135mm rear wheel in 130mm stays - bad idea?

[Little Bob]

Just collected Jon's Dave Yates Diabolo (really nice) but hadn't appreciated that the rear wheel spacing is 130mm.

As I had a 135mm rear in mind for this frame would there be any detrimental effects of squeezing this wheel into the stays, or should I bite the bullet and buy new wheels?

 

[steveslow]

A frame builder can re-set it to 135mm for you. I believe that this can only be done once though.

 

[Andy R]

This might be some use to you - http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

I wouldn't think this would be a problem with a steel frame, and if it was mine I'd just get on and do it. (But then I do braze on my own disc caliper mounts, remove/reposition cable stops etc. and can appreciate if others aren't happy doing this stuff).

With only a total spacing change of 5mm the difference that is going to make to the parallelism (is this a word ??) of the dropouts isn't worth bothering about , in my opinion.

Any frame builder would do it for you too.

 

[Little Bob]

Thanks - good information there.

 

[utahdog2003]

I wouldn't worry about cold setting the frame to gain what amounts to the thickness of 2 or 3 coins per side. With a steel frame you should be able to splay the stays enough by hand when you install the wheel in the frame. Just use your 135mm hub and be done with it.

 

[terryhfs]

Depends what steel it is - don't do this with 753 or high-end Columbus. If you can flex the stays out by hand it should be fine.

 

[Russell]

Can you not just re-space the rear axle?

 

[retrojon]

Try one and see if it fits.

Had a Dawes once with a 135 axle. Had to get a new hub and realised why the old one was a bit of a tight fit. The dropouts were 130.

IMO it will be fine.

 

[orange71]

I think my Diabolo is 130mm - or at least I noticed that one rear wheel didn't fit well and I had to splay the stays a bit to get it in (to no detriment), yet another wheel I tried went in fine (wasn't aware this latter wheel was 130)...

 

[cce]

i have a pair of wheels with a 130mm rear for sale in the FS forum.