1982 McLean, my pride and joy which I've owned since 1983.

I've had a lot of trouble with the shifting of my rear derailleur. The problem is caused by a sharp bend in the cable as it exits the shifter (on the side) and then bends to get around my handlebar bag. I installed a new cable with a much longer housing. The new housing got ruined quickly. I wonder why I don't have a problem with the front shifter. So I replaced it again, this time routing it differently. It looks stupid, but it seems to be working well.

It was time for a new chain, and I decided it was also time for a new cassette. It was skipping and ghost shifting in second gear (second-largest) which is weird. I wasn't sure if it was the cassette, but I figure it was time. It's so lovely to have a new chain and cassette.

While I was at it, I did a few other things. I noticed the seatpost rotated freely but I took it out anyway and found that rust had started to form on the bottom. Good time to scrub it and grease it.

My rear brake caliper had nearly seized. It ended up needing a complete overhaul. The calipers are the last remaining components on the bike from the original 1983 build. They are Campagnolo Record from that era. They were so incredibly well made. There is rust on some parts but they have held up better than anything else would have after all these years. The bike lives in the barn in a very humid climate. The climate is taking a heavy toll on all of our bikes, but I don't see a way around that. I'm not going to insulate and seal the barn, and there isn't room in the house for bikes. So anyway, I took the caliper completely apart. There are washers behind and ahead of each rotating arm, and they were rough and corroded. I scrubbed the shmootz off them with mineral spirits and wire brushes. Greased everything and reassembled, and it works like new.

I also removed the chainrings and scrubbed them clean. There's no point having a clean chain if the chainrings are grimy. Velo-Orange triple crankset.

I did a moderate job of cleaning the derailleurs. The rear derailleur is a Tiagra, and it works fine, but I can see it's not meant to last as long as the high end stuff. I'll keep using it as long as it works well. The front derailleur is Ultegra.

Shifters are 3x9 Tiagra. One of these days, I might upgrade the drivetrain, but for now, the gear range and the operation are perfect. It will be nice having shifters whose cables don't come out of the sides.

The 40-odd-year-old finned Matthauser brake pads are finally delaminating from the holders. Someone pointed out how this was a bad design, and maybe it was, but 40 years is pretty good. They still work great, but I ought to protect my life and replace them now. They sure are cool, though, eh?

The picture of the whole bike is from before the repairs.