Brad L the bike will get dirty and dusty. I wouldn’t ride a museum piece but don’t worry otherwise. I tend to use more cosmetically challenged wheelsets as the wheels will take a beating. If you dig up threads from the past 2-3 Eroica, lots of talk of tire choice. As far as gearing, 2018 I rode 52-42 x 13-28, 2019 used a vintage looking 50-34 x 13-28. It felt equally hard each time.
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N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur