Originally Posted by
Jeff Neese
I didn't pick up that you were a new rider (or just getting back into it after a long time). Now you're spoiled for a good-riding steel frame. Once you're hooked, that's it for life.
I wouldn't have changed wheels just to go to 700c. There's nothing wrong with 27". In my case, the original wheels were too far gone. It looked like on at least one occasion, the owner had a flat rear tire and decided to ride it home anyway. Plus those hubs aren't the best, and like most well-used Maillard hubs, the cones and the cups were both pitted. It gave me a chance to upgrade to Hyperglide freewheel and chain, which improved shifting a lot. The original single-pivot brakes aren't the greatest, but a set of KoolStops improved them a lot. That picture was from last year but this year it got a new Selle Anatomica saddle, which means I'm keeping this one.
On a whim I decided to swap the 700c wheelset (Araya) on the Miyata to the Fuji today. As you said they fit fine and the reach with the original Dia Compe brakes was almost at the limit, maybe just a mm or so left before bottoming out.
What surprised me was the difference in weight between the Araya rims and the original Ukai. I may be looking for a set of 700c for the Fuji, I liked how they felt riding compared to the 27". Different tires on them probably helped as well.
No issues with shifting either, whatever the gearing on the wheel that the Miyata has (it's probably original, I could look in the catalog) seems very similar to the Fuji so the original Le Pree RD worked perfectly.