MrSmithVancity

I've been working on my Norco Avanti 60cm chrom frame road bike since I bought it two years ago. I've taken it down to every last bearing, added a simple coat of primer and rebuilt the bike with the original drive train and wheels. I replaced the tires, cables, and bearings. I've invested in quality replacements for everything on this bike.

I'm 6'4 225lbs, riding approximately 10 - 20 km a day. I ride hard but I am careful not to abuse the bike, I don't ride of curbs and I'm out of the saddle fifty percent of the time.

My current wheels are 27 x 1/4 tubular, I've had my rear axel bend over twice in the last 3 months and I find the wheels are far from true, and flat tires seems to be happening regularly.

I feel that a slick new wheel set should not only solve my current problems but vastly improve the performance of my bike.

I found a pair of Shimano WH-RS10. 700C (622 x 15C). 20.8 mm. wheels for a great deal. They fit in the forks and the frame quite well, the things I'm wondering about are...

Can I transfer my old 6 speed cassette to the new wheels?

If no, then any recommendations for a new one? and will I need to change my derailer?


What problems will I encounter with the change in wheel size? Chain length, ext?

With my size and weight should I be looking for a wheel with more spokes?


Thank you in advance for any and all advice you may have.

dabac

There are basically two types of flats:
snakebites due to underinflation. Less common for tubulars than clinchers, but still common enough. Make sure you run on the correct pressure. A pump with a gauge is highly recommended.
Then there's road debris. Tire choice can improve things, but tubulars tend not to be available in the degree of puncture protection as clinchers are.

That is a good indication of your wheel having a freewheel, and not a cassette.(although there is the Shimano uni-glide, where you could have a 6-speed cassette) Axle bending on freehub wheels is rare.

Well, we don't know how well the wheels were built to begin with, and it sounds like you are on the chunky and strong side. A good true & tension might resurrect your wheels, but with the axle issue it might not be worth it.

The sizing is a but funny. A 27" clincher has a 630 mm bead seat diameter while a 28"(700C) has a 622 BSD, which can cause brake reach problems. But last time this went around I believe the consensus of this forum was that tubular rims had "always" been the equivalent of 622/700C size. So maybe you're in luck there.

If it really is a cassette, then you'd probably need to transfer the body too. I don't think the new-ish stuff(that uses a lockring) is likely to play nice with the uni-glide screw-on sprocket. There'd be issues with dropout widths and probably body lenghts too. Sheldon Brown has a nice page about uni-glide and hyper-glide.

But since you have had issues with axle bending it's likely to be a freewheel, if you go to a new wheel following that standard you're not really improving that area.

Unlikely - unless you end up with a cassette with a considerably bigger range than your old one.

Chain length is dependent on sprocket and chain ring tooth counts. If you are able to transfer body + cassette the chain won't know the difference. If you end up with a new cassette, then it's advisable to replace the chain while you're at it, as old chains and new cassettes usually don't work well together.
And if I'm right about the tubualr rim size thing, brake reach might not be an isssue.

I don't know offhand how many spokes the wheels you're referring to have, so it's a bit hard to say. But unless you're racing and every fraction of a second counts, then the benefits of going to low spoke counts are really small compared to what you lose. But given your weight and stated effort level you might want to look at a rear wheel that's built with thinner spokes on the non-driveside.

LarDasse74

I have three comments to make before I get back to work:

1. THe Shimano wheels are probably not the best option for a big guy. More spokes = more strength (if the wheel is properly built), and the Shimano wheels are low spoke count wheels.

2. Are you sure the bike is a good fit? and old 60cm frame is probably 1 or 2 sizes down fromt he largest size made in any model... the equivalent to a "L" size bike.. maybe a "M/L." You are 6'4"... if they didn't make the largest (or second largest) size bike for people 6'4" then who did they make them for?

3. If the tires say 27 X 1 1/4 then they are probably not tubulars (also called 'sew ups,' have an integrated tube, are glued to the rim), they are probably 'clinchers' (separate $5 tube and tire not glued to the rim)

garage sale GT

Your cone adjustment procedure may be off. Make sure the bearings are in solid contact with the cups and cones after you tighten your skewer and check the adjustment after every ride for a while until you're sure it's not going to open up due to the cones wearing in.

I am 220lb and only have problems bending axles with freewheel hubs if they have the cheapest axles.

Also, try buying a chrome moly axle if your bike has a solid axle. Most solid axles I've seen on old road bikes were made from cheap stuff.

If you get a new wheelset, roadbikereview.com might offer clues on how it would hold up under a clydesdale, or try the clydesdale forum here because someone may have experience with the one you want. I got a Shimano WH-R550 wheelset with 16/20 spokes and it seems to be holding up, no spoke breakage, stays true, etc.

To see if your brakes will reach, see if you can move the pads down 4mm because that's how much lower the rim is on a 622mm/700c vs a 27x1-1/4.

If you put a 130mm hub in a 126mm frame, the dropouts will spread slightly outward. Don't just squeeze the frame around the new hub with the skewer; widen the frame by bending and then bend the dropouts back until they bear squarely on the nuts. Check online for instructions on "cold-setting" a frame.