Newbie stuck with changing wheelset

[owlala]

Hi! I am new to this forum and to cycling life in general. I've just bought and old road bike and I want to restore it. I am more or less aware of the different mechanical things I have to work on bit by bit (special thanks to youtube!), but I am confused with the wheels.

They are pretty old I think and they are not centered and there is a stick missing. In the tire it says 37-622 (700*35c-23*1^(5/8)*1(3/8)). So what I understood is that it is a 29" wheel. But that seems to be the most expensive dimension. I have several questions:

Considering that I won't spend too much money on it (for now) and that I am 1.85m tall/ 6 feet). I am using it in a city but I would prefer something that could also be used in easy off-road situations

# Should I switch to 27.5 or 28 or buy a new 29" wheelset?
# What tires should I buy for mixed surfaces?
# Can I keep the old v-brakes or is it a really risky thing with that many taxis that change lanes in the last minute?

thank you in advance for your answers, and sorry in case this is not the proper way or place to ask this.

 

[mcshroom]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

28" and 29" are basically the same size. It's also known as 700c just to be confusing. It's all about marketing

If you are using v brakes then you will need to stay at that size. Also you need to know the width of your current hub (easiest would be to see if you can tell us what the hubs say on them, or tell us the bike make/model), and whether you have a screw on freewheel or a cassette. There's some information on the difference here, but usually if you have 7 or fewer cogs on the back then you'll have a freewheel, and if you have 8 or more then it would be a cassette.

It might be easiest if you tell us the make and model, and a picture of your bike might be good too

 

[Edgy Dee]

Not centred hub plus spoke missing suggests wheels in poor order. Probably needs the hub bearings serviced, regreased and adjusted too. Makes more sense to invest in a pair of 700c hybrid wheels - you will find lots fairly cheap on ebay. The only thing to worry about then is the distance between the plates that the rear axle goes into (called 'drop-outs'). Measure this distance, and make sure to buy wheels with the same - referred to as 'OLD' (Over-Locknut Distance) - there are several standards, but the main ones are: 126mm older road bikes, 130mm modern road bikes, 135mm mountain bikes. Your v-brakes will work fine with the new wheels, you just need to adjust them. For tyres, 700c is the most common size, so there is an abundance of choice. For mainly road with a light off-road look for something with a bit of tread but not too knobbly. It's also worth investing a bit extra for decent puncture protection. If there's something we all know here it's that if you don't invest in the right thing first time you will regret it and buy it later anyway - just cut to the chase and avoid the penny-pinching mistake!

 

[freiston]

I might be off the mark but make sure the "off centre" isn't wheel dish (red dashed line is centre of hub but not centre of flanges):

Picture credit:Keithonearth

There's more wheel information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_wheel and at https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheels.html

 

[freiston]

Another point about the V-brake question is that different brake types require different amounts of cable pull and so not all levers are compatible with all types of mechanism. For rim brakes, V-brakes will be about as good as you can get if properly set up. Disc brakes require a frame and fork designed for disc brakes - not only for mounting the brakes but also for the different forces involved when braking.

 

[Vantage]

You say it's a road bike? But with V brakes? I'm thinking it's a tourer or cyclo-cross bike.
If they're old then the rims may also be worn. Probably best to take it to your local bike shop where they can replace the rims and missing spoke.
V brakes are more than powerful enough for any bike so I'd say leave them as they are and just keep an eye on brake pad wear.
Tyres. This is where it gets tricky. If your off road ventures are dry then a set of 700x35c slicks will be good enough. If your rides are on the damp side of things, then Schwalbes Landcruisers come in at around a tenner each and are brilliant in just about any situation short of hard packed ice.