# Cold Setting steel frame vs. stretching



## Becker (Jan 30, 2012)

I have an old 1988 steel frame that I want to modernize. I took a 10 speed wheel and was able to fit it into the frame just by spreading the chain stays by hand. My question is, would it be bad to run the bike with the chain stays spread and constantly squeezing the hub? Or should I try to cold set the frame instead?


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## Chombi (Jun 23, 2012)

Becker said:


> I have an old 1988 steel frame that I want to modernize. I took a 10 speed wheel and was able to fit it into the frame just by spreading the chain stays by hand. My question is, would it be bad to run the bike with the chain stays spread and constantly squeezing the hub? Or should I try to cold set the frame instead?


Cold setting and realignment of the dropout faces would always be best for the frame. Any kind of "built in" stress is not good for any structural frame, although, with a steel bicycle frame you might get away with it without any real damage or danger the frame might eventually fail.. It's just you might have the frame's rear triangle fighting you every time you have to take the rear wheel in or out and it will not be fun. Assuring skewer tightness might also be a bit tricky as the resulting misaligned DO faces might give you false signals of it being tight enough....
A good bicycle shop should be able to cold set the frame for not too much money if you are not up to doing it yourself. They might even throw in the dropout face alignment for you.... Check that out at least...

Chombi


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## mj3200 (Apr 18, 2008)

FYI if it's Reynolds 753 or 653 you are out of luck because of the heat treated stays.


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## Chombi (Jun 23, 2012)

mj3200 said:


> FYI if it's Reynolds 753 or 653 you are out of luck because of the heat treated stays.


Yes, +1, 753 = no cold setting. Same goes for aluminum and CF....
If it is a 753 frame and If you can force the rear triangle to flex enough to jam in a wider hub that will be your only option other than just to stay with a 126mm hub/less speeds..... I'm sure that many 753 frame owners have done so before without too many problems...

Chombi


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## Becker (Jan 30, 2012)

Great Thanks. I will check around and see if any LBS will cold set it for me. The bike is a 1988 steel frame made by Tange Tubing. Would you guys have any idea what type of steel they would have used? It was a fairly high end bike back then.


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

I think the high end Tange would be id'd on the Tange decal (but I'm not sure). Does it only say Tange? There are lots of different Tange tubesets btw. Maybe if you tell us what bike and model it is someone can say exactly.


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## Chombi (Jun 23, 2012)

merckxman said:


> I think the high end Tange would be id'd on the Tange decal (but I'm not sure). Does it only say Tange? There are lots of different Tange tubesets btw. Maybe if you tell us what bike and model it is someone can say exactly.


 Yup, the Tange tubing decal (usually on the seat tube on most bikes sing them) usually have sometning right below the "Tange" names saying either "1", "2" or subnames like "Prestige" and even "MTB". You can then nail down what the tubing is all about with all the information available on Tange tubing in the net....
Not sure though if Tange ever issued a heat treated steel tubeset like 753, which would be ehat you will have to watch out for....

Chombi


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## RFC (Mar 30, 2008)

I have to take a different position. In some respects, the focus on cold setting is a solution for a problem that does not exist. It is really no big deal to put a little thumb pressure on the dropout and pop in the wheel. I have done this many times with steel and Alu.


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## Easyup (Feb 26, 2012)

RFC said:


> I have to take a different position. In some respects, the focus on cold setting is a solution for a problem that does not exist. It is really no big deal to put a little thumb pressure on the dropout and pop in the wheel. I have done this many times with steel and Alu.


I have had two, still have one, that were a bear to spread before coldest. I would need three hands to change a flat out on a ride or padding so I could lay them down to change a tube. Have used Shekdon Brown's technique with good success with no discernible loss in shifting quality despite not getting the dropouts realigned.


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## OperaLover (Jan 20, 2002)

Tange Prestige is heat treated, I believe and been areoung since the mid-80's.


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