fender1

So, I have 4 sets of 27" wheels that I do not need. 2 sets have Sunshine Pro Am, low flange hubs (1 w/ Mavic Module E) rims ,120mm and the other with Alloy rims, unknown, maybe Ukai? 126mm, 1 set is almost new w/ Profile/Quando hubs, modern rims, 126mm and the final is a set of Specialized sealed hubs, laced to blue label, Super Champion rims.

They have all been on CL at $50-$75 bucks with no takers. I stopped advertising them, because of a lack of interest or "I will give $10" type interaction. All are true, no dents or hops, been re-greased adjusted and inspected.

I will not use them but want/ need the money from the sale to pay for other bike stuff. So, is the next logical step removing the hubs, recycling the spokes and giving the rims to the co-op? I feel like there is something wrong with breaking down nicely made functional wheels just for the hubs. Just curious if there is some red hot, 27" wheel market that I am missing? What would you do?

daf1009

Afraid not! At least in my experience...I do a lot of stripping and selling parts...but...man...wheels are like bunnies! I have so many sets...and I feel the same way, but I have started breaking them down and selling the hubs, as shipping wheels is as expensive as frames. I fortunately have a couple of guys that build frames up...so sometimes sell to them, but not often enough.

choteau

What are the hubs alone worth? What is your time to part them out worth?
If the local co-op is a non profit, check into donating the complete wheels for a tax write off?

gomango

Great idea.

Three months ago I took two car's worth of stuff out of the garage to the local coop.

Their eyes popped out of their heads.

A really freeing experience.

daf1009

Hub value varies widely, dependent on the make/model, so talking about the value is a non starter. I generally make a bit. I have donated some wheels, particularly ones with "lesser" quality hubs. My time to part out for a wheel is pretty quick...I generally just cut the spokes out, recycle them and, usually, the rims...

ypsetihw

buy some cheap steel vintage frames and throw SS cogs on them, you'll get $150-200 out of the bikes, more in a major city, with very little money in parts. in my market, there are lots of 27" wheels kicking around cheap because people upgrade to 700 for the tire options. also, the vintage flipper fixie crowd around here doesn't much care for the quality of hubs and the like, especially if the bike is ready to roll. if it fits and spins, they ride it. most buyers won't even know there are different wheel sizes. sad but true.

oddjob2

New wheelsets can be bought for $80 a set, so I think you need to rethink your pricing, maybe $30-$50 a set. Those below may not be the best quality, but how are noobs to know any better?

https://www.amazon.com/Alex-AP18-Rear...RXWFM0A2D6JH9N

KonAaron Snake 

Honestly, I think your asking price is optimistic for Japanese hub 27' wheels. What little market there is for this stuff is more up stream for Paramounts. I probably would have asked about half of that.

I'll give you $10.03 for the Specialized pair

In all seriousness, I would like those rims if you sell the hubs.

fender1

I actually have an additional set of those rims with no hubs, hanging on a hook in my basement. How about 2 sets for the price of none?

fender1

Ok. I am picking up what y'all are putting down. Lower my sights....and get out the bolt cutters......

Wilfred Laurier

27" wheels are obsolete in NA, and when I started reading your thread I was thinking between 10 and 20$ would be a fair value. There are literally millions of 27" wheels dying from neglect in NA, so it is a buyer's market.

KonAaron Snake 

Sounds good.

Darth Lefty 

If they were something special to someone - like the wheelset from a specific popular model of nice bike, like a Paramount or something - then maybe.

That second set would go great on a Schwinn Super Sport, which gets a little tippy on its kickstand with 700c's.

jPrichard10 

I'd do different things with each.

Delace one of the Pro-Am Wheelsets (start with the not-as-good rims). Advertise and see what you get for them (these are my favorite freewheel hubs). You can take pictures of the one subset, and advertise a second without having to unlace it yet.

With the new wheel set, throw on a SS cog and put it on a vintage steel bike like someone suggested. Super cheap to build, and there's always buyers in cities these days looking for a cheap and easy SS commuter. You won't get anything out of this wheelset, laced or no.

Hang on to the Specialized/Super Champion wheelset. This one seems the only one likely to sell to some L'Eroica type.

Kobe 

Where were you last week! I was restoring a Trek 500 with a seized up Helicomatic hub and really bent rear wheel for a friend. My first thought was to just replace the wheel set with a cheap set off of CL. There was only one set of 27" wheels and they were in S.Philly and not worth the trip. I ended up flushing the hub with oil and a gentle wack on the floor to untaco the wheel.

Too bad I did not see yours, I would have given you $10 for the Super Champions. Seriously, $50 would have been a bargain after the time I spent on these wheels.

I guess it's all about timing, keep putting it up, someone else will need a set of 27" wheels at the last minute.

fender1

Just call me next time. I have so much stuff to get rid of, I probably have what you need.......

bwilli88 

I would love that specialized set at my house over in Lancaster, too bad my taxes this year are killing my pocketbook.

JohnDThompson 

27" rim are pretty much deprecated these days, but SanShin Pro-Am hubs are still top quality. Maybe de-lace the wheels and sell the hubs separately?

fender1

Yeah, I think I am headed in that direction.

francophile 

I've got someone relatively local to me (35 min drive north) who flips a lot of bikes and has a boatload of 27" wheels as a result. He has an ad on CL he refreshes every 2-4 weeks offering them by the pairs, often with freewheels, for $20/pair. Don't think he cuts wheels on bulk purchases. I picked up a nice pair of 700c with almost brand new slicks on them for $40/pair after buying two other pairs from him previously. I think it's all about your price point. Aim for the $30/pair range on sale, but be willing to take $20 if they're nothing special.

roccobike

OP, if you were local to me, I'd buy a set for $30 or $40, provided they're 120mm rims. The narrow type rims are still in demand. But shipping from PA to NC will price them out of the park. The wider rims, typically stamped "1 1/4 inch" are not worth much.
Even when a vintage bike with 27" wheels surfaces from years of storage, most of them are from the 80's and have alloy rims. If it's a really nice frame, folks are evaluating 700C rims.

mparker326

The coop I frequent will take rims, but for the most part they eventually junk them. If you have a lot of 27 inch wheels laying around, imagine what they have. Why would they build a wheel that takes hours when they can just use a spare wheel set?

I got rid of my spares by getting some frames from the coop for cheap and used them on those.

jimmuller 

Interesting dilemma. I have an aversion to taking thinks apart unnecessarily.

Dollars to donuts, as soon as you dispense with those wheels I'll need a replacement wheel for one of my 27"-wheeled bikes.

fender1

You could always just buy a set now and have it in reserve.......

Cougrrcj

Dammit! I just bought a set of new 27s from Velomine because I couldn't find anything worthwhile on line! Lemme see what I can do... (looking in my discretionary funds....) brb.