Touring Newb: Miyata 615 GT, NYC to Montreal
Yesterday I became the reasonably happy owner of a 1987 Miyata 615 GT. It's in quite good condition (no major scratches or dings, just a general dust/dirt patina) and seems to be entirely stock (down to the Miyata Radial 700c tires). It's not in the apparently totally unridden condition that the seller's Panasonic Touring Deluxe was in, but unfortunately, that frame was one size too small for me. (I used to have a Touring Deluxe that I loved until it was stolen.)
It's possibly the most modern bike I've had since I was 10 years old (hello indexed downtube shifters, hello 18 speeds!) and by my standards seems quite well-tuned as-is. The shifting is accurate and effortless, the braking is responsive, predictable, and stronger than anything I've used so far (especially compared to my beautiful, but woefully medieval cherry-red-and-silver 1976 Grand Jubilé).
The ONLY mechanical concern I've had is that there might be a bit of chain slackness: stopping the pedals suddenly, or mild backpedaling while coasting will cause the chain to very gently strike the ... what do you call the loop of metal on the drive-side chain stay (which I've never seen on any other bike) that apparently keeps the chain from accidentally scraping up the chain stay? Also, the pedals don't spin freely, so I guess those need to be cleaned and lubed.
My buddy (who is more experienced in these things than I am, thankfully) and I haven't yet decided whether we're going to bike both ways. But let's assume at least a 400 mile journey in June. What should my preventative maintenance priorities be when I take this into the shop? I have no desire to "upgrade" anything (though I may hate myself for not having bar-end shifters, and I may also wonder why I'm riding on a suede saddle...?) But should I really consider replacing the tires/tubes, and request that all the fiddly bits get cleaned and lubricated?
As for "adding"... toe clips or clipless? I have never ridden with clipless.
And, if it means anything to anybody here, I am a landscape photographer and plan to take my 4x5 camera with me. Any tips?
Thanks! (From a first-time poster, long-time lurker.)