Aluminum Rim upgrade for vintage bike

[livewire516]

I've been riding a 10-speed 12-speed Fuji Gran Tourer SE (I believe a '80) as my main commuter since 2014.  It hasn't needed anything beyond basic care.  The only downside is that it's useless in the rain due to steel wheels - it can't brake effectively in the wet. I'd like to upgrade to aluminum wheels, then get some fenders, so I can use it more often.

I don't know too much about modifying bikes. It's my understanding that it has a 27" wheel - it seems like the prevailing sentiment online is that if I'm going to bother replacing the steel wheels with aluminum ones I may as well upgrade to the more ubiquitous 700c size.  I'd like to get some Mustachian input on this. Which would be the better route: finding aluminum 27" wheels or getting aluminum 700c's and adjusting the brakes and whatnot?

Thanks so much!

[Dave1442397]

Have you tried new brake pads? Something like these would be good in the rain - https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Bicycle-V-Type-Compound/dp/B001T35RSC

Also, modern brakes are generally better than the old-style ones. Instead of ordering brake pads, you might want to try ordering new brakes, maybe Shimano Sora or equivalent - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-tiagra-4700-road-brake-caliper/rp-prod137770

I don't think you need new wheels to fix your braking problem, but if you would prefer 700c over 27", there are many used wheels for sale on the bike forums and on ebay. A lot of people take the stock wheels off their new bikes and just sell them.

[otter]

Some salmon brake pads will certainly help your braking, but aluminum rims and new pads will help you a lot more. for a bike like this (not very valuable) and your usage (not a power user), a new, inexpensive machine-built wheelset bought online or from your LBS is more than good enough. You can have your LBS rebuild the current wheels with new spokes and rims, but the total cost will probably be about the same and machine-built is probably easier. With new wheels you will, however, have to also get a new cassette (rear gear cluster), unless you can find wheels with hubs that allow you to re-use your existing freewheel. Your bike is old enough that is has friction shifting, which means that if you get a new wheel with a cassette you can keep your existing drivetrain.

I am pretty sure there are machine-built 27" wheelsets with aluminum rims out there. If not, then yes, you would have to get 700c wheels. There is a limited tire selection in 27", but you can get, say, a Panaracer Pasela, which will do just fine. Your bike appears to have Dia-Compe centerpulls, which give you some room for adjusting the pads down, which you will need to do with 700c wheels since they are a slightly smaller diameter. If they are Dia-Compe 750s they will have enough adjustment room; if they are 610s they likely won't. Model number is indicated graphically somewhere. Sidepull brakes like the Sora, linked above, do not have enough reach for your application.

[livewire516]

Otter, my bike still has the Dia-compe breaks. I can't identify them further as the graphics are worn but it looks like I have atleast 4mm downward adjustment available on the rear but none on the front. Looks like I'll need to replace the front ones at least.

Thanks Dave, I've heard the salmon pads could help but I'm convinced, as Otter mentions, that aluminum rims would be an even better solution.

[Dave1442397]

Otter, my bike still has the Dia-compe breaks. I can't identify them further as the graphics are worn but it looks like I have atleast 4mm downward adjustment available on the rear but none on the front. Looks like I'll need to replace the front ones at least.

Thanks Dave, I've heard the salmon pads could help but I'm convinced, as Otter mentions, that aluminum rims would be an even better solution.

Yeah, could be. I'm not that up on the vintage stuff, as I just started riding again in 2011.

I had a Motobecane back in the '80s that I remember putting better brake pads on, and I never had a problem with braking. I did a lot of wet weather riding back then, as I was commuting into Dublin (Ireland), where we got plenty of rain.

The old and the new:

[rothwem]

Otter, my bike still has the Dia-compe breaks. I can't identify them further as the graphics are worn but it looks like I have atleast 4mm downward adjustment available on the rear but none on the front. Looks like I'll need to replace the front ones at least.

Thanks Dave, I've heard the salmon pads could help but I'm convinced, as Otter mentions, that aluminum rims would be an even better solution.

Yeah, could be. I'm not that up on the vintage stuff, as I just started riding again in 2011.

I had a Motobecane back in the '80s that I remember putting better brake pads on, and I never had a problem with braking. I did a lot of wet weather riding back then, as I was commuting into Dublin (Ireland), where we got plenty of rain.

The old and the new:

I think that Motobecane has aluminum rims. 

