Am I the last guy on earth...

...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...

 

In article <[email protected]>, "George Shaffer"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> ...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...

No. Indeed, they're still commercially available. I just got a replacement rear for C$45 for my
tres-retro Mikado. It's nothing special as wheels go, but it works perfectly well, especially for
the price.

Is there a reason you're asking the question, though?

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

I do, and have modified my 700c bicycle to take the larger rims. If you are looking for wheels or
tires contact me off the list and I will give you commercial .com addresses where you can buy them.

Regards, Ernie

George Shaffer wrote:

> ...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...

 

George Shaffer wrote:
>
> ...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...

Nope. Why would I change a perfectly good rim on a perfectly good bike?

--
Frank Krygowski [email protected]

 

On Sun, 12 Jan 2003 06:53:40 GMT, "George Shaffer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...
>
I ride 27" wheels on two bikes, 700c's on another, and 26" MTB. I like the tallness and ride of the
27s the best, around town and trail, put an avg of 2600 mi this year on each of the 27 inchers.

There's lots of NOS Weinman 215s, inexpensive and satisfactory to me, easy to keep true and round.
And there's still a good variety of tires out there. I bought a half-dozen Vittoria 120psi,
27x1-1/4" @$10 each -- good for banging around on the rough stuff, good rolling resistance, wear,
decent on trails. Poor on goatheads despite "3D Kevlar".

There's also lots of 27" wheels from garage sale bikes, thrift shops, dumpster bins etc. A good
project is to swap hubs from a bad back wheel to a good front -- one learns the rudiments of
wheel-building that way. An inexpensive truing stand, a few beers, a tinkering mood; one becomes
fairly adept, reaps the enjoyment of fine rolling 27 inchers, and assures a future supply.

Viva 27"

While we're at it, merit goes to 6-freewheels (available, cheap), front triples, PC48 chain, gear
oit. Plenty of range, long wearing, bullet proof. And nice old bikes with beautiful frames, cheap,
little used.

Bruce Ball

 

> <[email protected]>, "George Shaffer"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > ...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...

Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote

> No. Indeed, they're still commercially available. I just got a replacement rear for C$45 for my
> tres-retro Mikado. It's nothing special as wheels go, but it works perfectly well, especially for
> the price.

And there are still a lot of tyres out there. IF in doubt, go to the local x*mart; I've seen 27"
tyres at both k* and wal* varieties.

no 700Cs there, though!

-Luigi

>
> Is there a reason you're asking the question, though?

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (B2723m) wrote:

> >> "George Shaffer" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> > ...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...
>
> I had a set built for my '81 Raleigh (queen of the fleet) a while back. While probably there
> aren't any 'hot rod' wheels/rims available, Conti still makes good tires in this size and
> tubes/tires are available at discount stores.
>
> Still an excellant set-up for commuters and tourers IMHO.

I don't think 27" has any advantages over 700c, but if they are what came on the bike you currently
have, there are no grave disadvantages for commuting or touring either.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Sun, 12 Jan 2003 06:53:40 GMT, "George Shaffer" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...
> >
> I ride 27" wheels on two bikes, 700c's on another, and 26" MTB. I like the tallness and ride of
> the 27s the best, around town and trail, put an avg of 2600 mi this year on each of the 27
> inchers.
>
> There's lots of NOS Weinman 215s, inexpensive and satisfactory to me, easy to keep true and round.
> And there's still a good variety of tires out there. I bought a half-dozen Vittoria 120psi,
> 27x1-1/4" @$10 each -- good for banging around on the rough stuff, good rolling resistance, wear,
> decent on trails. Poor on goatheads despite "3D Kevlar".
>
> There's also lots of 27" wheels from garage sale bikes, thrift shops, dumpster bins etc. A good
> project is to swap hubs from a bad back wheel to a good front -- one learns the rudiments of
> wheel-building that way. An inexpensive truing stand, a few beers, a tinkering mood; one becomes
> fairly adept, reaps the enjoyment of fine rolling 27 inchers, and assures a future supply.
>
> Viva 27"
>
> While we're at it, merit goes to 6-freewheels (available, cheap), front triples, PC48 chain, gear
> oit. Plenty of range, long wearing, bullet proof. And nice old bikes with beautiful frames, cheap,
> little used.
>
> Bruce Ball

I use them for much the same reason, they're frequently disgarded in usable shape.I really don't
notice much difference from 700s.My luck with swapping hubs/wheel building isn't too great ,any
tips?How about caliper brakes,anybdy still use them?

