Originally Posted by
Flying Merkel
I cold set an old Schwinn Mirada frame using a turnbuckle between the dropouts. Just kept unscrewing until the proper spacing was achieved. Both side are forced apart equally. Sheldon's method looks a bit fraught with peril for the likes of me.
Thing is, only because you're pushing with equal force on both sides, there's
no guarantee that
they will move equally.
I used a modified Sheldon, laid the bike on a workbench with the rear triangle hanging over the edge, stuck a 2x2 under the dropout, leveraged it against the seat tube and pushed a bit. When it had moved out half the intended spread I flipped the bike over and did the other side. Minimal drama.