I would check places like nashbar and performance bike.  Every now and then they have stuff on sale.  Mavic is one company that makes great wheels, and even the entry level Mavic stuff is solid. 

You'll probably need long reach brakes--modern road calipers aren't going to do it, but you can pick up some 57mm dual pivot shimanos that will knock your socks off coming from what you're used to.  Just measure the distance from the braking surface to the brake bolt to figure out how much reach you need. 

[Dave1442397]

Otter, my bike still has the Dia-compe breaks. I can't identify them further as the graphics are worn but it looks like I have atleast 4mm downward adjustment available on the rear but none on the front. Looks like I'll need to replace the front ones at least.

Thanks Dave, I've heard the salmon pads could help but I'm convinced, as Otter mentions, that aluminum rims would be an even better solution.

Yeah, could be. I'm not that up on the vintage stuff, as I just started riding again in 2011.

I had a Motobecane back in the '80s that I remember putting better brake pads on, and I never had a problem with braking. I did a lot of wet weather riding back then, as I was commuting into Dublin (Ireland), where we got plenty of rain.

The old and the new:

I think that Motobecane has aluminum rims. 

That is possible. I found a wheel pic, but it doesn't say what material they were made from. I never even thought about it at the time :)

[rothwem]

I think that Motobecane has aluminum rims. 

That is possible. I found a wheel pic, but it doesn't say what material they were made from. I never even thought about it at the time :)

Yep, those are aluminum. Mavic never made steel rims (as far as I know), they made a name for themselves in the mid-1920s getting riders to use their aluminum rims, which were a huge step up from the wooden rims that were used before that. 

Those wheels are also 700C, which means that you bike was a pretty high end model (but not the highest, those had tubulars/glue-on tires)

[GilbertB]

Steel rims with the proper pad will brake well and last forever...
Because steel is harder than Al, all the wear will be on the pad, softer pads will work better.
High silica pads will not work in the wet on steel.

[livewire516]

I've found another Fuji Gran Tourer owner had used a Weinmann LP18 wheel set, available here:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master-Weinmann-LP18-Set/dp/B006FCDMT8/ref=pd_ybh_a_29?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=S67CA409GFXMEP9J405C

Does this seem adequate for the task?  I think this would allow me to re-use the 6-speed rear cassette, am I right?

So I'm unsure if I've mentioned before but I'm pretty new to working on bikes, so I appreciate everyone's input.

Also, this may be better to ask in its own thread but if anyone knows of a good value bike shop in the Boston area (it doesn't seem that anything is affordable around here), please let me know. I recently moved hear so I don't know many other bike commuters to ask.

[rothwem]

Steel rims with the proper pad will brake well and last forever...

That hasn't been my experience, braking on steel rims in the wet is terrible. 

I've found another Fuji Gran Tourer owner had used a Weinmann LP18 wheel set, available here:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master-Weinmann-LP18-Set/dp/B006FCDMT8/ref=pd_ybh_a_29?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=S67CA409GFXMEP9J405C

Does this seem adequate for the task?  I think this would allow me to re-use the 6-speed rear cassette, am I right?

So I'm unsure if I've mentioned before but I'm pretty new to working on bikes, so I appreciate everyone's input.

Also, this may be better to ask in its own thread but if anyone knows of a good value bike shop in the Boston area (it doesn't seem that anything is affordable around here), please let me know. I recently moved hear so I don't know many other bike commuters to ask.

Those wheels will probably be fine.  You might want to make sure the bearings are adjusted well when you get them, from the comments in the reviews section, there seems to be some issues.  To check for play, mount the wheel in your fork and just see if you can wiggle the rim back and forth.  Any play at all is unacceptable, it will only get worse until the bearings are trashed.   

[hyla]

Switch to 700c.  There are more wheels in that size available (it opens up the possibility of finding a good used set for cheap on craigslist or a local bike recycle), and once you have them, the tire selection is superior.

A few years ago, I rebuilt wheels for a '78 schwinn breeze for the same reason - I had steel rims and wanted aluminum.  Instead of building wheels in the original schwinn 26" size (not the same size as 26" mountain bike rims, an obscure schwinn specific size), I rebuilt them in the (slightly less obscure) 650A size which broadened my tire options a little, and now I actually wish I'd built 650b/27.5" wheels instead.  Mostly because I wish I could get studded winter tires for that bike.

Also, I agree with the posters that suggest getting new brakes if you can find modern ones that fit on your bike.  Brakes are relatively cheap, and have improved in the last 20 or 30 years.