Wheel Recommendations for 80s Peugeot

[_chris]

Hi,

I own an early 80s Peugeot road bike, all the major parts are original as far as I can tell. It's been fine for 10 minute rides around pubs etc but I'm going to try and start using it for my 30 minute commute to work in central London. I've been putting this of until now because the brakes are bit unreliable and will not work at all when its raining.

I've replaced brake pads and changed the cables, but I think the problem has more to do with the wheels which are steel rimmed and untrue. The current wheels say "Rigida Chrolux Chromage Superier" on the rim.

It would be great if I could get some recommendations for some tough, relatively cheap wheels that would work with my current gears. I'm not sure if I should be looking for Campagnolo or Shimano hubs?

Thanks

Chris

 

[Fab Foodie]

Welcome Chris!

Chrome rims are/were carp in the wet.
Firstly, what 'speed' is your current bike i.e how many rear sprockets, is it a cassette type or freewheel type and hat is the spacing of your rear stays (the internal distance of your rear dropouts) and what derailiuer system do you have?

Bikes have moved on a fair way since then and it may not be a cheap or simple option unfortunately.
Many here rebuild old bikes so there's some useful expertise here.

 

[tyred]

About 40 or 50 quid on ebay should buy a set of basic alloy wheels in either 27" or 700c size (depending on what's on your bike now). These will come with Quando nutted hubs. They're not the lightest, or the best but good enough for most purposes, will dramatically improve your brakes and last okay so long as you ensure the hubs are packed with grease before use (in my experience, these hubs are adjusted too tightly and with very little grease at the factory). It should be a straightforward swap (it may be necessary to change the spacers on the axle), you could even keep your original freewheel block but it might be tricky to remove. I would suggest a replacement with a modern Shimano freewheel (~£10 from ebay, 5, 6 & 7 speeds available) which will allow much slicker gear shifting due to the improved design of the teeth.

 

[tyred]

This is the sort of thing I'm talking about - 27" or 700c. Sticking with the same size will mean you can re-use your existing brake calipers and tyres. I use these wheels myself and have problems to report.