I just purchased an old Univega Custom Ten. I found it at a garage sale. I took it for a ride and it shifts and brakes well (suntour sprit / dia comp stuff). The drivetrain could use a cleaning, but nothings damaged. The wheels (27") have no name on them, but theres no woble. The main thing is the frame fits me better than my current commuter. They were asking $40, I offered $20 and took it home thinking I just scored.
I planned on just (eventually) replacing the wheels (or maybe swapping the 27's off my Nishiki, cassette and all), tires/tubes, bar tape and just cleaning the drive train and calling it my new commuter.
My question is the wheels....
Would it be stupid of me to by new 700c's for this bike?
Should I look more for a used set of 27's or 700c's?
Should I swap the wheels from my Nishiki?
Should I just cut my losses, clean it up and just keep it around for my wife to ride and only replace the tires, tubes and bar tape?

As a basic bike boom 10-speed, it is probably well worth what you paid, particularly if it fits you as well as you indicated.

Check the lengths of the slots in the brake calipers. If you can move the front and rear brake pads down 4mm, you can install 700C wheels, which are pretty easy to find, new or used. Replace at least the brake pads (KoolStop salmons rule!), if not the brake cables and housings.

If the wheels are straight, why do want to change them?

just a gut feeling really. like i said, i'd like to use this bike as my commuter and i'm just not sure if i trust these wheels for 20 mile-a-day use.
plus, no quick release.

There is no benefit to changing to 700Cs save for the following reasons:

#1: Your existing wheels are tacoed, and you don't have a pair of alloy 27s" on hand.
#2: Your existing rims are steel, and you have a good pair of aluminum 700C hoops/wheels on hand, but no 27s".
#3: Your spare wheelsets are limited to aluminum 700Cs (no 27s"), and your frameset is sans wheels of any kind.
#4: You already have 700Cs.
#5: You want 500+ choices of tyres instead of 50+.

-Kurt

thanks! i think i'll stick with 27's, but i'd still like to have the quick release, so i should look for a used set of 27's?
also, to answer my original question, did i pay too much for this bike? when i brought it home, i did a search here on the forums and found someone saying that some of the univega models are complete garbage and may be made with plumbers pipe?

20.00 dollars for a good, useable bike is nothing.
Put it in perspective.....you are getting some great transportation
for the price of a crappo meal or movie.
Clean it up, oil it, ride the wheels off of it !!

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Why not?

I wouldn't consider QRs a plus in an urban environment. They just increase the likelihood of a wheel theft.

I gave away one of those Univegas to the local thrift store, and I wish I had kept it...

Any bike that can be ridden is worth at least $20... But yours, if it is in reasonable shape, is better than any current department store bike...

My old bike-boom Atala is still rolling on the orginial '70s 27" wheels three days a week. I've replaced a few spokes, and will probably re-lace them with SS spokes this winter,but it's good to go for another few years as-is. I'd go with what you've got until you have problems.
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For a (road) bike that rides, people usually say less than $60 is a guaranteed good deal. Logically this makes sense because a tune up costs approx $60, so even if you get a crap bike for free but it doesn't ride, you'll end up buying it for about $60.

Same here - have had a few machines in the past with alloy 27"s, and I couldn't complain one bit about the ride on any of them - equal to anything running 700C, particularly my UKAI 27X1-1/8" rim set running vintage Specialized Turbo 27X1 skinwalls.

My favorite all-around setup would be hooked-bead Weinmann 27" aluminum rims + Continental 1000 tires. I don't care for the look of the Continentals, but the combination is a ride unmatched.

Disclamer: My '61 Paramount is running 700Cs because that's the only thing I had on hand. In fact, while I still have an oversupply of nice 700Cs, I don't have one stinkin' spare pair of nice alloy 27s".

Take care,

-Kurt

If you want quick releases, just buy the quick release axles and covert, easy to do, and costs a lot less than a new set of wheels.

If you want quick releases, just buy the quick release axles and covert, easy to do, and costs a lot less than a new set of wheels. I did that with my Ross Professional.

you could always sell the bike on CL/fleabay, prolly make a few bucks on it!

I'd change the wheels too, because I have a problem saving money. If you go this route, Nashbar has some long reach brakes for cheap.

I've found that most DiaCompe brakes from the 80s have sufficient reach to change to 700C wheels with no problem. You only need to be able to move the brake pads 4 mm downwards typically...