Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Most cantilever brakes will accommodate a conversion to a 700 wheel set. Every cantilever I can think of has some kind of height adjustment. As jlaw pointed out, there is only an 8mm difference in diameter so there is only a 4mm (a bit over 1/8”) difference in radius which is what matters. Most of the vintage cantilevers were built so that the bikes would work in the US market with 27” wheels or everywhere else with 700C wheels.
If the bike fits, buy it and convert it to 700C later. It shouldn’t be a problem.
Not my experience at all. The adjustability in cantis was not meant to accommodate switches between 27" and 700C - just so the same brakes could be used on frames with slightly different dimensions. Frames were never intentionally made to be easily swapped between wheel sizes.
That being said, it is certainly possible that there are some cantis that have the required adjustability, but if the brake pads are close to the bottom of the slot in the brake with 27", you're either going to need to find different brakes or just stick with the 27" wheels. In fact, the tires I prefer above all others, Panaracer Paselas, are available in 27".
I have done numerous 27" -> 700c conversions, but all with caliper brakes. I have seen a few canti-equipped bikes that I thought would make good candidates for the switch, but the existing canti brakes always lacked the required adjustability.