Hi. I am in the process of bomb proofing my commuter bike and trying to make it as useful as possible on a very limited budget. If I could afford it, I would get a Surly Crosscheck because I think that is one of the most versatile bikes I've ever seen. I've only been riding for about a year though so my experience is very limited.
Anyway, my commuter is a 77 frankenbike and many people have recommended that I upgrade the 27" wheels to 700c, and I would like to do this just because the tire selection is so much better with 700c. I would like cyclocross wheels because I want to be able to go anywhere I feel inclined to ride on this thing and don't want to damage anything. The options are SO vast that I really don't know where to start. So, I am looking for suggestions for the $150-200 range that are going to last me a good long time. Thanks!

You can find mass produces wheels at your friendly Neighborhood bike shop..

Drop by when you leave work and shut off the computer?

Given standards. a 700c rim brake surface is 622 Diameter , 27" is 630 ,, radius being half diameter ,

you have to move your brake shoes down 4mm on your brakes.

What kind of hubs? Cassette? Freewheel? Singlespeed? Internally Geared?

Good old Mavic Open Pros laced to Ultegra or 105 rims are hard to beat for relatively inexpensive wheels. They are also fairly easy to find used, and if you're careful you can get a bargain. The last set of OP-Ultegra wheels I bought used for $150 and they were in excellent condition although needing some cleaning. You can also buy OP/Ultegras on-line for about $250 a set if you shop around.

For more bomb-proof wheels, Velocity Dyads laced to Ultegra/105 rims might be even less expensive than OPs but will weigh more. Make sure you get at least 32 spokes, and 36 if you weigh more than 200 and/or carry a lot of weight on your bike.

These are a Clyde worthy 36 spoke wheelst with a 300 lb rating for $150: https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...72_-1___202478

If you're looking for strong and inexpensive wheels, these will be hard to beat esp. if you find them on a Nashbar 20% sale. But do you need 130 mm rear wheels or 126 mm? If the latter, look elsewhere.

During the spring rush this past year, I worked PT at an LBS. I was astonished by the variety and quality of inexpensive pre-built wheels.

I can afford fairly expensive hand-built wheels. The set I just had built for my back-up three-seasons commuter are $700. But if budget became a concern, there were several of those inexpensive pre-built wheels that passed through my hands that I'm certain I could be happy with.

The shop I was at ordered primarily from J&B Importers. You can search J&B's site and see everything your LBS sees, except prices. You can even sort by price, although it isn't displayed. Ordering separate front and rear (rather than a wheelset) generally can get you better value. J&B Importers Wheels

The advantage to ordering through your LBS is that a good LBS will verify that the wheels are true in both directions, there's no wind-up in the spokes, and that the bearings are adjusted properly. That's something you'd have to take for granted, do yourself, or pay an LBS for if you bought online.

EDIT: bikemig alluded to it, but to expand a bit:

The spacing in the rear triangle has grown over the years as more and more gears are added in the back. Your older frame may be spaced for 126mm hubs. While 126 is still available, most 700C wheels come with 130mm rear hubs. Your LBS can advise on whether your frame can be spread to accommodate 130mm hubs, and can do it should you so decide.

I'm not intimately familiar with the Cross-Check, but it may come spaced for 135mm hubs. Whichever bike you're planning to put new wheels on, you'll need to know the rear hub spacing before you make a buying decision.

They are nice wheels. 3,000 mi on mine.

I like 'em. I'm thinking of picking up a pair for a cross bike that needs new wheels. I figure I can torture these wheels and not care what I do to them. Good to know that you like them.

I am a little biased but this is one set I just built for someone needing a super tough wheelset without a large budget. Lots of decent options out there though, I would try to stick with traditional spokes and would avoid most (if not all) of the low spoke count wheels.

https://bicyclewheelworks.blogspot.com

you might consider these:

https://www.velomine.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=2537

I bought a fixie wheelset from velomine earlier in the year, and was really surprised at the quality/price ratio. I bought velocity chukkers + formula hubs, but the shop has all sorts of options to choose from. Velocity rims seem to have the reputation for durability, and you get your choice of hubs to fit your budget. I get the impression this is a bike shop in the midwest that has embraced the internet and using there considerable wheel building expertise to sell lots of wheelsets. Mine arrived very quickly, they were packed very well, and overall the experience was one of the best bike part purchases I have made.

EDIT: here this is a better link to a whole bunch of Mavic Open Pro rims laced to all sorts of hubs. You basically pic the best hub that can fit your budget:

https://www.velomine.com/index.php?ma...ath=86_235_242

I am guessing something like the Shimano 105.

CC has Surly's "Gnot-rite" spacing of 132.5mm, intended for either 130 or 135. I don't know what would happen if you squeezed it in as far as 126, but I'm sure there are spacers out there, 3mm on each side isn't much.