Originally Posted by Tzigane

The frames and rims are, in my opinion, most of the weight. I'm wondering if I can't take a hybrid frame and alloy rims and just build in the bloody hub. I'm very unfamiliar with modern bikes, my background is firmly rooted in vintage english three and five speeds which is why I'm asking here and not in the vintage thread.

It seems to me that the biggest concern would be the width of the drop outs, and whether a larger wheel would fit into the frame. From looking at my 80's Fuji frame, it seems that the hub might be too small and the wheel width definitly too large.