# Upgrading old steel bike with new components



## Becker (Jan 30, 2012)

Today I was involved in a wreck with a car and the frame of my Cannondale R2000 was totaled but the ultegra 9spd group on it is still intact.

My Father has an old steel bike from the late 80's from Tange Tubing with downtube shifters with Shimano 600 with either a 6 speed or 7 speed cassette in the back. W

Would it be possible to put the newer Ultegra Group onto this steel frame? I am mainly concerned i guess with the 9speed cassette fitting on what i assume is the narrower chainstay on the steel bike. Does anyone have any insight on this? Thanks


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## aptivaboy (Nov 21, 2009)

You'll need to measure the rear spacing the see if the hubs will fit. If its too narrow, then a good frame shop or bike shop could possible cold set the stays and allow the newer, wider parts to be used. 

Maybe yes, maybe no.


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

Almost always, you can have the rear triangle cold set to take the 9 spd stuff.

Here's a pics of my early/mid '80s Concorde with a SRAM Rival 10 spd group:










There are no issues with it whatsoever.


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## Becker (Jan 30, 2012)

wow what a great looking bike! Can any normal LBS cold set a steel frame or do I need to find more of a specialty bike shop? Sorry im pretty ignorant on this subjecct


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

You can just put the wheel in the frame without coldstting it. It'll be tight but it'll work fine. The only time that it'll be an issue is when you flat or have to pull out the wheel but you'll soon get the feel for doing it and it won't be that big of a deal.
Just spread the dropouts with your thumbs as you slip the wheel in with your fingers. If you decide that you're gonna keep the bike you can always worry about cold setting it later.


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## onespeedbiker (May 28, 2007)

Becker said:


> wow what a great looking bike! Can any normal LBS cold set a steel frame or do I need to find more of a specialty bike shop? Sorry im pretty ignorant on this subjecct


Here a good explanation from Sheldon Brown Bicycle Frame/Hub Spacing. Cold setting it very easy to do at home..


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

I cold set the rear triangle of my early seventies chromoly Schwinn Super Sport from 120mm to 130mm following Sheldon's instructions. It took about twenty minutes to respace it with a 2x4 and tweak it for proper alignment using Sheldon's string method. Then it took another five minutes using the Park Tool FFG-2 to cold set the dropouts so they were parallel and lined up.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

I aligned my dropouts using axles and their nuts after cold setting a frame. All current Shimano stuff is 100% reliable with an '80s frame. That's when short reach brakes, braze on cable stops/guides and English BBs became almost universal.


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## Dresden (May 26, 2009)

I updated my 1988 Bridgestone RB-2 with a mix of Rival(crankset), Ultegra, and 105 parts a few years ago. I didn't cold set the frame, just spread it open enough to get the wheel in there. I haven't had any difficulty removing the wheel to fix flats. It went from a bike that was gathering dust to a bike that I ride almost as much as my main road bike.


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

A frame with rear dropout spacing of 126mm can easily be spread enough to insert a 130mm O.L.D. hub. Spreading a 120mm spaced frame to insert a 130mm
hub, while doable, isn't nearly as easy.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

When Shimano introduced 8 speed systems with rear hubs spaced at 130mm, virtually every road frame out there was 126mm. Solution - Shimano used a bevelled lock nut which facilitated sliding the slightly larger hub into the dropouts.

For a number of years I've run 130mm hubs on my late '80's Falcon (currently Record 8 speed) without cold setting it. No problems whatsoever - just pull the stays out a little while installing the wheel. The only thing I've ever checked was hanger alignment with a 130mm hub in there. Spot on.

Interestingly enough, my 1991 Dave Moulton Fuso is 128mm, not unusual during the transition from 7 to 8 speed.


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