Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - what is going on here?

ok. ive got this frame that ive never really done anything with, but i've posted a buncha ideas on here, but now the thing has me verrrrry confused.

this is an early 80's nishiki; i think it was a 'custom sport', as if that helps anyone. i just picked up the frame/fork for cheeep. it's been baffling me ever since, but i've cracked most of the codes.

my newest problem is as follows:

every time i see ppl on here talkin' 'bout how you prolly dont need LR brakes when you convert a 27"er to 700c, i figger they're smokin' crack, b/c the regular old late 90's caliper i got on my main rig just won't reach the 700c's when i put them on the nishiki's fork. but then, today, i got to thinking: maybe the problem is that i'm mixing 700c wheels and new brakes desgined for 700c wheels on modern frames on this ol' 27"er. so, i trashpicked a bike with 27's and frankensteined some stuff, temporarily, to see how it'd work out.

the brakes from the old 27"er bike didnt even nearly reach my 700c rims. so, i took one of the 27's off of the junk bike, and put it in the drop-outs of the nishiki frame, to see if the brakes from a different 27"er and the rim from the different 27"er would fit on my nishiki, which was originally a 27"er.

not even close! the shoes don't even come close to the rim, despite my best efforts to adjust. they just squeeze the rubber. so, what am i to believe here? the nishiki has road geometry, and i cant think of a reason why the manufacturer would've done such an oddball thing.

i don't know if everyone is understandig what i'm saying above, but i am extreeeeeeeeeeemely close to abandoning this project, or at the very least, this frame. i'm kinda at my wits end.

i'm thinking i should get a different but similar bike, perhaps something complete, and start anew. i havent bought anything specific for the nishiki, so it's not like i'd take a bath on that. it's just that those lugs are so freeekin' hott.

any help/input/commiseration would be appreciated.

-rob

whether or not the brakes will reach when swapping wheel size depends on each individual frame. some have very tight clearance, some not.

if i downsized to 700c my fixed motobecane, i could probably use standard brakes, but there would be no chance in hell that standard brakes would reach a 700c rim on my girlfriend's shogun. both originally had 27" rims (and still do).

so here's your options:
go brakeless
use 27" rims
get long reach brakes

personally, i say go with 27" rims. i dunno why, but i just love em! 700c would work on my motobecane, but i just think that a frame designed for 27" deserves 27".

a lot of people will say "waaa but theres not enough tires with pretty colors and stuff"
i think theres a big enough selection, not a gigantic selection like for 700c, but ample!

hope i helped...

oh ya, one more option...give me the nishiki frame!!!

personally, i say go with 27" rims. i dunno why, but i just love em! 700c would work on my motobecane, but i just think that a frame designed for 27" deserves 27".

a lot of people will say "waaa but theres not enough tires with pretty colors and stuff"
i think theres a big enough selection, not a gigantic selection like for 700c, but ample!


umm, could you point me in the direction of some good 27" rims?

"personally, i say go with 27" rims. i dunno why, but i just love em! 700c would work on my motobecane, but i just think that a frame designed for 27" deserves 27".
A lot of people will say "waaa but theres not enough tires with pretty colors and stuff"
i think theres a big enough selection, not a gigantic selection like for 700c, but ample!"

My sentiments exactly. I own both wheelsets and ride the 27 90% of the time.

umm, could you point me in the direction of some good 27" rims?

www.bikeman.com has some sun cr-18 27" double walled rims for $30 a piece. kind of expensive (to me). nashbar has single walled 27" rims on clearance for $9.95 (wow!)..

If you want to purchase an entire wheelset you can try calling Harris Cylcery. You can get 27" Weinman 215 rims with sovos hub on the front and a suzue flip flop hub on the back. I bought a set and it cost me about $150. I think they are great.

If you want to purchase an entire wheelset you can try calling Harris Cylcery. You can get 27" Weinman 215 rims with sovos hub on the front and a suzue flip flop hub on the back. I bought a set and it cost me about $150. I think they are great.



just make a little hanger from a piece of scap metal, and hang em lower. make sure its stiff tho

-t

If you don't want to buy a wheelset you can try drop bolts. Check this out:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html

(personally I would never try this)

If that sounds a little ghetto you can actually buy some for the ridiculous price of $45 here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/dpdropbolt.html

Depending on how picky you are you can get some Tektro long reach brakes for just over $20 and be done with it. I would like to have stuck with 27" wheels, but when I was setting up my fixie the QBP stock wheel built on a Mavic MA3 laced to a Suzue flipflop with DT spokes was just too good a deal to pass up for an entry level wheel.

You could also see what's available as far as forks designed for a 700c wheel. I bought a 27"er steel fork for $20 last week. They had the same fork for a 700c for the same price. It wasn't carbon, it wasn't reynolds or columbus, but it suited my needs.

You could also see what's available as far as forks designed for a 700c wheel. I bought a 27"er steel fork for $20 last week. They had the same fork for a 700c for the same price. It wasn't carbon, it wasn't reynolds or columbus, but it suited my needs.

what measurements are necessary to make sure a fork will fit on my frame? i found one very well priced online.

here's the deal:

i am all about the longreach brakes, rainman, but i'm unsure if even they would work.

before i spend a lot of $$ at sheldon's site, i'd rather buy a normal and fairly cheep frame on ebay or elsewhere and go at it my style.

legalize_it, i would seriously give you the frikkin nishiki if you want it. pm me.

-rob

I think those old nishikis just have way too much clearance. I think even on a 27" wheel, you'll have to adjust the shoes close to all the way down to have it work.

I have a nishiki that I put 700c wheels on, and I ended up filing the shoe holes so i can pull the shoes to where they could grab onto the rim. I'm tossing this frame though, it's too heavy and cumbersome. Which I discovered quickly after riding a steel track frame.

I dunno, my best advice would be to get another frame...