This tour with all its rain and mountains and grit and mud was brutal on my bike. One of the first orders of business was to take the bike to a shop and have a knowledgeable mechanic look it over.

Because of time constraints, I did not take the bike to the mechanics who worked on it pre-tour. That shop is over 20 miles away and, in DC traffic, getting there and back would consume at least two hours of my time. Twice. 

So, I took it to my local bike shop, about four miles from home. It was a mechanic at this shop who figured out a mystery regarding my front derailleur. The problem was that the chain refused to shift onto the small chainring. For loaded touring, especially in hilly terrain, this small chainring is essential; it is where the easiest gears, the granny gears, reside in the drivetrain. 

I had never met this mechanic before and have no idea what he did to the derailleur but it worked like a charm.

Although this magic mechanic wasn't at the shop when I brought the bike in, head mechanic Ryan was. In the process of greasing and replacing and adjusting all manner of parts on the bike, Ryan (or one of his mechanics) noticed two things. First, a cone in the rear hub was worn badly and needed replacing. I had replaced the front hub when I had the wheels built over the winter but didn't do so with the rear. Lord knows how old it is. 

As it turns out the damaged cone is replaceable, except for the fact that it is no longer made. So I need a new hub which means my four- month-old wheel must be rebuilt. The bike shop that did the build over the winter has offered me a generous discount on the labor so I will take the wheel back to them.

Ryan also recommended replacing the rear derailleur which is showing signs of lateral play independent of the shifting function. Basically, it's coming apart. Ryan said I might be able to get "a couple more tours out of it". I am hoping that my rear derailleur does not experience a rapid unscheduled disassembly.

Ryan agreed with all the mechanically knowledgeable bike people I know: the problem with the front derailleur is likely a worn out spring. I think this derailleur dates to the George W. Bush administration. Ryan recommends replacing the front derailleur as well. 

Finally, Ryan noticed that my rear brake mechanism is incompatible with my rear brake lever. After my 2018 tour I replaced the cantilever brakes on this bike with linear brakes. Cantilever brakes are actuated by something called long-pull brake levers. The linear brakes I installed use short pull levers. Accordingly, I replaced the brake levers with short pulls. Somehow I managed to install a short pull V-brake on the front of my bike and a long-pull V-brake on the back. This explains why my rear brake, unlike any of the five other V-brakes on three of my bikes, is a pain to adjust satisfactorily.  

So the simple solution is to replace the V-brake in the rear with one that is compatible with a short pull lever. 

One thing I have learned about V-brakes is that the tensioning mechanism - which moves the brake pad toward or away from the rim - is garbage. It's a little screw that pushes against the end of a small spring. If the spring rotates or deflects, the screw misses the spring and the tensioning doesn't work. 

A company named Paul makes an expensive brake that is adjusted not by a tiny screw but by a wrench. Loosen a bolt. Turn the wrench to adjust the tension. Tighten the bolt. Bob's your uncle. 

So my plan is to have the wheel re-built in August. Then, over the winter, I'll replace the derailleurs and the rear brake mechanism.