Touring - Nishiki Cresta, 27" wheels, and drive train questions.

I've been fixing up this Nishiki Cresta to be my dedicated touring bike and it comes with cantilever brakes and 27inch wheels. I'd prefer to keep the cantilevers (no switching to 700c) but need a new wheelset with the condition this one is in. I'm switching out the entire drive train and am glancing over new wheelsets to find that the 27" prebuilt wheels I find online max out at 7 speed and are typical 5-6 speeds. I have a shimano deore xt 8 speed rear derailleur and would like to use that. Is there a way I can still have the 8 speed on the rear? I also have the shimano deore trekking crankset & bb combo coming in the mail. Am I destroying an old bike's legacy by upgrading to new parts?

The 8sp mech will shift over 5-6-7 speeds just fine but I guess that isn't what you are asking.

Almost all the prebuilt 27 inch wheels you'll find online are crappy and may fail if you tour on them.

First off, I'd try a cramming in a set of 700C wheels with the standard 130 mm freehub cassette. You'll have to spead the rear dropouts. Your current cantilever brakes may or may not work. Sometimes this is easy as pie....sometimes it doesn't work at all.

If you don't wish to go the 700C upgrade route, it's possible to find good 27 inch rims and build a custom set of wheels. Takes some skill and and money however.

And how do you know if your Cresta will be compatable with the new crankset and bb you're getting in the mail? It's likely, but in no means a slam dunk to work.

I'm a big fan of old road bikes....I fix and ride them a lot, and I think your Cresta still has a place to be fixed and ridden. But rebuilding it to modern touring bike standards? That's not easy and could easily take over a thousand bucks. It's possible to do it cheaper of you have a lot of bike knowledge and and bike buddies with lots of parts. You could go out and steal the parts you need for free...or if you're too chicken for that, buy them off EBAY for some punk who stold them for you. (bike thieves LOVE Ebay and honestly, who ever sells a slightly used XT derailer?)



Or you could buy a shiny new Surly or Fuji for less than a grand.... and slowly fix up your Cresta for around town rides. Sorry to be so negitive, feel free to PM with any questions. I do have a wide selection of used parts....

good luck,
Tacomee

I do have a wide selection of used parts....

good luck,
Tacomee

Are they stolen?

That's a good question question, Mchaz. I really try to stay away from stolen bikes and parts, but I'm sure I've got something hot in my basement. I feel bad about this-- so bad I don't sell stuff on EBAY or flip or strip bikes. I fix and give away old bikes and parts. I'm not trying to make a profit as a dealer/fence, although I will sometimes sell something locally. I do trade stuff.

Looking on EBAY, you'll find sellers listing lots and lots of used parts and frames. Where in heck did they come up with all this stuff? There's a whole network ready to turn stolen bikes into internet profit.