can dropout spacing be enlarged?

[Paul Nevai]

I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5 cm
[center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout spacing is
127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable bike
shop do it or do I need to find a specialist? Thanks, Paul

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5 cm
> [center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout spacing
is
> 127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
> spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable
bike
> shop do it or do I need to find a specialist? Thanks, Paul

Paul: Moving from 127mm (a "sloppy" 126, actually) to 130 is very easily
done by just about any bike shop. In the old days, I used to think it
required all manner of fancy tools and jigging, until I saw someone's home
movies & slide show from a visit to the DeRosa factory in Italy (during the
mid-70s). I was *shocked* to see them aligning frames with long 2x4s!!!
But then I thought about it and realized that a 2x4 is actually a pretty
decent frame alignment tool. You can get variable leverage, it's soft
enough to not dent the seat tube that you're leveraging against, and, after
a few practice runs, you get a very good feel for the yield point (the place
where you permanently move the stays).

I don't recommend this for home use unless you have a junker frame you can
practice on first. As with most things that require a bit of a "touch" to
get right, the first time you try it, it might not go so well. Obviously,
you need to do both sides an equal amount, which means you measure the
dropout width ahead of time (after confirming the frame is initially in
alignment) and then move the first stay half the required distance. Then
switch sides and do the other stay. If the frame was aligned properly
before this, it will remain so after.

By the way, don't try this with a bonded frame of any type, nor is it wise
to try and attempt it with an overbuilt (as most are) aluminum frame. The
bonded frame may lose integrity at the bonded junction, and the overbuilt
aluminum frame may require more force than you can possibly manage. This
trick is best for old steel frames. Also, it's not a good idea to try and
spread from 120mm (really old standard) to 130mm, unless you won't mind the
dimpling that you'll likely find. Likewise, not a good idea to move from
126mm to 135mm. But 126mm to 130mm is easy.

Oh, one last thing. Make sure you realign the dropouts themselves, so the
locknuts on the wheels sit flat against them. Otherwise you'll likely end
up with broken dropouts not too far down the road.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Paul Nevai" > wrote in message
...
> I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5 cm
> [center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout spacing
is
> 127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
> spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable
bike
> shop do it or do I need to find a specialist? Thanks, Paul

[Bert L.am]

"Paul Nevai" > schreef in bericht
...
> I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5 cm
> [center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout spacing
is
> 127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
> spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable
bike
> shop do it or do I need to find a specialist? Thanks, Paul


If your frame is made of steel it can be done by hand (by yourself) at no
risk at all (personal expierence). If the frame is alu, you can also do it
yourself, but there is a little risk involved.

Bert


--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu

[Zog The Undeniable]

Bert L.am wrote:

> If the frame is alu, you can also do it
> yourself, but there is a little risk involved.

I would seriously question that. For a very cheap alu frame which you
didn't expect to keep for long it might be worth the risk, but you'd
have to make the bend in one go - multiple corrections would be very bad
news indeed.

I wouldn't even dream of trying it on a Cannondale etc.

[daveornee]

Paul Nevai wrote:
> I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5
> cm [center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout
> spacing is 127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the
> 127 mm dropout spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes?
> Can any reputable bike shop do it or do I need to find a specialist?
> Thanks, Paul


Steel RB1 can go to 130 mm. You can read about it yourself and the
follow the suggestions from Mike at Chain Reactions: http://sheldonbrown.com/frame
spacing.html It is nice to trust your shop to do it. If it were a
aluminum or a carbon frame I would NOT consider it. There still are man
7 speed 126 mm HG hubs and HG cassettes available at reasonable prices


-

[Evan Evans]

I have a Hinault Look frame made of Reynolds 753. I have heard
somewere that this tubing can NOT be re-spaced. Any ideas?

[Phil Brown]

>I have a Hinault Look frame made of Reynolds 753. I have heard
>somewere that this tubing can NOT be re-spaced. Any ideas?

It can.
Phil Brown

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

gevans-<< I have a Hinault Look frame made of Reynolds 753. I have heard
somewere that this tubing can NOT be re-spaced. Any ideas? >><BR><BR>

753 can and even 853 frames most often have a 753 rear triangle. A 853 rear
triangle 'can' be a tough one to change.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

[Bert L.am]

"Zog The Undeniable" > schreef in bericht
news:409e90c3.0@entanet...
> Bert L.am wrote:
>
> > If the frame is alu, you can also do it
> > yourself, but there is a little risk involved.
>
> I would seriously question that. For a very cheap alu frame which you
> didn't expect to keep for long it might be worth the risk, but you'd
> have to make the bend in one go - multiple corrections would be very bad
> news indeed.
>
> I wouldn't even dream of trying it on a Cannondale etc.


you're right. Don't do it


--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu

[Rick Onanian]

On 9 May 2004 17:15:55 GMT, (Paul Nevai)
wrote:
>127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
>spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable bike

For a 3mm difference, it's probably worth not touching at all; just
stick the wheel in there. It will be a slightly tight fit.
--
Rick Onanian

[gwhite]

(Paul Nevai) wrote in message >...
> I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5 cm
> [center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout spacing is
> 127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
> spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable bike
> shop do it or do I need to find a specialist?

I have an RB1 of roughly the same vintage. Don't even bother
spreading it to 130 mm, the current road standard (8-9-10sp). It
isn't worth 2 minutes more of your time to even think about it. I've
never bothered to spread mine, and don't have any troubles.

The Shimano freehubs _used to have_ (I don't know if they still do),
rounded nuts on them for the specific purpose of easily popping a 130
mm hub into a 126 dropout. It works. I have 4 steel roadbikes all
with 126 mm dropouts, but all paired with 130 mm Shimano hubs. It is
so easy to get the wheels in it never even occurs to me it is
imperfect.

Now putting a 135 mm hub into a 126 frame is a little different story
-- one will really notice that the drop out is too narrow. I've done
that too, but once I got it in, it seemed okay. Just a bit of a PITA.

[John Everett]

On 10 May 2004 14:09:25 -0700, (gwhite) wrote:

(Paul Nevai) wrote in message >...
>> I have a brand new [never built] early 1990-ies Bridgestone RB 1 57.5 cm
>> [center of bottom bracket to top] red frame and fork. The dropout spacing is
>> 127 mm. This was made for 7 or 8 speed cassettes. Can the 127 mm dropout
>> spacing be enlarged to accept 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Can any reputable bike
>> shop do it or do I need to find a specialist?
>
>I have an RB1 of roughly the same vintage. Don't even bother
>spreading it to 130 mm, the current road standard (8-9-10sp). It
>isn't worth 2 minutes more of your time to even think about it. I've
>never bothered to spread mine, and don't have any troubles.
>
>The Shimano freehubs _used to have_ (I don't know if they still do),
>rounded nuts on them for the specific purpose of easily popping a 130
>mm hub into a 126 dropout. It works. I have 4 steel roadbikes all
>with 126 mm dropouts, but all paired with 130 mm Shimano hubs. It is
>so easy to get the wheels in it never even occurs to me it is
>imperfect.

Works fine with aluminum frames too, at least it's worked for me with
a 1989 (or so) Trek 1400 (bonded aluminum). I've been riding it this
way for about four years now. In fact I just popped the wheel back
into the frame an hour or so ago. Easy to do!


jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3