Conference noted::bicycle

    Check out the Miyata 1000LT and 600GT. the 1000LT is about 1K and the
    600Gt is about $590. Both bikes have the spline triple butted frames
    (STB). The only other spline tubing is made by Columbus which is the
    SLX and they range at abou $1K for there racing frames. The 1000LT is
    equiped with the Shimano Deore DX grouppo while the 600GT has the
    Suntour XCE grouppo. 
    
    Good Luck,
    
    dave 

what happened to the peugeot?  you melt it down and find it was made of 
gold tubing?  -ced

    Ahh, ya noticed that, huh?  Well, as you might surmise, I've discovered
    that I like cycling . . . A LOT.  A lot more than motorcycling, in
    fact . . . so I decided to sell my Honda, which has been mostly
    gathering dust for the past three years, and get a top notch cycle.  In
    addition, after a week of commuting on the Peugeot, not what I'm not
    hurting as much, I'm starting to notice all the little things that are
    wrong with it . . . ie: it won't roll downhill, all the grinding noises 
    coming from everywhere, the wobbly front wheel, etc., & started to
    figure that by the time I got it in half decent shape, it would end up
    costing a couple of hundred bucks . . . so why not throw in another
    thousand or so and . . .  8^)

    I have a cannonddale ST600.  It's the same frame as the ST1000 but has
    Shimano Deore LX equipment.  I put Shimano bar end shifters on it which
    makes it essenially the same bike with Shimao rather than suntour
    stuff.  I think it's a better buy.  You can buy the add ons (paniers
    racks, etc.) much cheaper at Bike Nashbar or Performance.  Then maybe
    saving money isn't what you want to do.  The ST1000 is all color
    coordinated.  Anyway, I love my Cannondale.  It has a good ride
    considering how stiff the frame is and that's just what you need for
    loaded touring.
    
    My lowest gear is 25 gear inches.  That's a 28/30.  If you do a lot
    of loaded touring you can easily gear it lower.

    I've noticed that most of the new bikes use a 700C tire, whereas the
    Cannondale still uses a 27".  The article I read stated that Cannondale
    will be going to the 700C size on the touring bikes next year.  Since
    I'm unfamiliar with the 700C size, my first question is : What is it?
    Is it approximately the same diameter as the old 27"?   Secondly, are
    they (the wheels that is) interchangable?  I'd hate to spend that kind
    of money for a bike and find that a few years down the road I'll be
    unable to buy decent tires for it, however, if it's just a matter of
    changing rims (ie: the brakes will still be in the right place), I
    could live with that.  I guess what I'm asking is "should I buy now or
    wait a year based on this one factor?"  Thanks.

    
    In terms of investment, I'd say 700C are becoming the standard,
    so I'd aim for that.  When I moved to Munich, one of my rims just
    gave out, and the local bike-shop rebuilt the wheel.  I go to put
    my old 27" tire on, and it just ... falls off.  Close but no cigar.
    
    I had to spring for a new tire.  Then I had the Terry-owner's prospect
    of travelling around with different sized wheels, front and rear.
    That was 'til the rear one gave out, and the whole bike became 700C.
    
    Anyway, this means the 700C should be functionally equivalent (work
    in the same frame dimensions, brake set-ups, etc. - although I'd
    re-align the brake blocks).  
    
    -john

    700c is European sizing, slightly smaller than 27".  High performance
    tires tend to be more available in 700C.  Touring tires you can usually
    have your choice of 27" or 700C.   I doubt 27" tires will go out of
    existance.  If you are touring the US and blow a tire, you'll have
    better luck in a K-mart finding 27".  Europe, clearly the reverse.
    
    steve
    

    
    -.1 brings up a good point.  I can't remember having a problem
    finding 27" tires in Europe while I was there, come to think of it.
    I wonder if that's changed?  
    
    -john

700C wheels are interchangeable with tubular wheels (more or less, 
sometimes have to fung around with the brakes). Anyway, they're the same 
diameter. 27" wheels are larger, and some racing-style frames won't 
accept them. Major brake block adjustments are in order when swapping 
between 27 & 700, and on some bikes/brake sets it just ain't gonna 
happen if the brakes are near the edge of their range. My personal pref. 
is for the 700's; other than potential difficulty finding them somewhere 
REALLY out of the way, I don't see them as having a downside. Of course, 
as it happens, most of my clinchers wheels are 27s, sigh.
                              ken

In ERTO standards measurements 27" rims and tires are xx-630, 630 mm bead seat
diameter, and 700C rims and tires are xx-622, 622 mm bead seat diameter.  That
makes the 700C 8mm smaller than the 27".

    Thanks, that's what I was looking for!

    For a machine of that price, the shop may rebuild the wheels with the
    rim size of your choice.
    
    steve

    Ahhh, that was precisely my question - I'm gathering that, with only
    8mm difference, that is a feasable operation.  I wasn't sure whether it
    would be like putting 20" wheels on a 26" bike, or 26" tires on a sting
    ray (which, come to think of it, I DID when I was a kid).
    
    I'm not really down on 27" rims - I just wanted to ensure that I
    wouldn't be spending over a grand on a bike that's on it's way to
    becoming obsolete.  Thanks to all!

	Just 1 thing...

	Rebuilding and putting 700's in a frame which has been built for 27's
may not be a great success.  You can easily run into problems with not having
enough reach on the brakes.  Generally speaking 700's and sprints are inter-
changeable, 27's and sprints (and therefore 700's) are not.