Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - converting bike with 27" wheels

hi,

i posted about this in the vinatge forum, but there are only 4 people reading that now, and this IS a fixie-related question, and i like this forum better anyway... :D

i'm looking at an old univega to convert for my girlfriend. it's got 27" wheels, and i kinda want to put on 700c wheels to lower the standover a little and update the bike. she'll want a front brake, and if she goes ss, a back brake too. is this going to be a nightmare, or does this switch often work out?

thanks,
a

i have an old raleigh record with 27s and i put my mavic ellipse wheels on it and they just looked too small. there was a huge gap between the crown of the fork and the tire. i suppose you could also change the fork and most definetly will have to if you want to run a front brake. unless you can find some really long calipers.

the rear of the bike also looked strange. i like it when i get my back wheel as close to the seat tube as possible.

another thing, lowering the standover is also gonna lower the bottom bracket height. i'd reccomend NOT making this bike a fixed gear. i clipped my pedals often on the raleigh but its a single speed and not as dangerous.

all in all, it just looked funny.

often works out. only 4mm diff between 700c and 27" rims. As long as you have an extra 4mm reach, you're golden. If not, you'll need to find a caliper with longer reach.

FWIW - do you really need an extra 4mm standover clearance? I'd stick with the 27 inchers until you ~need~ new wheels.

this has been discussed before.
you won't have any problems getting the wheels to fit. the only problem might be getting the brake pads aligned properly.
700c wheels have a 8mm smaller diameter than 27" wheels.
So your brake pads will need to drop by 4mm.
You might have enough adjustment in your current brakes to allow for this switch, but if you don't, you have a few options:
1. long-reach brakes (if you're not using them already)
2. file the slots in the brakes to get more downward adjustment (not too much though)
3. drop bolts.

Go for it.
It'll work out great.
The brake issue mentioned above is a possibility more than a probability.
I have converted many bikes with few if any issues.

Enjoy

I did it no problem. I actually had a mess up in my wheelset order, so I was riding a 700 in the back and a 27" in the front for about a week. I kept the front brake on and had no problem adjusting the brake to fit the smaller wheel. The only thing is that the frame was built for 27" wheels, so the wheels look a bit small on it.

Remember to keep the length of the crank arm into account as you will be lowering the bike, and if your univega has longer crank arms, like 175mm, you might be that much closer to clipping the ground around turns if she goes fixie and that is a bad situation.

If she ops for an SS, that shouldn't be an issue as you can coast around the turns with the pedals in a high position.

often works out. only 4mm diff between 700c and 27" rims. As long as you have an extra 4mm reach, you're golden. If not, you'll need to find a caliper with longer reach.

good to know. thanks.

FWIW - do you really need an extra 4mm standover clearance? I'd stick with the 27 inchers until you ~need~ new wheels.

oh, right. i thought it would be 8mm diff, but 4mm is correct. not much of an advantage.

gracias.
a

I'm not sure how much you are willing to swap out but when I converted my 79 schwinn sprint to 700c I swapped out my front fork to a 700c so I didnt have to worry about the brake clearance issue nor did I have to have huge gaps between the fork and tire. I like tight clearances.

Gaps aren't a bad thing. You can mount fenders easier.

"Gaps aren't a bad thing. You can mount fenders easier."

and if you pop a spoke/bend a rim, you can still wobble home...

possibly useful information:
You can adapt an old style nutted brake hole to a new style recessed allen bolt brake hole with a 5/16" drill bit and some cutting oil.

Gaps aren't a bad thing. You can mount fenders easier.

True. I live in Los Angeles though. We get rain once every four years. I'm alright with my clip on rear fender.

Clip-on rear fenders, eeeeeeeeeew.

Clip-on rear fenders, eeeeeeeeeew.

Mine is tight. Nice and sleek. Wouldn't attach any thing else...besides my water bottle cage. I gotta put my tall can somewhere.