Maelochs

Of course he can cold-set the frame to 130 if he desires.

ThermionicScott 

I was kind of surprised at first, too. But note that they offered the Super Le Tour with aluminum rims starting in 1976. So they were able to sell aluminum rims as a premium option until about 1983 when they finally trickled down into the base model. Schwinn knew how to work a tiered product line!

ciclista_pazza

Oh shoot - one issue. I see that wheelset - https://www.velomine.com/index.php?m...roducts_id=739 - has rims drilled for presta valves. I just got tires put on that I'm sure are schraeder valves. Is this a problem I can work around?

ThermionicScott 

The valves are part of the tubes, not the tires. You can either buy Presta tubes, or drill out the rims for Schrader valves.

ciclista_pazza

Great - thanks! I actually just got puncture resistant tubes, so will have to do the drilling option. Is that drilling out the rims for Schrader valves something most bike shops can do?

unterhausen

Yes, aluminum rims were a big selling point back then. Most brands did this. Sometimes it was difficult to convince someone the extra $20 was worth it (okay, don't really remember the $ difference).

We nominally were a Schwinn dealer in the late '70s, but we mostly sold Le Tour/Super Le Tour. It was a pretty good bike at the time, it wasn't really tired at all. Steel rims were still very common.
We did sell the occasional Varsity, which was definitely a tired product. And _very_ expensive, more than a Super Le Tour. $1000 in today's dollars.

ThermionicScott 

I really did mean to type "tiered" and not "tired."

ciclista_pazza

What about this poster's comment from a 2017 thread where they say (regarding putting aluminum wheels on a vintage bike):

Quote:
Originally Posted by sch View Post
"Bike old enough to have steel wheels is likely not to have a hook bead, if clincher, so not compatible with hook bead tires which are 99.99% of the market in US."

"Worse, the bead tires will work, sort of, maybe, if you are lucky. But if you aren't, the pressure to keep the tire from pinch flatting will be above the pressure needed to keep the tire seated. There's about a revolution and a half between unseating and BANG."
(from this thread - https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...els-weigh.html)

Do I need to worry about what they are saying about my vintage bike not having a hook bead and this being an issue? Sorry the questions keep coming. Hopefully this is the last one.

ciclista_pazza

Nevermind my question above. I think that's just about tires and probably not relevant. I think I'm probably all set. Thanks for the replies!

dedhed

Or buy a donor bike with straight alloy 27" rims and get a bunch of extra parts included.

​​​​​​https://tucson.craigslist.org/bik/d/...377536391.html

ThermionicScott 

Your old steel rims probably don't have bead hooks, which is one reason "we" generally try to talk people into upgrading to new aluminum rims, which would have bead hooks. Unhooked rims can work fine as long as you're careful about tire pressure, but hooks give a margin of safety for keeping tires mounted.

ciclista_pazza

Oh, I get it now. This has all been so helpful. Thanks!!

ciclista_pazza

Wow - good idea. That would have been smart! I just bought the wheelset so guess that's that for now but good to know for next time. I'm really excited to use those aluminum wheels on the bike!

JohnDThompson 

If you do any riding in wet conditions, aluminum rims will give you far better braking performance than steel rims. Going to aluminum rims was probably the best upgrade I did on my commuter bike.

27" rims are not abundant these days, but you may be able to find pre-built 27" wheels more easily, either new or used from a bike shop or coop. Failing that, you may be able to run 700C wheels simply by lowering your brake pads by 4mm to reach the rim. If your brake calipers won't allow that, there are long reach calipers that can do the job.

Maelochs

I converted my '84 Raleigh from 27" to 700c. I found I didn't need long-reach brakes--105s offered me enough adjustment range (and I don't doubt they are better than the Tektro long-arms I bought, thinking I'd need them.) But ... if you choose to go this route you will probably want to open up the rear triangle 4 mm.

There is a process called "cold-setting" whereby you spread the dropouts gently and gradually until they stay at 130 mm (or whatever dimension you want.) It has to be done very carefully to maintain alignment. Check Sheldon Brown's site and various YouTuberies to find what you need.

VegasTriker

You do not need to take the wheels to a bike shop if you have a drill and a set of drill bits. Just select the bit that is a tad larger than the diameter of the Schrader valve body (0.31") so use a 5/16" drill bit. Just be sure to deburr the hole with a round file. I had a hard time finding a tube with a Schrader valve to measure because I haven't used anything but presta valves for a very long time. The reason is that I find it easier to pump up a high pressure tire with a hand pump with presta versus Schrader.

Maelochs

I was going to advise him to invest in an new set of tubes instead of poking holes in his brand new rims .... less chance of making a catastrophic mistake.

A couple tubes is what $10 ... maybe $20 for the really thick ones? (I hope not.) One the other hand, if the drill slips ..... or the hole is off-center and cuts into the valve stem ....

ThermionicScott 

^ Her.

Miele Man

If y our frame has 126mm between the inside faces of the dropouts those alloy wheels will be a drop in fit. The 5,6 or 7 speed in the listing was for which freewheels could be used.

If you've bought the alloy wheelset then you don't need the gray Kool Stop brake pads.

Presta valve tubes are a lot easier to pump to 90 to 100 (or higher) PSI that are Schrader. If I wasn't familiar with working on bicycles I'd get THREE Presta valve tubes. The third one goes in the seatbag as a spare so that if you puncture you don't have to fiddle with trying to repair a tube on the side of the road on a hot or rainy day. Sometimes t he hole in the tube is very hard to find. Put a cotton ball in your repair kit and drag that cotton ball along the inside of the tire when you get a flat. the cotton will snag on anything sharp protruding into the inner carcass of the tire and it's easier than using your thumb.

Cheers

downhillmaster

My mid 1970’s Schwinn Varsity stopped just fine in the rain, snow, and every other kind of condition.
It’s not an issue unless you make it an issue.

JohnDThompson 

I just use a tapered hand reamer. Takes only a few seconds for each rim. You could probably buy a reamer at Harbor Freight or a hardware store for less than a bike shop would have to charge you to do the job.

Maelochs

yeah .... coefficient of friction is only a thing if ... say ... you need to stop in a hurry.

downhillmaster

My bad.
I guess your bike skills are such that you quite often have to jam on the brakes, so you can appreciate small differences in real world stopping power.
How did anyone survive before aluminum rims and disc brakes

Maelochs

[QUOTE=downhillmaster;22263392] I guess your bike skills are such that you quite often have to jam on the brakes, so you can appreciate small differences in real world stopping power. Try urban commuting in a wet environment .... learn or die. I imagine the either rode more slowly or had more accidents or both.

I mean, why have brakes at all? The early bikes didn't have brakes? Oh, noes!! How did anyone survive with no brakes???!!! Definitely, you should take the brakes off your bike. I guess your bike skills are such that you can ride like the heroes of old, eh?

downhillmaster

[QUOTE=Maelochs;22263447]Uh oh, somebody is all worked up