I rode a lot of miles. DT seems to have improved their forging and tempering though. I haven't broken one in ages. IIRC, the actually alloy is something unremarkable like 304 stainless. The main improvement seems to me to have been in QC.
Yeah, I've seen plenty of broken Sun Tour derailleurs as well. Usually broken springs IIRC. That's why my early 80s tour bike had Suntour BL. Splits the difference between Cyclones and VGT. They were still more reliable than Cranes/Shimano of the time, and certainly more reliable than the the Duopar. You were pretty safe with a VGT/BL, and Cyclones didn't break
that often. Nothing was as rock solid as a Campy NR, but those only worked for 'alpine' gearing if modified a la Spence Wolfe. Rallys were around, but were kind of mediocre and cost a fortune, some versions sucked. Now that you mention it, I think I personally used Atom/Maillard freewheels at the time, maybe Regina. That said I remember New Winners as being pretty solid. I didn't use them because the teeth didn't last as long as Regina and they were heavier.
Rims? Not so sure. With rare exceptions they are made the same way from the same 60xx alloy as always. In general deeper sections is an improvement that should have been made much earlier, but the standard touring rim of the time were Super Champ 58s, and they were pretty good. Some people like Weinmann Concaves, also good. I used training sew ups, which was already archaic. (I've been a retro snob since I was 16!)
To summarize:
Modern Clincher tires are better, cassette and/or thick axle hubs are better, SPD is better or at least more comfortable, slightly taller section rims are stronger, and modern spokes are less likely to break. All of those things can be fitted to a vintage touring bike.