Originally Posted by
IsaacOH
First post!
So, I recently acquired a 1974? PX-10 frameset on the 'bay and I am a bit confused about the dimensions of the tubing. I've scoured the greater parts of the web, but most of what I come up with involves generic discussion of "old French" bikes.
Sheldon Brown lists dimensions for these "old French" bikes, but I'm not sure that this one falls under these restrictions.
The seat tube and stem diameters are "old French" standard, surely, but what about the downtube? Will I be able to slap any ole Campy shifters down there or will I need a set
of proprietary Simplex shifters? How about handlebars? Assuming I grab a proprietary stem
will I have enough wiggle room to use my 26.4mm bars?
Thanks for whatever information you have.
I can tell you about the stems, a little more. The fork very likely requires a quill with diameter 22.0. That's not gonna be negotiable. Most 22.0 stems I've seen have been French-sourced, SR, or some (to me) more obscure Japanese or Taiwanese stem makers. Occasionally on Ebay I've noticed a Cinelli 1A with French quill. If you want to use your 26.4 bars, I've really only found vintage Cinelli stems to have teh right clamp size. Possibly some TTT would work, since there were some odd Ambrosio bars with 26.4 clamps.
I've managed to get 26.4 bars into 26.0 stems, but only with a lot of effort, and at times scratching up the bars on installation. No stem breakage, but I am looking over my shoulder. I don't recommend it.
Most of the Asian stems in 22.0 that I've seen take 25.4 mm 'bars. 26.0 are out there, but seem to be less common, at least in the cheapskate circles I populate.
There were also 21.5 (measured) quills out there. I don't know if they were in tolerance for a nominal 22.0 part, but ... might be worth a try.
I started to cut down an 22.2 SR stem to 22.0, and gave up after a bunch of hours. However, I don't have a lathe or other such power tools.
Seatposts are a crap-shoot, at least in my experience. I have two UO-8s, each of which requiring different seat post diameters, and both different from my 1969 PX-10. Measure the frame carefully, and check that the hole is round. If it's not, your measurements are not reliable unless you work to establish an average reading.
One characteristic of French frames seems to be variability. Sheldon's recommendations may be comprehensive, but you'll need to check your frame yourself. If it doesn't match the "standard," then the standard is not very useful.