Mike Mills

Congratulations on your new acquisition.

The wheels seem very important to me. Whether they are original or not is not very important, in my mind. What you do have there is a GREAT set of classic & vintage wheels which would be difficult (almost impossible) to replace if the rims were ever damaged. The hubs and spokes are easy to find. The rims are not.

If I were you, I would get a set of decent wheels with clincher rims and ride on those. As you gain more experience with the bike you can consider buying tubular tires and runnning the original wheels (perhaps on special occaisions/events).

P.S. - I cannot see any of your pictures while here at work but will check back later tonight when I'm home.

P.P.S. - That bottom bracket set is not original either. It would have had a Nuovo Record bottom bracket.

ohjonnybegoode

Thanks, Mike…yes…I was leaning toward that direction in regards to the rims…I’ve not had a bike with sew ups before, and, unless there is a hugely compelling reason to use them, I was planning on getting a set of clinchers…

Which leads me to my next question…can anyone recommend a decent clincher rim…I’m looking for something reasonably priced, as I do plan on riding the bike and don’t want to worry about every bump or scratch they may get…I’m open to 27 inch (as the bike was originally equipped) or 700c…is there an older rim set I should target on CL or ebay? Something new? Any thoughts would be appreciated….!

Mike Mills

VeloOrange makes a great-looking C&V-style clincher rim. These would build up into an age-appropriate looking wheel set in 700C. Campy hubs are easy to come by, as a re DT spokes.

You could also just buy a replacement set of wheels - 27" or 700C. I think 27" is correct but may not be practical. Consider the brake reach in making your choice. The Weinmann center-pull brakes, original to the bike, should work for either but you do not have those brakes. Perhaps, you should get a pair.

Scooper

For 700c (622) rims, I'm partial to Mavic Open Pros. I have several sets with thousands of miles on them and zero problems, although I have heard others complain about them. With the number of these rims in service there are bound to be some users with bad experiences.

If you decide to go with 27" (630) rims, Pastor Bob has recommended Sun CR-18 or Sun M-13II.

Mike Mills

Open Pros don't have the C&V look to them, the VO rims do. I recently bought some rims and almost bought the Sun CR-18 but I actually bought the VO rims, instead. I can say from first hand experience, they are nice rims.

(I'm not meaning to argue with you, or dis your opinion in any way, I'm just pointing out the aesthetic difference between them. In this day of internet sales, sometimes people buy things without ever seeing them, first hand, in 3D. Then, sometimes, when the package arrives, they are disappointed.

cudak888 

Got it - it's up.

-Kurt

Scooper

Thanks, Kurt!

ohjonnybegoode

Thank you Stan and Mike for the info on the clincher rims....after looking at some rims online...I was thinking another avenue may be to see if I can find a "donor bike" on my local CL that has 27 inch alloy clincher rims...or is that oversimplying things?

Scooper

That could be risky because used rims may have hidden cracks around the spoke eyelets. The Sun rims are cheap enough that buying them new is cheap insurance. Just my $.02.

pastorbobnlnh 

And they make a nice set of wheels.