Hi Karsten,

Thanks for your detailed reply. I agree that buying a newer used bike would have made more sense mechanically, but domestic tranquility trumps it. :-)

I bought new 27" x 1-1/4" wheels, a new freewheel, and a new chain for the bike from [link|http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/|Harris Cyclery]. Its proprietor, Sheldon Brown, is very helpful and they have an amazing array of parts for old bikes. His web site has a mountain of information that can be a little difficult to sort through, but there's a lot of good stuff there. Highly recommended.

I haven't yet assembled everything yet, but I'm confident the bike will be much better once I do so.

I almost bid on [link|http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3633052859|Cannondale R2], but The Missus would have killed me. It's a beauty and I think the winner got a great deal (nearly new R300 CAD2 for $295).

We'll see how things go with her Univega and maybe I'll be able to convince her to get something a little more modern in the spring.

Thanks again.

Cheers,
Scott.