gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Got tubs, want clinchers

tagman21

Hi everyone. I picked up an '83 Criterium a few months ago. The wheel set are 700c Super Champion tubulars laced to Campy record hubs. This is my first set of tubs and I'd like to find a secondary set of clinchers without breaking the bank.

So finding a set of 27 inch clinchers or 700c clinchers w a freewheel hub is pretty tough. So I need help figuring out a strategy. We can start with these questions?

1. Will a rear wheel with a freehub for a cassette fit?

2. Will the Simplex rear dérailleur work with a casette? And will it work with all 7 cogs?

Thanks!

auchencrow

Going from 700c to 27" could in some cases encroach on your fork crown or at least limit your tire options, so stay with 700c rims.

There is a whole smorgasbord of rims common in the 70's-80s that were typically mated to FW hubs. Look for wheels with these rims on CL - or eBay for local pick-up as shipping is expensive.

Araya 16A-5 (22mm width box section)
Araya 20A ("Red label")
Mavic G-40 (dark anodized)
Mavic Module 3
Mavic Module E
Rigida 1622
Rigida AL 1320
Mistral M13

I am sure I've missed plenty of others. Be advised many of these are available in BOTH 27 and 700, so be specific when shopping. Also be wary of condition because seller's and buyers may have differing perceptions. Rolling Eyes

Another good alternative is to shop for decent hubs, and then get a pair of Sun M13 rims (~$25@) from Harris or Niagara, and lace them yourself with stainless spokes from Lee at Childhood Dreams on eBay. You'll have yourself a GREAT wheel set for not much dough. - And get yourself a new KMC chain and a new Sunrace Hyperglide FW for BOTH wheel sets, or you may experience a lot of skipping trying to go from one wheel set to the other.

It is unlikely that your Simplex derailleur would swallow a wide range 7 speed. Also I can't say offhand if your DO's would accept a modern 7-speed cassette hub. I can say that I would not go near that because personally, I've never had good experience making a bike into something it's not. YMMV.

tagman21

Thanks for the info! I'll keep my eyes out for another set of hubs. I've never laced wheels before, but am coincidentally picking up a truing stand this weekend from an acquaintance, so that will come in handy.

Appreciate the response!

trois tubes

I would stick with 700c rims so you're not having to readjust your brakes every time you switch wheels.

Your Simplex RD derailleur and shifter should be able to handle a 7spd. cassette as long as you use 7spd. cog spacers. The crucial part is spacing the cogs so that your chain doesn't hang-up on the cogs due to narrow spacing.
Make sure that the overall cassette alignment on the freehub is the same as on the other wheel so that the RD limit screw adjustments will match. Otherwise you will have to readjust them each time you change wheels. If you don't you'll run the risk of throwing the chain in the extreme Hi/Low positions.

Your rear wheel axle spacing will have to match as well.

auchencrow

+1 to what Trois Tubes said if you do go the 7-speed route.
-And as the rear derailleur limit screws need to match for both wheels, you'll likely have to re space your axles then re-dish your wheels accordingly. Note that the locknut needs to stand 3-4 mm proud of the outboard face of the smallest cog. If you do not maintain this dimension, then the chain may grind on the stay. Also note that depending on what axles you have, you may not have enough engagement remaining with the dropouts after re-centering. Even so, you may not be able to effet the same hi/lo limits between the two wheels unless the cassette & FW width works out the same.

Unless you go with a long-cage derailleur, most Simplex DR's from the 80's have just a 28T max cog capacity. The SX410 did a little better with 30T, while Super LJ did just 24T. Keep this in mind when selecting that 7-speed wide range cassette.

tagman21

This is all great to know. Thanks again.

I'm all for simple and easy (for now) until my understanding of the mechanics grows. So I'll keep an eye out for a set of new hubs, 700c wheels, grab a couple 6 or 7 speed freewheels and a couple new chains! Not going to be inexpensive, but what is!? I got the bike fairly cheap, so I guess I can't complain too loudly. Here it is (for context) http://www.gitaneusa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2260&highlight=

Now if I could just get these weinmann 405s to stay centered on my wheels, that would be great!

Thanks again auchencrow & trois!

auchencrow

Beautiful bike Tagman.

Regarding centering of the Weinmann calipers, the 405s (and the 605s) had that darned tiny hex bit and you MUST use a special unobtanium tool for centering. The Park tool (OBW-3) will not work in this application.

To make matters worse, the later ones had spring spacers with no flats for a cone wrench, and since that spacer was RUBBER, it is not possible to center them even by the hammer and punch method.

I know. I labored hard and long trying to center them on one of my bikes, and never centered them to my satisfaction. (I ultimately replaced them with Universal 68's and had them dead-center and perfectly adjusted in no time flat.)

Here's a pic of the unobtanium tool.

verktyg