I took the Express out for a quick ride on this brisk, partly cloudy afternoon just to see how it feels. It is indeed sized just the way I prefer and the ride was very stable. The grease must not be totally gone as everything spins freely yet there is little noise from bearings jumping around anywhere along the drivetrain. I've decided that what I'll do is take it apart one weekend, clean everything up and get all the fresh grease on, and also touch up the frame with proper black automotive paint that I have handy to keep it from rusting in the future, let that cure for a week then put it back together the next weekend with fresh consumables. I may have time to do all of that sometimes before Easter so that I can enjoy riding it a bit during the spring holiday.
'Til then, cheers!
-Gregory