I bought this off craiglist out of state a couple of months ago. Its a Brittany, sold under Sears and Robuck-- no idea what year. 12 speed, lugged frame, i like it alot. Ride times have been low so far though and i am thinking i might commute with it. One of my biggest dilemmas i have being fairly new to getting in the works of a bike, is what to do about the wheels/tires. They are old 26x 1 3/8 (590). Is there something thats a little more modern that may fit and fit the fenders too? Or am i going to have to stick with these. They either need to be trued up or replaced as the have some wobble in them and that is the only part that drives me nuts--that and they are heavy.

So if this bike was in your possesion, what would you do with it?

Just get the wheels trued.
The bike isn't worth much, but that casual old-fashioned style is kind of popular.
If you want something faster and more efficient for commuting, buy a whole new bike that has 700c or 27" wheels. Like a touring or road bike with a triple ring up front.

I was afraid you were going to say that. I bought it on a whim, i do like the style of it. Like i said, my only beef is the wheels, i wish i could find something thats common nowadays to drop in and then id be real happy. I should have researched things more i guess, Oh well, at least is fun to ride---for me anyways.

Anyone else?

You can get alloy rims in that size, but it would hardly be "worth it." Then again, this being the classic and vintage forum, few of us care whether anything is "worth it." Smaller wheels --26 x 1.5 for example-- are readily available and will fit the frame, but even if you can find longer brakes --BMX brakes might fit-- the longer reach would mean more flex. The aluminum rims would increase stopping power, the longer brake arms would decrease stopping power, with a result that ... I ... can't ... predict.