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Replacing 5 speed wheels from a retro bike project

by Fish_n_Chips
Tue, Jun 15, 2010 22:35
4

Anybody done this?
I have a few options as its not for me but for someone who rides in Sunny weather-doomed I know!

A)Buy touring wheels for £20 ea but quality issues
B) Get Argos to jig out the rear triangle for modern setup
C) Buy a cheap roadbike from Halfords

Its an old 5spd roadbike made from cro mo 1988 Vintage, rides nice and suprisingly well! all mint but buckled wheels from the weathering??? as the tyres moulded away-sat in a shed for 21yrs and old frame non indexed shifters...

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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Fish_n_Chips | 14 years ago
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Here some pics of the retro project/junk!

//img52.imageshack.us/img52/5649/dsc00946w.jpg)

//img203.imageshack.us/img203/4927/dsc00947u.jpg)

Changed the pads to modern cartridge pads.
Luckily for the owner it is rather flat terrain as it weighs a ton and friction shift. Rides rather well for 22 years old.

Looking at 6/7 speed upgrade by widening frame and flat/riser bars, indexing with shifters on the bars for the elderly owner.

4

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Fish_n_Chips | 14 years ago
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It was a 700cc wheel and not 27 1/4 luckily! and I managed to source some brand new wheels sitting in dark cave in an old traditional LBS! The brakes work just! but needed a special tool to centre (saved money not buying or changing brakes phew) so I will be 'mostly' trying to sort that 2morro but the bike rides quite well and the old owner is happy. (I know you can't beat a new fast roadbike but this tourer is ideal for an older gentleman who rides short trips to the village post office.

Hoping to source some new but longer brake pads than the tradition tiny blocks that are fun but scary!

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rombsy | 14 years ago
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You can get "long-reach" brakes easily enough. Check out what Sheldon had to say: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ra-e.html
and scroll down to "reach," definition #3. In short, there are brakes with all kinds of reach. Get the rims you want and measure the reach required. Purchase yor brakes accordingly.
Examples:
http://harriscyclery.net/product/tektro-r556-long-reach-brake-caliper-55...
http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/tektro-bigmouth-73/15-151 (and other options from Rivendell)
http://www.wallbike.com/oddsnends/tektrobrakes.html
http://www.paulcomp.com/racer.html (center-mount option)

For more opinions, check out http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-88542.html

Cheers,
~Rombsy

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cat1commuter | 14 years ago
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I think another problem will be that the frame will be for 27 inch wheels (ETRTO 630 mm), so if you get 700c wheels (ETRTO 622 mm) I don't think the brakes will line up. But maybe they will - it is only 4 mm out, and will depend on how much adjustment is available on the brake calipers. Can they go 4 mm lower? Or a set of deep drop brake calipers may work.

But then you can't really do a 5 speed setup on a 700c cassette freehub.

You can still get some 630 mm rims, and 126 mm screw on freewheel hubs, but the cost of getting wheels built probably wouldn't be reasonable for your project.

In my experience, if you try to switch over to using components with the modern standard, you end up with a domino effect where you end up replacing almost everything!

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