 

Ah, the six-speed freewheel. That's What I swiped off my wife's (now retired) Raliegh Record. And
with a CPI 48-38-28 triple, my early-90's Giant Option has become a fine touring-commuter. About 200
km more on the Brooks, and I'll be ready for Winnipeg. "Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > On Sun, 12 Jan 2003 06:53:40 GMT, "George Shaffer" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > >...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...
> > >
> > I ride 27" wheels on two bikes, 700c's on another, and 26" MTB. I like the tallness and ride of
> > the 27s the best, around town and trail, put an avg of 2600 mi this year on each of the 27
> > inchers.
> >
> > There's lots of NOS Weinman 215s, inexpensive and satisfactory to me, easy to keep true and
> > round. And there's still a good variety of tires out there. I bought a half-dozen Vittoria
> > 120psi, 27x1-1/4" @$10 each -- good for banging around on the rough stuff, good rolling
> > resistance, wear, decent on trails. Poor on goatheads despite "3D Kevlar".
> >
> > There's also lots of 27" wheels from garage sale bikes, thrift shops, dumpster bins etc. A good
> > project is to swap hubs from a bad back wheel to a good front -- one learns the rudiments of
> > wheel-building that way. An inexpensive truing stand, a few beers, a tinkering mood; one becomes
> > fairly adept, reaps the enjoyment of fine rolling 27 inchers, and assures a future supply.
> >
> > Viva 27"
> >
> > While we're at it, merit goes to 6-freewheels (available, cheap), front triples, PC48 chain,
> > gear oit. Plenty of range, long wearing, bullet proof. And nice old bikes with beautiful frames,
> > cheap, little used.
> >
> > Bruce Ball
>
> I use them for much the same reason, they're frequently disgarded in usable shape.I really don't
> notice much difference from 700s.My luck with swapping hubs/wheel building isn't too great ,any
> tips?How about caliper brakes,anybdy still use them?

 

14 Jan 2003 16:30:14 -0800,
<[email protected]>, [email protected] (Jim) wrote:

>I use them for much the same reason, they're frequently disgarded in usable shape.I really don't
>notice much difference from 700s.My luck with swapping hubs/wheel building isn't too great ,any
>tips?How about caliper brakes,anybdy still use them?

I've a bike with caliper brakes and 27" wheels. I'd like to find some 27" x 1" tires for it. I've
another bike with Mafac cantilevers and 27" wheels that needs new rims. I've scored some good used
ones that are identical. Relacing them is a project I've been procrastinating

Check http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html for clear and concise step-by-step instructions.
--
zk

 

"Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > There's also lots of 27" wheels from garage sale bikes, thrift shops, dumpster bins etc. A good
> > project is to swap hubs from a bad back wheel to a good front -- one learns the rudiments of
> > wheel-building that way. An inexpensive truing stand, a few beers, a tinkering mood; one becomes
> > fairly adept, reaps the enjoyment of fine rolling 27 inchers, and assures a future supply.
> >
> I use them for much the same reason, they're frequently disgarded in usable shape.I really don't
> notice much difference from 700s.My luck with swapping hubs/wheel building isn't too great ,any
> tips?How about caliper brakes,anybdy still use them?

Actually, if you aren't careful these old 27 inchers find you. I've currently got one I ride
(rummage sale), one my daughter uses (she found it in a dumpster), one my Dad owned and asked me to
take (ridden for 180 miles, if the odometer is to be believed, before being permanently hung in the
garage) -- now ridden by random college students in my daughter's house, and there's one that's been
scavenged to keep the others going (bought for $10, mainly for the Brooks saddle on it).

There are lots of 27's out there. It's interesting how many comments I get on the Campy wing nuts on
the front wheel ... of a cheapo Schwinn Sprint ... by people who recognize the incongruity.

Chicago was, of course, the home of the Chicago Schwinns
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chicago-schwinns.html and old Schwinn Varsities are still a common sight
around here.

 

No. I have bikes that date from 1955 to sometime in the 1980's. Two with 26", rest 27", not counting
the clunkers. The stuff I see in the bike shops confuses me. Old road bikes are REALLY cheap right
now around here.

George Shaffer wrote:
>
> ...who still rides 27" wheels? Just wondering...

--
Lincoln Ross NOTE ADDRESS CHANGE: [email protected]

 

Mine is a Giant Option ATB, bought from a pawn shop for 20 bucks. Right now, the frame is all that's
left from it's original configuration. It had (and I still have) 26" x 1 3/8" rims and tires and a
five-cog freewheel. For some reason, this setup was too small a diameter for the brakes to even come
close to properly hit the rims. I swiped the 27" six-speed Teney rims off my wife's Raliegh Record,
her drop bars, bought a second-hand set of Alivio brakes, scavenged a set of Schwinn brake levers
(yes, with the "safety" levers, bobbed to clear the handlebar bag), scored new Tourney derailers and
shifters off eBay, mounted a CPI crankset and Shimano 535 clipless pedals to the TH Industries
bottom bracket from my Motobecane (top tube too short, so I rarely rode it anyway), and the lovely
B-66 Champion saddle. A coat of Dupli-color Mirage in green/purple has turned this reject into quite
a nice bike. Now I have my brother scoping out pawn shops for similar projects...