Bicycle Mechanics - Frame recommendation for Nexus 8

I stripped my wife's Bianchi Milano of its Nexus 8 powertrain (she only rides her Trek these days). I'm looking for a good commuter frame that is compatiable with the Nexus 8, and will accept a rear rack and 26" wheels.

Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Try craigslist and look for an old 70's frame (or compete bike), schwinn peugot, motobacane, ... You may even find on the the trash. or a rusting stripped frame that's been chain to a lampost for 20 years.

If you aren't opposed to buying a modern frame, the get a Surly 1 x 1 frame and fork.

I have an older model, which I switch between a single speed set up and a Nexus internal 7 hub.

Bike will take 26" wheels, racks or fenders and can use either disc or linear pull brakes.

Other ideas as far as companies who make frames would be Redline, VooDoo, Bianchi, KHS and OnOne.

Check mtbr.com or the single speed forum on this site. Either one of those should be able to provide some info.

+1 on the old frames, except avoid the French ones. You don't want to deal with weird French-size parts. Anything with semi-horizontal dropouts. And make sure you have burly locknuts on the axle; I'd suggest track nuts.

I took a 1979 Fuji Royale, respaced it to 130mm for a Nexus-8 and I ride it all the time. I did a century with it last weekend.

I'd look for mid-80's steel, Japanese-made frame like a Fuji, Nishiki, Lotus, Bridgestone, Kabuki, Sekane, Schwinn LeTour or Traveler, Panasonic, etc., or a Raleigh, with horizontal dropouts. And I'd look for good tubing, Fuji VaLite or Chrome Moly.

My reasoning:
1. Steel because you will want to respace it to 130mm. Can't do that with other frame materials.
2. Japanese made because it means you'll have common BB threading and easy to find seatpost sizes.
3. Horizontal dropouts so you can adjust the chain.
4. Mid-80's because it will be old enough to be cheap but new enough to have braze-on's for water bottles. I don't have them on mine and I really don't like the ones I had to add to mine.
5. Good tubing because the mid-level Jap bikes that were Chrome Moly or proprietary tubing like Fuji's VaLite were really nicely made.

Consider getting a 48-tooth single crank like the Sugino RD. Paired with a 19-tooth rear sprocket, it makes for a very rideable set of ratios.

There's a thread on the SSFG forum right now about using a IRO Rob Roy frame for this.

If you aren't opposed to buying a modern frame, the get a Surly 1 x 1 frame and fork.

I have an older model, which I switch between a single speed set up and a Nexus internal 7 hub.

Bike will take 26" wheels, racks or fenders and can use either disc or linear pull brakes.

Other ideas as far as companies who make frames would be Redline, VooDoo, Bianchi, KHS and OnOne.

Check mtbr.com or the single speed forum on this site. Either one of those should be able to provide some info.


Another vote for the 1x1. I have / had one setup with the Nexus 8.