Tandem Cycling - Ridiculous Question

I plan on getting severely burned, but here goes:

Could the shimano HFO8 rear hub (such as this one http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/HU8102) be re-spaced from 145 to 130?

The reason I ask is that I need a new set of of strong wheels for both my fixed gear bike and my touring bike. I can only afford to buy one set. With this set, I could use the drum brake side for a suicide fixed gear hub and the other side for the cassette on my touring bike.

Maybe you could do that, I'm not sure, I don't know what size the drum brake threading is.

But, my answer to that problem would be to buy a regular fixed/fixed or fixed/free hub. Put your fixed sprocket on one side and a thread-on multispeed freewheel on the other (you can find them in bike co-ops or on ebay cheap). Space the axle accordingly. You should save a bit of money, and you may find it easier to get a rim that will fit (I'm yet to find a 40 hole alloy rim second-hand).

The HF08 shares the same internals with the Shimano XT MTB hubs, and that's the source of it's strength. However, I'm assuming you're after the higher spoke count relative to your bomb-proof wheels.

I believe you can re-space the HF08 to 135mm using a shorter XT hub axle, but 130mm might be a stretch. You'd want to check with some place like Harris Cyclery / Sheldon Brown who would know almost for certain which axle to use and/or if there are any spacers in the current 145mm HF08 hub, and I'd note that there is also a 140mm version of the HF08 that might be even easier to narrow than the 145mm version.

Assuming you have a steel bike frame that you're wanting to use this wheelset on, there's a pretty good chance that you would be able to get a 135mm wide rear wheel into the drop-outs. If it's a bit tight, you should be easily able to cold-set the rear drop-outs from 130mm to 132.5mm so that you can use either 130mm or 135mm rear wheels with the frame. If the frame is aluminum, it becomes a bit more complicated.

thanks for the input. both framesets are chromoly, but i would rather not change the spacing if i can avoid it. i would need to replace the rear QR axle with a solid for fixed gear, and it looks like there is a lot of room to work with on the non-drive side. but maybe brown would be the man to ask.

Visit a store that has an old parts bin and try to find an old freewheel-based tandem hub. You might find a hub that dates from the late 1970s early 1980s with threads on the right side for a freewheel and threads on the left side for a drum brake. Which means you could use that wheel in fixed/free mode with a 7=speed freewheel on one side and a fixed gear on the other. Best part is that those hubs were 130 or 135-mm wide (depending on era).

As for the Shimano tandem hub HFO8, I saw it quite some time ago, and I think you could respace it... to 140 or 138 mm. You can't narrow it to 135 or 130 mm, unless you want to shave the freehub itself!

funny you mentioned that idea because just today i went to a bike donation center and found a phil wood tandem hub laced to a mavic rim. it was ideal for my purpose but it was spaced for 140 and I don't have phil's special tools to change that, plus they wanted 180 for the wheel.

as far as the HF08, i called the dealer and they said it would be a stretch to get it to 135, definitely not 130. oh well!

Here is an exploded view of the HF08:
http://www.paul-lange.de/produkte/shimano/support/explosionszeichungen_archiv/FH/FH-HF08.pdf
I not sure which washers and spacers can be removed but 130mm doesn't seem to be possible

Does someone know if this rotor can also carry a ten speed cassette??

The HF08 shares the same internals with the Shimano XT MTB hubs, and that's the source of it's strength. However, I'm assuming you're after the higher spoke count relative to your bomb-proof wheels.

I believe you can re-space the HF08 to 135mm using a shorter XT hub axle, but 130mm might be a stretch. You'd want to check with some place like Harris Cyclery / Sheldon Brown who would know almost for certain which axle to use and/or if there are any spacers in the current 145mm HF08 hub, and I'd note that there is also a 140mm version of the HF08 that might be even easier to narrow than the 145mm version.

Assuming you have a steel bike frame that you're wanting to use this wheelset on, there's a pretty good chance that you would be able to get a 135mm wide rear wheel into the drop-outs. If it's a bit tight, you should be easily able to cold-set the rear drop-outs from 130mm to 132.5mm so that you can use either 130mm or 135mm rear wheels with the frame. If the frame is aluminum, it becomes a bit more complicated.

TG, you are not the only one to make this statement, just the most recent and it baffles me. I would think that you would know that the hub shell is exactly the same on the 145 or 140mm versions. Since the distance to the drive side OLD is fixed because of the freehub design the only difference will be the length of the axle, how many spacers are used on the non-drive side, and essentially how much that axle is canted beyond the NDS bearings.

Now that information will not help the OP figure out whether or not the hub can be respaced to 130, others have already said no.

This is also how many other hubs are designed, not just Shimano. One hub shell w/many axle lengths.

@Hugo, I love those Shimano exploded views. It can inspire so many ideas when you want to use the hub in a non-traditional way. For the OP removing the outside item 3 (Serated Lock Nut 4mm) and item 14 (Left hand Axle Spacer 6.5mm) you have essentially converted it to a 135mm (134.5 actually). Although I wouldn't recommend it you could also remove item 13 (Left Hand Washer 1mm) to get you some more space. Then shorten the axle appropriately so it doesn't stick out beyond the outside of the dropout, and you are done.

Also not that Shimano claims compatibility with this axle (item 10) and the FH-M750 (also item 10) but the 750's axle is only 146mm instead of 156mm so it would preclude the use of the spacer items I mentioned above.

I should mention that my done statement was with regard to the hub only. If its in an already built wheel you will need to redish.

just the most recent..

Last January isn't all that recent... hence the reference to Sheldon.



I would think that you would know that the hub shell is exactly the same on the 145 or 140mm versions.

Yes, I would know that. The comment regarding "be easier" refers back to the 1st part of that sentence and a recommendation to consult with someone who was more familiar with the various different configurations used for the HF08, to wit: You'd want to check with some place like Harris Cyclery / Sheldon Brown who would know almost for certain which axle to use and/or if there are any spacers in the current 145mm HF08 hub, and I'd note that there is also a 140mm version of the HF08 that might be even easier to narrow than the 145mm version.

Last January isn't all that recent... hence the reference to Sheldon.

Yes, I would know that. The comment regarding "be easier" refers back to the 1st part of that sentence and a recommendation to consult with someone who was more familiar with the various different configurations used for the HF08, to wit: You'd want to check with some place like Harris Cyclery / Sheldon Brown who would know almost for certain which axle to use and/or if there are any spacers in the current 145mm HF08 hub, and I'd note that there is also a 140mm version of the HF08 that might be even easier to narrow than the 145mm version.

Okay, I usually check the post dates but this time I was lazy and drugged up, just returning from the dentist, and only looked at the new post. Sorry.

Okay, I usually check the post dates.

No worries... and certainly no need to apologize. It was a valid observation and question as it may not have been clear what I was trying to convey to the OP.

No worries... and certainly no need to apologize. It was a valid observation and question as it may not have been clear what I was trying to convey to the OP.



Now that information will not help the OP figure out whether or not the hub can be respaced to 130, others have already said no.



I can't believe someone dredged this question up! I can hardly remember asking this question, and so much has changed since then. It's interesting how something that matters at one time becomes something you no longer think about. I also can't believe the biggest issue on my mind was which hubs to buy when I now have to worry about how to keep my job in an economy that has taken a giant ***** on all of us. You may not be interested to know while considering the HF08, I found a matching set of Paralax XT hubs for 10$ that I was able to build into an awesome touring wheelset. And, I had enough money left over to purchase a nice set of fixed gear wheels! These things have a way of working themselves out. Hopefully, the same can be said for today's more pressing matters.