Campy Hub Spacing

[RobJ]

I have a Colnago Master project frame which I put right at the late 80's from what I can determine. It's 130 spaced. I have a set of wheels that I picked up here that are Record 9/10/11 hubs and a quick fit into the frame without the cassette was too tight.

So do I need to switch out to a narrower freehub? Like an 8 or 9 speed? Or am I way off base? I believe some of the newer Record hubs had an oversized axle so they may not work with older free hub bodies? The wheels are the Campy Pave's with Record hubs that were floating around here recently, so you can use those photos to identify the hubs possibly. Thanks for the help.

[ergott]

Are you sure about the frame? The Record hubs are definitely 130mm, at least unmodified.

[RobJ]

Are you sure about the frame? The Record hubs are definitely 130mm, at least unmodified.

I will double-check tonight, but that was one of the first things I did when I picked it up.

[oldpotatoe]

I have a Colnago Master project frame which I put right at the late 80's from what I can determine. It's 130 spaced. I have a set of wheels that I picked up here that are Record 9/10/11 hubs and a quick fit into the frame without the cassette was too tight.

So do I need to switch out to a narrower freehub? Like an 8 or 9 speed? Or am I way off base? I believe some of the newer Record hubs had an oversized axle so they may not work with older free hub bodies? The wheels are the Campy Pave's with Record hubs that were floating around here recently, so you can use those photos to identify the hubs possibly. Thanks for the help.

All Campagnolo 8/9/10/11s free hubs are for 130mm spacing. The frame isn't 130mm or the dropouts aren't parallel or both.

[Ken Robb]

All Campagnolo 8/9/10/11s free hubs are for 130mm spacing. The frame isn't 130mm or the dropouts aren't parallel or both.

I think some frames from the early-mid 1980s were 126mm so if your frame is that old it may very well be 126mm. I was able to squeeze 130mm record hubs into a steel 126mm frame but I decided to stick with the 126 Nuovo Record it came with and avoid stressing the frame even though it might have worked just fine.

[Mark McM]

The 130 mm hub spacing started with 8spd, which was first introduced around 1988. Frames from before that typically had 126 mm (6/7spd) spacing. The transition from 126 mm to 130 mm spacing didn't happen overnight - both 7spd (126 mm) and 8spd (130 mm) groups were available concurrently for several years, and frame makers switched over from 126 to 130 at different times over the years. For example, my 1991 Nobillette was built with 126 mm spacing. During the transition, some frame makers hedged their bets by using 128 mm spacing - with steel chainstays, the frame could be easilby stretched or squeezed to accept either axle width.

If your Colnago is really from the late '80s is it was most likely built with 126 mm spacing. However, the frame could have been cold set (permanently spread) to 130 mm sometime by a previous owner in the intervening years. This is relatively easy to do with steel - I had my 1991 Nobillette cold set to 130 mm around 1995.

[Ken Robb]

"Cold set" sounds SO much nicer than "bent". :D

[RobJ]

Chalk it up to being in a rush and not fiddling enough with the horizontal dropouts etc. It's 130 spaced. Set the dropout screws, spread the rear by hand, got everything in there and the wheel is spinning smoothly. Thanks for the responses.

And just saw the identical frame listed in the classifieds today and appears that it's a Master Piu.

[Hindmost]

...spread the rear by hand..

Do you mean that you opened the rear by a few mm's to fit the wheel?

I have done this with a 126 bike rear end and a 130 wheel. Worked ok for me. Some say cold setting the rear and making sure the dropouts are straight is a better solution.

[RobJ]

Do you mean that you opened the rear by a few mm's to fit the wheel?

I have done this with a 126 bike rear end and a 130 wheel. Worked ok for me. Some say cold setting the rear and making sure the dropouts are straight is a better solution.

No the dropouts were 130 spaced. I just needed to be more judicious with gently pulling the rear apart slightly to get the hub axle to swat correctly in the horizontal dropouts etc. My initial spot check when I got the wheels was rushed.