Replacement wheel question
 

I've been working the forum over with questions about this re-build of an 84 520 trek touring bike, so thanks for everyone's help. Another question: I need a new front wheel. Silver, strong but nothing too fancy. I'm going to run continental top touring 32s. Is there an internet source for wheels that is the best? I can find a lot of fancy racing wheels and some inexpensive replacement wheels but I can't be sure of the width of the rim, etc. (I need a slightly wider rim, right?). Also, if anyone knows of a solid set of wheels that are still made at 126 or 130 spacing for a freewheel I'd consider buying a set. This bike is will be used for long day rides with a large saddle bag and some city riding but will most likely not get fully loaded (except by my 210 lbs frame:) )
thanks

I've been doing some searching for pre-built 27-inch wheels myself, and found the pickings really slim. There are some very reasonably-priced "Dimension" wheelsets available from JensonUSA and Bikeparts.com, but they're built with an Alex X404 rim that seems to be over 26mm wide. That's wider than I want, and probably wider than you want or need for 32mm tires. (You really don't need anything very wide at all. 32mm tires work fine on rims of 15mm, and 26mm is really wider than recommended for them - see the chart about 4/5 of the way down this page.)

I've carefully avoided learning how to build wheels over the years, but this may be what pushes me over that edge.

I was thinking of going to 700c because of tire options. I have a 622-26 (that is 700c right?) x404 rim on the back and it is really wide. Thanks for the information, though I'll check out those sites.

When I was shopping recently, this is the only pre-built threaded 126mm rear hub set I could find (not on ebay - slim pickings there as well): http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

However, when I searched the forums for Quando hubs, they received some horrible reviews. A little surprised Harris would sell a problematic hub (perhaps these are not a troubled model?). Might be worth a call - their customer service is always friendly over the phone.