Project Wheeler 7100

[JayLC]

This is the second of the two bikes I have bought this week. (must stay off eBay). The first was the Nigel Dean in my other thread. Not sure of the year with this one but circa 1997? I think. Don’t know anything about the brand. I initially bought it for the groupset for another frame. It rides really nice though and I may just ride it as the winter trainer/crap weather bike. Is it weird its got a triple on the front though?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

That has potential

 

[hamster]

Decent frames, never marketed in the UK so carrying a discount for being relatively unknown.
Nowt wrong with a triple, especially if you live somewhere hilly.

 

[JayLC]

Decent frames, never marketed in the UK so carrying a discount for being relatively unknown.
Nowt wrong with a triple, especially if you live somewhere hilly.

Ahh, that makes sense. The brakes are the wrong way round. Not sure whether to just change the inner cables and live with the setup or remove the tape and set them to UK. I’d never heard of Wheeler but saw the groupset and offered £100 for it. Thought is was worth at least that.

 

[Old Ned]

I've always riden my brakes that way round. I suppose it dates back to my youth seeing photos of my heros in magazines.

 

[FiveAlpha]

Wheeler are German, I think. You see them around here (Denmark) a bit - I had a Wheeler Sirmione a few years ago - Tange 4 frame with some kind of Shimano Exage group. Very nice frame for what would have been low-mid range - pantographing and nice dropouts. Made a good hack.

The Ultegra triple gearset is still desirable with tourists, now that Shimano has abandoned them.

 

[JayLC]

Wheeler are German, I think. You see them around here (Denmark) a bit - I had a Wheeler Sirmione a few years ago - Tange 4 frame with some kind of Shimano Exage group. Very nice frame for what would have been low-mid range - pantographing and nice dropouts. Made a good hack.

The Ultegra triple gearset is still desirable with tourists, now that Shimano has abandoned them.

From what i‘ve read, most if not all the Wheeler frames were made in Taiwan. Apparently at time when China was concentrating on pushing out cheap bikes, the industry had mid level bikes and above made in Taiwan. The quality was said to be very good. The frame is really growing on me. I really like the bend on the chain stays. The tubing label says “Xtra Lite AN6 double Butted” followed by “Aluminium New 6K series”. It does seem to be quite a well made, light bike. Well worth what i paid.

 

[the_lerner]

I've had all problems to put new tyres - frame is so small. What is your experience @JayLC ?

 

[Dicky71]

I might be wrong but I'm led to believe that Wheeler is a swiss brand.

 

[FiveAlpha]

I might be wrong but I'm led to believe that Wheeler is a swiss brand.

Seems we were both wrong:

// FOUNDED IN 1972

WHEELER was founded in 1972 by CH Yang, one of the future pioneers of the Taiwanese bicycle industry, without any prior knowledge of the industry or technology. Mr. Yang, a visionary who was then working in advertising, realized that the bicycle industry was about to boom after a Japanese cooperation partner asked him about bicycle production in Taiwan and founded WHEELER in response.

Never saw them in the UK, but as mentioned a year ago (!), I see a fair few here in Denmark and in Germany.