vonfilm 

Does anyone run 27" rims laced to modern hubs on their classic and vintage ride?

Why?

I was thinking it might make for a better fit with classic brakes, but perhaps there are other reasons.

jonwvara 

I mostly run older hubs with 27 inch rims, but I don't think the hubs care what kinds of rims are on them, and vice-versa.

RobbieTunes

I agree. I've seen some really nice touring bikes with the hubs upgraded to accept 8/9/10 rears. Bike stays a smoothie 27, and has modern gearing.

A friend of mine upgraded a Trek 520 that way, and he's running Deore LX hubs, FD, RD, crankset. Dead silent ride.

dbakl

Some frames just fit 27" rims better than 700. If that's what the frame needs, the hub doesn't care what its laced to, as long as number of holes and spoke length is right.

I'll say it again: nothing wrong with 27".

sailorbenjamin

I'm digging my 9 speed hubs but the bike looks a little awkward on 700s. Big gap between the tires and the fenders. My hubs are only 32 hole, though and my 27" rims are all 36. I'll have to spend some money on that problem. This month I spent my allowance on lacing a fixy hub into some old Schwinn S-7s.

vonfilm 

I am slowly acquiring parts for my 73 Super Sport build and I plan to go with modern hubs and a 9 or 10 speed cassette. I have been rethinking 700c wheels. I thinkI might like to polish up the centerpulls that came with the SS and use 27' rims. I have seen some NOS Weinmann and Matrix 27's on Ebay. What are my best choices in 27" rims these days?

What are the chances of 27" tires becoming unavailable in the future?

ColonelJLloyd 

Sun Ringle. Either the M-13 or the CR-18 are good choices depending on usage.

Not for a long time. It's been said a million times because it's true; the Panaracer Pasela is tough tire to beat in 27".

Muttleyone

I laced up a new S/A S2C "Kickback" hub to a 27" rim and it rides great on my 73 Dawes.

Mutt

DaHaMac

I am turning a 1983 World Tourist into true touring bike and I'd love to go 9-speed on the rear. I can get Harris Cyclery to build me a 9-speed hub on a 27" wheel. Is this my best plan or are there already 27" rims with 9-speed hubs available?

If 27" rims with 9-speed hubs are available, where would one find them?

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

world tourist? with the Front Freewheel system?

You might find a 9 speed hub laced to 27" rim at Niagara Cycle, i haven't looked though.

I think if you're really serious about putting together a "true touring bike" you might want to start with a frame that's better suited to it. JMO's.

Maddox

+1. If you're seriously looking to Tour, the World Tourist, despite it's name, is not the steed for you. Schwinn's touring models during the '80s were (an incomplete list) the Passage, the World Voyageur, and a couple others I'm not thinking of right now.

kc0yef 

I have Shimano 105 hubs with UG on my Trek which had a helicomatic that's why...

kc0yef 

I like the 27" wheels they ride smoother and my old trek had a troublesome Helicomatic so I have one set of Durace and one set of Shimano 105's laced to some weinmann alloys

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I can't feel the difference between 27" and 700c. Its only 1cm anyway.

Maddox, I think by the 80's you'd be looking at the Voyageur 12.whatever or the Voyageur 11.8. I think the World Voyageurs were done by the late-70's but I could be mistaken. The "World" frames were once Panasonic built but by the 80's I'm pretty sure Giant was making them....such as the World Sport

3alarmer 

Pretty sure I can feel the difference. I've experimented a little because I
was kinda interested in whether the difference was enough to affect handling
because of the change in trail. I'm not sure how scientifically valid my
experiment was because it wasn't double blinded and the study group was me.

I run new 27" alloy rims on an old Stella that came with that size originally with
Performance house brand tires on it.....which are ridiculously nice tires for the price
on sale. Schwalbe also sells some killer 27" tires, which are hard to mount but
fine to ride on.

My impression is that there are still enough 27" rims around in Europe to insure
that tires will be available for some time to come.

zukahn1 

There really isn't an issue with this except for maybe cost it will likely be a little more expensive to build up a nice set of 27's with modern hubs then to by a good used set of 700's.

Puget Pounder

I'd like to see a double-blind (AKA blindfolded) bike riding experiment.

3alarmer 

DaHaMac

I gave the wrong impression when I said "Tourist". What I meant is "Commuter". Here is a picture of the old boy (aka Big Red) in his latest incarnation and now I just want to improve the quality.

Why do this to an 1983 World Tourist? Because I love the steel lugged frame even though it is heavy by modern standards and because I plan to spend a boat load of money on building a Gunnar Sport for Randonnuering/Commuting. The World Tourist will serve as foul weather backup commuter until one day in the future I can do a Gunnar Fastlane or a Waterford in 953 Stainless.

I had thought about going to 700c rims but somehow it just seems right to keep the 27's on the old Schwinn.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

looks like an awesome commuter. Personally I'll always take reliability over light weight when it comes to a commuting tool.
You really did that thing up! No vestiges of the FFS and the paint match fenders look great.

Not doubting that you can, but I still can't.

old's'cool

Use The Force!!!

kc0yef 

So put a blindfold on while riding and a blindfold on the observer? that would be interesting...
Serisouly I volunteer...I am 260 and without a doubt I can tell my 700c from my 27 every inch of the trip...
The 27 are lower pressure and bigger lots bigger my 700 are really high pressure and great for mashing up the hills but not on the flats I have one bike I can try both tires on so when I am finished building it I will give a rolling test down hill and see how far I go before a stop(I always wanted to see if the HP 700's really rolled farther).

55 Traveler

If people feel a difference I'm sure its more due to tire section width than due to the 1cm difference in diameter. Most of my 27s are 1 1/8th or 1 1/4" wide. My 700c are typically 25. The 27s ride smoother because they are fatter.

Someone mentioned a Super Sport. I put 700c's on my Super Sport and it was pretty straighforward on the rear, within the caliper reach. The front was a little off but I was able to "stretch" the calipers slots and the fork slots by a mm or so and make them fit fine.

The real difference in the end is in choice of tires. If you are happy with what you can find in 27" then stick with it. You can always swap rims 5 years down the road, if supplies dwindle.

David S

degan

I built up a set 27" Cr18 rim to a modern 8 speed hub. Its not a vintage rim, but its what my bike needed.

Standalone 

27" CR18 to a formula SS/fixed hub. Cantis necessitated the 27" rim. I took it out for a SSCX race. I did terribly, so the wheels are going on an Atala.

I will now build it up for touring with a triple, another set of 27" Sun rims and an 8 speed hub.