27 x 1 1/4.
Yeah the brakes are centre-pull calipers, not great either. I think you can swap then out for cantilevers. Depends on the frame really. The other annoyance is that the hub clearance currently is 126mm and 700c is 130mm so I need to cold set the frame and fork to allow the bigger hub width.
Tasks for another day, gonna enjoy it as it is for now. I might keep it original, but then i might not. It’s one of five bikes so modernising it a lot doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I have a new problem.
The chain was skipping teeth under load, so i replaced the chainset (a used duraace vintage one, doesn’t look too worn). I went on a test ride and the skipping problem was still there, but now after a km or so, i now can’t apply any power and the derailler moves about all over the place.
The chain and casette looks ok but it was left outside for a winter, so a touch of surface rust.
I don’t even really know how to describe the problem. Am i making any sense? Should I just load the parts cannon and replace everything and hope for the best?
Edit: I think i found the problem, the cage has snapped on the rear derailleur, so the jockey wheels are loose. Darn it!
Anyone know what kind of hub this is, and what resource I need to look at in order to install a shimano 8 speed cassette on it? I gather it doesn’t have the freehub (which I have) but it also doesn’t look like it would fit?
It says ‘gear side nut’ but don’t understand
That looks like a freewheel hub. It won’t take a modern cassette. Just cassettes with the freewheel integrated on it (old school). It threads in it. It’s heavy, unreliable and it can be a hell to loose it afterwards.
Oh
Ok, those are brand new wheels, specially ordered lol.
Will this fit then? Too late i bought it anyway hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha cries
Yes, that will work
Thanks for your help, much appreciated!
My next drama is hub spacing. Old wheel is 120mm, new wheel is 130mm. Time for a spot of cold setting.
Honestly fed up with this now, not enjoying it in the slightest ha but i’ll sleep in the bed i made.
I like this section too 
maybe its a 26.8mm. you can get a thick walled 27.2mm post and pay a guy to lathe it down to 26.8mm. Ive done it multiple times on frames I will re-sell with special sized tubes. ost ya a few hundred NTD to get it done on the spot.
it WAS a common size back then, but the 27 inch is nearly dead, you only see them on very old bikes that have survived, you can buy different sized calipers to get a new pair of wheels to work if you wanted to. But you must keep in mind, the hub spacing, will your new tire clear and is your cassette/freewheel going to be compatible with the new wheel. I’ve done many of these conversions at my shop if you have any questions, lemme know.
you need a freewheel type, not a cassette, your maximum is 7 speeds now.
they are pretty reliable in my experience. and cheap to replace!
if it is a steel frame, you can spread the frame’s rear dropouts to make it fit. just make sure that each side it pushed out evenly and the dropouts stay aligned in the process. If you’re in Taipei, I can do this at my shop no problem.
After reading your helpful posts, i sincerely wish I was! I’m in the UK 
Thanks very much for the info!
Once again, I’m in a bit of a pit of despair at failing at the basics of some things.
I’m trying to fit a tyre with a folding bead, and I’ve got about a 5mm egg shape going on just in the tyre.
The problem and supposed solution is here, but I’m just a bit fed up and need to vent a little bit. If anyone knows of a more efficient way if getting the tyre bobbles out, please share! It seems I have a couple of high or low spots per rotation.
All of this after the standard tyres punctured on the second ride! About 50km on them. Junk!
Thank you for reading my rant 
have a nice day.
Some tire and rim combinations are a pain to get them right. Sometimes what he does works. Sometimes brute air pressure force works (petrol stations are handy for that). Soapy water can help.
Day two
Tried the other wheel.
Same thing.
Missing my university girlfriend I haven’t seen for twelve years.
sigh. 
Some of the ball bearings have come out of the rear hub in process, I’m not fixing that. Probably will need to replace the wheels anyway, riding 10km on the metal rim hasn’t done them any good.
I saw this today and thought about sharing with you guys. It can save lives!
A useful chart of bicycle parts in Chinese for anyone trying to fix their bike in Taiwan:
Source:
https://twitter.com/foreignersinTW/status/1478542615583031296
One rebuilt 18 year old rear MTB wheel.
Replaced all spokes not to hard with a wheel already built, not done since my teenage years working in a bike shop 42 years ago, I did remember 10mm ring spanner is a great spoke tuning fork.
My father was a mechanical Engineer I trained and qualified as a mechanical engineer, sadly my son is not of the same cloth.
In his infinite wisdom borrowed bike during lockdown in U.K. and decided on a anti puncture inner tube.
Had a shrader valve not presto so decided to drill a lager hole that has weakened the rim 
so I’ve had to braze a cylinder in into rim for presto valve and retain strength.
After some new rims and hubs or good used.
Need to be clincher and rim brake.
Looking at under ntd30000 for the pair.
Using Giant SP2. 3 problems with them.
