Classic & Vintage - Question about Freewheel/Cassette/rear spacing

Ok so, my friend got F.Moser from 1982 I think, it came with 5 speed in the back. Now, he put 8 speed cassette on it right after he got it and he says he didn't bend the rear fork, it fit right in. How is that possible? He said something like "Cassette dimensions are same, just cogs are placed closer together"

People here told me and I've read on Sheldon's site, its 120mm for 5 speed, 126mm for 6,7 speed and 130mm for 8,9,10 speed.

Moser in question (more pics here (https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100827056727835900141/albums/5784664439710735569)):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Eka2joaac3k/UEdB6MCnutI/AAAAAAAAAEY/ILJdjG2qgXw/s800/originalslika-8753291.jpg

I guess anything's possible ,but my one and only attempt at that was stuffing a 130mm 8 speed rear wheel into my 1983 (5 speed) 126mm drop out . Had to pull the stays apart a bit .

Time to examine the rear of this bike yourself, since we need to know what the inside width of your fram is now, without the wheel.

Then either measure the over-locknut width of the rear wheel and confirm the branding and # of speeds of the freewheel (or is it a cassette?).

You can judge the over-locknut width of the axle after measuring the inside of the frame, after putting the wheel in alongside the dropouts before any flexing takes place.

That's all, but pictures of the freewheel or whatever you've got will help a lot.

And, 5sp is usually about 120mm, while 8sp is usually 130mm, a big difference. Hence the need to measure the parts!

I suspect he meant he didn't have to cold set the stays. That's no surprise. I'd expect a 1982 to have 6 speed (126mm) spacing. The jump to 8 speed (130mm) is not that much more. It's easy to spread steel stays that much by hand. Some of the early, 8 speed cassettes had bevelled locknuts too make things even easier.

126mm spacing was the norm for sport and race bikes in the early 80's when 6 speed freewheels were pretty much the standard. It does not take that much effort to squeeze in an 8 speed (which requires at least a 130mm spacing) in most cases as you are only spreading the rear dropouts at 2mm at each side. As noted, it will be the earlier 120mm spaced bikes that will have a hard time accomodating an 8 speed FW without any kind of cold setting of the frame's rear triangle.
Maybe his frame came from the factory just a little wide at the rear, but that might have been acceptable tolerance back then.

Chombi

In 1982 a road bicycle would have built with 126mm spacing and perhaps a little more so dropping in a 130mm hub would pose very little issue... many 5 speed setups were also set up with 126mm spacing and perhaps the original 6 speed FW got swapped for a 5 speed.

Ok, thank you guys for the info. @Chombi If 126mm was norm for early 80's, when did 130mm become norm? Are those bikes hard to find?

I think it was around a little after the mid 80's (maybe 1987ish) when the first 8 speed systems were coming in big into the market. The bike companies switched to 130mm spacing to accommodate them.
Chombi

And even then, there was a transitional period where some frames were spaced to 128mm in order to accomodate both 6/7-speed and 8-speed wheels, which had rounded locknuts to help squeeze them into the dropouts.

I don't know why they even bothered with 128mm as 7 speed FWs fit into 126mm spaced dropouts anyway....
Its close, but they do fit.
Anyway, most people jumped to more speeds when it became available to them and usually did not look back.

Chombi

I got a moser the same as yours, same color also, but mine is a junior, smaller wheels for children.

Now be a good lad and show us a picture from the drive side!

i am wondering what derailleurs you have, I has Gian Robert.

as for spacing, I bet it is 126mm, you can find an old 7 speed freewheel and it will fit, I had to make slight adjustment to 128mm
you don't need an 8
7 is just fine.

I think it was around a little after the mid 80's (maybe 1987ish) when the first 8 speed systems were coming in big into the market. The bike companies switched to 130mm spacing to accommodate them.
Chombi

i dunno about other companies but i'm pretty sure in the late 80s Shimano was just introducing 7speed indexed with hyperglide. 7 speed SIS w/ HG was first offered on MTBs with the Deore range in 1989

I got a moser the same as yours, same color also, but mine is a junior, smaller wheels for children.

Now be a good lad and show us a picture from the drive side!

i am wondering what derailleurs you have, I has Gian Robert.

as for spacing, I bet it is 126mm, you can find an old 7 speed freewheel and it will fit, I had to make slight adjustment to 128mm
you don't need an 8
7 is just fine.

The Moser is not mine, as I said, its my friend's :D