Classic & Vintage - 27" wheel ideas?

My "everything bike" is a 1986 Bridgestone 400. The bike has 27" wheels and the rear hub has 120mm spacing for the 5-speed freewheel.

As far as I can tell from cleaning and repacking the hubs there is still a lot of life left in the wheels, but I was thinking of building up a second set. I thought about trying to find a pair on Craigslis, stripping them down to nothing and rebuilding them...but on the rare occasion that a 27" wheelset does go on the market they look like the owner left them in the backyard for the past 20+ years.

I know Phil Wood makes 120mm touring hubs (non-track) that will take a 5-speed freewheel. Are there any other makers? Also any brands I should be looking at (or avoiding) for 27" rims?

the cheapest and easiest route is to post a wanted ad on CL or check your LBS for used 27" wheelsets. you should be able to get something under $50 in great shape. other than that, i don't recommended building a new set.

700c with long reach brakes (if needed) will be more future proof and allow for lots of tire options. you can squeeze 126mm hubs (need respacing/redishing) in there without cold setting too.

You can build a 120 wheel on any freewheel hub where you can buy a 130 to 132 mm axle. Just take out the right thickness of spacers on each side. Probably the older designs dating at least to the early '70s (Campy Nuovo Tipo, Normandy, early Maillard, Campy Record, et cetera) will have the best flange positioning for 5-speed. Axle availability is probably the biggest issue, given that the cones and races are still good. Campagnolo Record hubs had the best races and cones back in the day, and I think they'd have the best longevity, with both cones and races being steel.

Aren't all cones and races steel?

Often the cheapest way to get an alloy set of 27" wheels is to buy an entire used bike. I just got a Nishiki with 27" alloys for less than $50.

Far less.

Check out your local bike collective. I snagged a Rigida wheel for $10. Then bent it about three months later.

If you're alright doing your own work, it's not a bad way to go.

Going to 700c is a good option, but if you want 27", you can do it. There is still a wide selection of tires available in that size including Schwalbe Marathons, Panaracer Pasela, and Panaracer Pasela TG. Lots of other tires both cheap and expensive, those just happen to be tires that I have used and liked.

Also, if you're building wheels, Sun CR-18 rims in 27" are readily available and pretty cheap (as little as $25 +shipping). They are very nice rims and are highly polished, too.

Cradduck: I hear you! I scrambled to get a 27" wheel in good condition. I posted a "Want to buy" ad on craigslist and just waited. I waited two weeks and finally gave up. So, I went ahead and placed an order for a Sun CR-18 and a Phil Wood hub. I decided to upgrade from 120mm hub to 126mm to expand my freewheel options. A day after I placed my order, someone from Craigs List contacted me with an Alex 27" rear wheel for $30. The wheel was in excellent condition. Since I have another bike with steel 27" wheels in the garage, I figured I could use it for a future remodel. So, placing such ad does work but you need to be patient. For the front wheel, I just went with a regular 700c wheel/tire which you can get from any bike shop. The combo works just fine.

BTW, I was unable to find a brand new 120mm hub other than Phil Wood in the market. However, the Phil Wood hub I purchased is absolutely amazing... sooo smooth. I may be imagining things but I also feel the bike handles so much better. Perhaps this is so because I upgraded from a steel rear wheel. At any rate, no regrets!

BTW, I was unable to find a brand new 120mm hub other than Phil Wood in the market. However, the Phil Wood hub I purchased is absolutely amazing... sooo smooth. I may be imagining things but I also feel the bike handles so much better. Perhaps this is so because I upgraded from a steel rear wheel. At any rate, no regrets!

If the new wheels are significantly truer with nice tight spokes, properly dished and round, it very well could be the new wheels. Properly adjusted, well lubed hubs make a difference, too. Built some wheels using some old Campagnolo NR hubs and CR18 rims and they made a difference compared to 105 hubs and mavic T520 rims even though the 105/Mavic stuff was in perfect shape. I think really nice hubs matter.

Aren't all cones and races steel?

I thought some of the cheaper hubs had the inner surface of the hub functioning as the race.

No?

Going to 700c is a good option, but if you want 27", you can do it. There is still a wide selection of tires available in that size including Schwalbe Marathons, Panaracer Pasela, and Panaracer Pasela TG. Lots of other tires both cheap and expensive, those just happen to be tires that I have used and liked.

Also, if you're building wheels, Sun CR-18 rims in 27" are readily available and pretty cheap (as little as $25 +shipping). They are very nice rims and are highly polished, too.

I had a wheelset built using the Sun CR-18 rims and Formula hubs. I recommend them.

Sun, Velocity, and Weinmann make 27" rims.

As OP mentioned, keep you eye on CL. I picked up a lovely pair of Mavic Module E 27" wheels with Specialized hubs built by Wheelsmith for 40 clams a few years ago.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/630.html

The Niagara Cycles site has a selection of 27 inch wheelsets and wheels with a lot of variety, at really low prices. I haven't seen any, but I bet these are the sorts of things where you want to go over the tensioning and truing yourself with a precautionary hub overhaul.

www.niagaracycle.com