Bicycle Mechanics - Triplecross troubles

Last weekend bought a Miyata Triplecross that started talking to me at the bike swap. I liked the cross config and it was telling me to bring it home and overhaul. Much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, I did. My main commuting and training ride is a 1981 Miayata 710. I added the triplecross because I thought it would be able to bomb around the city with it, going places I wouldn't dare with my roadbike. The bike has 700c wheels, cantilever brakes, an HG freewheel, with exage hubs.

I am 210 lbs.

First test ride I was doing some rough terrain in my alley and all of a sudden my tire starts rubbing on the chain stay periodically. I take off the rear wheel and , behold, the axle is bent and breaks when I'm undoing the hub locknut. My friendly LBS sells me a bare axle and I rebuild the wheel.

Second ride, a commute to work. Bombing back to my house I brashly drop a 4" curb and, to my surprise, I have bent the new axle in exactly the same place.

My new bike is telling me I need to lose weight.

Seriously though, can I just buy a cassette 700c rear wheel and expect this problem to go away? Could I use a MTB wheelset on this frame? I can provide more exact measurements at home.

check the rear frame alignment using string and a ruler. A misaligned frame could be causing the breakages.

Is this the string method mentioned here, checking that the drop outs are evenly spaced from the seat tube?

http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Is this the string method mentioned here, checking that the drop outs are evenly spaced from the seat tube?

http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Yes, that is the one.

So it's a freewheel setup? If so, cassette hubs are stronger cuz the bearings are closer to the dropouts. That frame should be spaced 130mm so road wheels will fit no problem.

Or you could give it to me. I love me some triplecrosses.

Yeah the bike had a real good feel for the half hour that I was able to ride it. The only way you will get my triplecross is to pry it from my cold dead hands :)

Yes it's a 6-speed freewheel
I'm going to check the frame alignment tonight and if it's even, I'll have my lbs restring to a freehub

You can certainly use a mountain bike hub based wheel. I put a deore hub on an old nishiki road bike (cold set the frame). good luck

Nice thanks.. would most cantilever brakes accept the change from 700c to 26" with adjustment?


You can certainly use a mountain bike hub based wheel. I put a deore hub on an old nishiki road bike (cold set the frame). good luck

There's no reason to change to 26". You can have a mtb hub on 700c wheels.

I built my Triplecross up from a frameset and ran a cheap Weinmann hybred 700c wheel in the back for a while with a freewheel with no problems, but I am 165 lbs.
As soon as I got a good deal I swapped out to a wheelset built around Shimano HG50 hubs and a 13-30 cassette. I also built it up with v-brakes.
Don't listen to TimJ; he's been lusting after a Triplecross for as long as we've both been posting here:D
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Nice thanks.. would most cantilever brakes accept the change from 700c to 26" with adjustment?

No.

Had the dropout alignment tweaked by my LBS and they sold me a solid axle and set of track nuts. I'll let y'all know if I bend that!

Your rim brakes are not 26"-wheel compatible.

But 700c and 29" wheels are the same diameter-- you can even use the same tires.

Bombing back to my house I brashly drop a 4" curb and, to my surprise, I have bent the new axle in exactly the same place.

My new bike is telling me I need to lose weight.

No, it's telling you to stop abusing the wheels. Road wheels and hubs aren't meant to be beaten up like that.

If you want to do that sort of thing get an MTB.