rear dropout width etc

bikenut2010

Senior Retro Guru
I know this is a bit of an old chestnut but I couldn't find a thread here, so any words of wisdom re popping a 130 axle into 126 dropouts? I mean it does fit, albeit with the skewers not making 100% contact with the outer faces because of the slight splay, but should the frame be reset for safety etc?
I heard stories about people getting away with it for years with no problems; i'd hate to be the guy who's stays collapse under stress on a quick descent! :oops:
 
If you are fussy find some one with dropout setting tools that will bend the dropouts parallel. Mine just take on the shape they need eventually. use decent Qr's not poncy alloy ones. You can probably spring your frame to fit which is doing less than bending them to stay at 130mm.
Cold set means bend. You have to pull the chainstays over 130 as they spring back. of course then you may not have them exactly the same and of course thedropouts won't be parallel as above. Does this really matter.
Oh yeah 753 doesn't like it nor does alloy or carbon!! :LOL:
Anyway most of us will survive quite happily just tugging the dropouts abit when the wheel goes in.
 
survival!

"Anyway most of us will survive quite happily just tugging the dropouts abit when the wheel goes in"


that's what I thought! tubes... it's Columbus SL

Skewers are old Campy... seem tuff enuff?
 
To add a bit to this - and apologies to the OP - but I'm going through a related issue myself at the moment. Both my Dave Russell frames are early 70's and so have 120 wide dropouts. According to Mike Mullett in an old article in 'Cycling', 120 is for 5 speed and 126 is for 6 speed. The frames both have very short backs so are very stiff and getting a 126 hub in is not at all easy, in fact it's a bl**dy pain! I have several pairs of hubs that I want to build into wheels for these 2 bikes, all of which are 'nominally' 120 over locknuts but - the distances from the hub end of the block threading to the outside of the locknut/inside of the gear side dropout varies. Mike M. says that for a 5 speed this should be 30mm and for 6 speed 35mm. However, I have one (a Maillard LF) which is 35, 2 Campag Records are 32/33 and a Miche SF is 30.

Does anyone agree with Mike M's statement on the 30-35mm business? For complete interchangeability between my own bikes I need to get them all the same which will require a fair bit of fiddling with washers and spacers and I feel I should do all this before building so that the dishing can be correct.

Any additional comments gratefully received!
 
Ned, I used to gain a little by running the chain almost touching the fork end, perhaps 1mm. In the 1950's I set the campagnolo GS to just touch the spokes when the wheel was stressed, so the larger the cog the nearer the freewheel and gear could be set to the spokes. Filed off the top of the inside chain guide and roller bolt. The GS had a sprung top casting from the Sport gear, a big improvement. Wheels were always built with the outside spokes going left from the top of the flange, so they would not catch anything.
Theoretically machine off a little of the flange behind the freewheel, depending on the depth of the thread inside the freewheel.
I had a 6 speed in 1956, made from a Simplex 5 with Regina double top gear cog.
 
I would arrange the spacers and washers (in effect dish) to fit the freewheel, rather than use a measurement. If you have different models of freewheels and they vary in width slightly, then you could use use the widest one to set the wheel dish.

On my 120mm 5-speed rear wheel, I've reduced the dishing to the minimum and smallest sprocket is too close to the dropout so it's not usable.
 
I have happily got a 6 speed block inside a 120mm space alloy SS frame. No bending allowed here. Just a touch of wheel dish needed. With a different top gear I think I could have got 7 in. A touch off the dropout braze won't hrm either if thats needed.
 
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