Classic & Vintage - Follis steel frame

does anyone know if you can convert a 5speed thread on freewheel to a 7-8speed thread on freewheel?im in the process of building a Follis tour de france.i found for $10.00.at a yard sale it has mafac racers centerpulls and simplex short cage derailers. also mavic wheelsets.it has a big metal spoke protector so i know it was fairly inexpensive.i spent more on the bianche grip tape than i did for the bike.anay help would be appreciated

Most 5speed axles are spaced for 120mm. 6-7 speed (i don't know about 8) is spaced for 126mm. So this means that you will most likely not have enough space for the extra cog(s). If the frame is steel. you can just spread the rear drop outs yourself and have a local bike shop respace the rear axle to 126mm and you should be good to go or just buy a used 126mm 6-7speed rear wheel and cold-set(spread) the rear dropouts.

An "ultra 6" and "old" narrow chain will fit into the 120mm spacing, but it could really use 122mm. If you look around eBay, Suntour ultra 6 freewheels come up regularly.

I had a similar need and found an Ultra 6 speed freewheel on ebay for $1 and $7 for shipping ;)

I also replaced the chain with a SRAM 8 speed chain and all is operating as designed.

okay thank you very much.also how do you get stuck handlebar stems out you see my forks are bent back and i want to put some new ones on but the stem is stuck in the steerer ive soaked it with wd-40 oiled are they bolted at the bottom of the forks too? i mean this is a a30+old french 10speed

i dont know what is compatible though beacuse its a french bike i cant afford a grand for new mavic wheelsets.i mean i could buy a Trek 500 for $500.00 i dont think i could put a freehub on her for the spacing

when you say narrow do you mean sram 9speed chains?

okay thank you very much.also how do you get stuck handlebar stems out you see my forks are bent back and i want to put some new ones on but the stem is stuck in the steerer ive soaked it with wd-40 oiled are they bolted at the bottom of the forks too? i mean this is a a30+old french 10speed

Did you rap the top of the stem with a hammer? A lot of time, the wedge will get secured in place very securely, and that is the fastest way to get the wedge to drop. If you've already done this, then you might need to clamp the fork in a vice and use brute force to turn the stem until it frees up. Using penetrants will help (WD-40 or ammonia if it is aluminim), but if it is stuck, some amount of force is unavoidable.

i dont know what is compatible though beacuse its a french bike i cant afford a grand for new mavic wheelsets.i mean i could buy a Trek 500 for $500.00 i dont think i could put a freehub on her for the spacing

You can look on e-bay for vintage wheelsets if you can't just find another vintage road bike for sale cheap to act as a donor. Feel free to ask here if you find something and want an opinion. You should be able to pick up some really nice ones for south of $200.00 - decent ones for less than $125 - even lower than that if you get lucky. There will not be any compatibility issues as long as the spacing on the rear hub is appropriate for your bike - which would be either 120mm or 126mm.

"okay thank you very much.also how do you get stuck handlebar stems out you see my forks are bent back and i want to put some new ones on but the stem is stuck in the steerer ive soaked it with wd-40 oiled are they bolted at the bottom of the forks too? i mean this is a a30+old french 10speed"

Turn the bike upside down. Spray PB blaster down the inside of the steerer tube. Wait. Spray again. Wait. Spray again. Let soak over night. Turn bike back over. Loosen stem nut. Bang with rubber hammer. Repeat as necessary.

Follis are French threaded. Should you change the fork, you will need to change the headset as well (unless you find an old French threaded fork). Not a terribly difficult operation, but needed with a new fork. You can get a fork headset combo for about $25-30 at aebike. Be carefull to match up the fork crown race on the replacement fork with the one on your headset-- some replacement 27" forks use the 27.0 JIS standard crown size, and not the more standard 26.4 (or French 26.5). The headset cups will be a standard 30.2, not the JIS size 30.0. You can buy mixed Headsets, with a 27.o crown race and 30.2 cups.

I had a similar need and found an Ultra 6 speed freewheel on ebay for $1 and $7 for shipping ;)

I also replaced the chain with a SRAM 8 speed chain and all is operating as designed.

I did the same with my UO-8. I am running an SRAM PC-8 with a SunTour ultra 6 13-26 freewheel with about 122mm dropout spacing and a Normandy Luxe Competition high-flange rear hub. Works like a champ with a SunTour Cyclone II rear derailleur, Shimano Titlist front derailleur, and SunTour ratchet barcons.

i appreciate it very much.im not looking to restore her i just want a good road bike i meana i paid more for the Bianche grip tape than i did for the bike

that did it!!!!!! i just tapped on the stem bolt snd out came the expander bolt.i went and bought a new fork and quill stem from my local bike shop.it cost me 37.00 .bucks.

Sweetness. Now you owe us pictures :) After she's all built up is ok if she doesn't want to be seen without make-up on.

my wife said to me yesterday"how wmuch is is $10.00.bike gonna cost you?.how do you answer that?.do you think i should keep th "27inch wheels? right now i have 27x1/1/4 but ive seen 27x7/8.

thanks everyone im a 40 year old who has a real soft spot for old ten speeds.i havent had one in 20 years.now im completly happy.nothing like freezing in the garage at 2 in the morning.sanding on something making something fit and your wife saying"come to bed now"

I know it's tempting to go for the skinnier rims, but the bike should ride very well on the 1-1/4" ones. Of course, if they're steel, your brakes won't work quite as well as if they were alloy, but hey - people rode on steel wheels for many years. :)

there mavic rims very old