Bicycle Mechanics - Bianchi Sport SX - 27inch to 700C Conversion

Hey Everyone...

I just bought a 70's (I think) 67cm Bianchi Sport SX.

This has the original wheels, and needless to say they, as well as most of the other components are a little torn up. Rather than try and track down a satisfactory set of 27inch wheels (I am looking for black rims with black and red tires to go with the paint job) I decided to look into how difficult it would be to convert this to 700c wheels.

Someone told me I would have to redrill my frame, which I am a little wary of trying. What about long reach brakes? Would be able to just get some long reach brake calipurs and be done with it? Or I also have heard of a drop bolt you can put in to lower the brakes. How complicated is that, and where can I find one?

I am looking to go from a 6 speed friction shifting 27inch wheel bike, to a 7 speed index shifting 700c wheel bike. (with all matching red and black parts if possible)

I assume I will be needing new front and rear derailleurs, wheels, tires, chain, and shifters. Am I missing anything else?

Thanks for all the info everyone!!!

Look at the current brake pad location. Can you lower them 4 mm? If so, you can use 700c wheels with no changes. I expect the bike already has "long reach" (typically 47 to 57 mm) brakes so that's probably not a change option.

Drop bolts are (or at least used to be) available but will take some searching. Check Sheldon Brown's web site for what ever wisdom he can provide. You DON'T want to "redrill" the frame or fork.

As to needed parts, what's the condition of the current headset and bottom bracket?

By the time you fit all of the new parts you listed the cost will be a very significant fraction of a new bike. Be sure the frame has that much worth to you.

Headset is in good condition, BB and Crank were replaced on the spot when I bought it. The brakes definately need replacing. I am not sure about the derailleurs however.

I am not really set on the 7 speed idea because the extra gear isn't really important, it really comes down to what is easiest to pull off.

The easiest to pull off will be whatever components you can find the cheapest!

Even if it already has "long reach" calipers on it, some manufacturers have made SUPER long reach calipers. Keep an eye on eBay. I've seen calipers from Tektro that have reach up to 78mm. Here's an eBay auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TEKTRO-LONG-LONG-Reach-Bike-Brake-Calipers-650c_W0QQitemZ230041499937QQihZ013QQcategoryZ42331QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230 041499937

If you end up needing more brake reach than you can find with sidepull road calipers, you might look into some centerpull road brakes (they'll mount at the same holes on your fork and seatstay bridge that your current brakes do). Do a search on ebay for "centerpull brakes", you'll probably find lots of them, some NOS maybe. Weinmanns and Dia-Compes are the most common and work great. Setup is a bit of a pain, but if you need lots of reach for an old road bike, they're hard to beat-

You can find seven speed cassette wheelsets pretty cheap on eBay because the demand is low. I just bought a set with Mavic MA-40 rims, butted spokes, 600 hubs, a good Ultegra cassette, very good Continental tires and tubes, Velox rim tape and the original skewers for $45. They're true and the cones show almost no wear. Even with shipping, it's a bargain.

I was poking around and found both Nashbar, and Tektro have long reach brakes. If I slap some better brake pads on these, how well will they work compared to the Shimano ones that are 3 times the price?