oldie to a newie- spreading the dropouts

[madscot13]

in my goal to retrofit my old trek 520, I've come to a bridge I wanted to avoid. In order to move from 7x to anything more hopefully 9 but 10 if I can, I think I've got to spread my rear drops. this is more than I was bargaining for. has anyone done this? or did they force the new rear hub in? these sites say it is possible http://www.vintage-trek.com/refurbish.htm (search SPREADING REAR DROPOUTS) or http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

it seems like the easiest way. call me a scaredy cat but trying to stretch out my frame seems like an accident waiting to happen and if the shop charges me like I think they would then I'll have to go another route in terms of gears.

I also recall talking to a shop guy who made this crazy bike with square wheels and had to spread the forks on the bike but the metal memory kept stretching it back into place. I sort of question the permanence of stretching the drops but it doesn't matter if the hub is there to stop it anyways. I'm going to double check my rear drops out; its pretty late and hard to tell with that blasted wheel in the way.

[DebW]

I've considered that but haven't. If you want to be safe and know a local framebuilder, you could pay to have it done by someone with a jig and experience. I paid a framebuilder to straighten a steel fork, and he only charged me $40. You can just manually pull the frame wider every time you put in the hub, but it will always spring back to its original size unless you really cold set the tubes.

[KnottedYet]

I briefly considered that for my Giant (2x6), then decided to let it be and just get replacement 6x or 7x from Rivendell. (But it's just going to be my toodling-around bike, so I don't really need the finer gradations between the gears anyway)

[madscot13]

does it really matter if the frame always moves back because if the hub is in there anyways, it doesn't have far too move....

[SadieKate]

It depends. Sometimes coldsetting works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the drops just won't accommodate a 9 spd cassette and you get chain rub.

Take it to a builder or at least a knowledgeable shop.

[Trek420]

Newbie question. Well I'm not new but as a techie, yes.

Mad-what's your goal for the bike? More gearing? If it's a double and replacement 6's and 7's are available could you add a triple? Or is that just not done.

I would think it matters if the frame "just moves back". That's where the frame "wants to be". Don't mess with metal-fatigue. I don't know nuthin' about nuthin' but anything to do with the frame I take it to the village 'smithie