I got a 1989 Cannondale St600 touring bike to do transam this summer. The bike seems great for touring and it has all the mounts necessary, but I am concerned about the wheels. The rims seem like they might be too narrow for touring. The tires on them are 27 x 1'1/8". From how I see it, I have two options.

Option #1 -- Cheap Option
Use the wheels I have and buy some Schwalbe or Continental touring tires with a size of 27 x 1'1/4".

Option #2 -- More Expensive
Buy some 700c touring wheels (yes they will fit). If I did this, I would need a new cassette because right now there is a freewheel on the rear hub. I would also have to get new shifters because it would be hard to find a 6 speed cassette. I also might need a new rear derailleur.

What do you think I should do? Will these wheelset work, or should I get new ones.

Get a LHT...

can't tell if the wheelsets would work because their condition is unknown. Depending on your weight and load maybe all you need to do is put on some 1 1/4" tires. If the condition of the rear wheel is iffy just replacing it would suffice as front wheels last longer but then you get into the escalating price options. Do you go with a 27" wheel with modern rims or do you go with 700c wheels front and back and does that require new longer reach brakes?

I'd go with 1 1/4" tires and ride the hell out of it before the trip and decide what you'll do 1000miles into the trip and the rear wheel needs a rebuild.

If the shifters are down tube you don't need new shifters, just switch to friction or try a different downtube shifter.

The wheels on there now are in great condition. I weigh 140lbs and I'm expecting my gear including racks and panniers to be about 50lbs.

I also just thought of another idea. I could just buy some rims and spokes, use my current hubs, and rebuild the wheels.

All wheels will work. It's just a matter of risk level. You can deal with risk either with time or money or both.

If you have more time than money, then just go with the wheels you have. If they fail, get some new ones along the way. Take along extra spokes and the tools to put them on.

If you have more money than time. they buy some new hand-built 36-spoke touring wheels.

1-1/8" are 28mm. That is not a problem. Some people like that size. I kind of prefer 32mm (1-1/4") but I wouldn't hesitate using 28s. Do you have your other equipment yet? If so, put them on and do a shake down ride and see if you want wider tires.

Treat yourself to the wider tires. They'll ride a bit smoother and be easier on the wheels. I've had good luck so far with Conti Touring Plus, tho they seem to be wearing faster at 2000 miles than my previous XRs(7K). They are light and easy on/off.

For piece of mind, have a wheel builder check the wheels out. Might even consider rotating. You could do the disassembly and reassembly yourself, letting the builder true the wheels. Should save a lot of labor cost that way. Check the rims and spokes carefully for signs of excessive wear or cracks. Do all this at least a couple of months before leaving to allow time for tweaking.

Take a couple of spare spokes and a temporary fiber spoke with you. Learn the basics of truing just in case, but with solid wheels, you should have zero problems.

Your wheels will be just fine for a wider tire. 1 1/8" tires aren't that much narrower than 1 1/4" (they're both a lot narrower than a one foot 1/8") 27" tires are harder to find than 700C so there are advantages to a 700C.

You can find threaded wheels on Fleabay. This guy has a set of wheels (36 hole) for $70. That's a pretty good bargain.

There's lots of used threaded hubs out there for relatively cheap. You might even be able to find a set of nice Phil Woods (there was just a set on Fleabay about 2 hours ago) and you can build wheels around them. You have plenty of time to look for a deal on wheels.

PM me. I might just have some stuff that would work. If it weren't cold and dark in my garage, I'd go check my parts box for an old set of mountain bike hubs I might have.

I assume your current shifters are friction shifters. If so you can use your current shifters and derailleurs. Just a new chain will let you use a cassette up to 9 sp. I have a 9 sp wheelset on a Railegh from 1983-4 and changed nothing on the bike except the wheels and the chain.

One of the advantages of the 27's is being able to get one at Wally world in a pinch.

Just buy a good set of 27" tires, as wide as will fit properly and ride it. There are plenty of good 27" tires to choose from ....... despite what others say.

The other folks covered it pretty good. I just wanted to say that I've toured many miles on 27 x 1 1/4's, and they work just fine. I've probably had less trouble with them than I have with the 700 "touring" wheels that I have now.

Thanks guys, I'm going to get some 27 inch continental touring tires

The Panaracer Pasela Tourguards are another option: https://aebike.com/product/panaracer-...r2303-qc30.htm I bought some of these for an old bike I fixed up last summer and I have been happy with them. They are pretty cheap and have puncture resistant lining.