Ok yall, here's the deal. I recently purchased a c&v bike and I am wondering how to measure the frame to fit components. I am not exactly sure where/what to measure, but I do have access to a micrometer and a thread count tool. It would be very easy for me to ask the seller (robbietunes) what he had installed and get the dimensions, but I want to do this and learn so I know how to do it in the future. I have taken some measurements and scoured sheldonbrown.com for help. What little info I found doesn't match up and has led me nowhere. Kicker is that the Japanese LBS guys are dicks, (excuse the French) and laughed at me last time I came in with a project. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

where to start?
wheels
seat post
stem
handlebar
cranks
pedals
derraileurs
brakes
cables
cassette
chain
water bottle cages

What do you want to know?
Have you read sheldon brown?

What kind of bike is it? What year?

The most important measurements and specifications are:

1. Rear dropout spacing measured between the inside faces. Typical values, depending on the frame's age are: 120 mm (5-speed), 126 mm (6/7-speed), 130 mm (8/9/10-speed road bikes and old MTB) and 135 mm (any MTB since the early 90's and some current touring bikes)

2.Bottom bracket threading and width; English, italian, French or Swiss, 68,70 or 73mm.

3. Headtube's steerer/headset diameter, 1", 1-1/8" or the new various mixed sizes. Also older style press-in cups or integrated and threaded or threadless.

4. Brake type and reach.

5. Seatpost diameter.

5. Wheel size and tire clearance.

Others I've probably missed.

The bike is an 86' Centurion Facet. Gorgeous bike, I can't wait to take her out!

Anyways, the measurements I got are:

1. Dropouts - 4.942" = 125.5mm
2. BB thread - 24? (I used a Snap-on thread tool from a tap&die set)
width is 2.793" = 71mm
circumference is 1.325" = 33.7mm
3. Headtube - 1.022" (upper) and 1.041" (lower)
4. Brakes - squeeze type for rim sidewall, I don't know the official name but they are not cantilever brakes
5. Seatpost - 1.94" =49.3mm
6. Wheel size - no clue, I assume 700cc because it's a road bike

I know this is going to sound like blasphemy to a few out there, but I want to outfit this c&V bike with modern components.

A Google search turned up some interesting facts about this bike. The Facet was Centurion's first aluminum frame and was one of the very first welded 7000-series aluminum bike of any make. It was also only offered in 1986. Here is an old Bike Forums thread discussing it: https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/in.../t-284219.html

Base on it's age, and position in the Centurion lineup I conclude the following from your measurements:

1.Your dropouts are nominally 126 mm and 6/7-speed compatible. To use a 130 mm hub for 8/9/10-speed you would have to force-fit it into the current dropouts. It's not that hard and often done but a bit of a nusance with each wheel change. Since it's an aluminum frame "cold setting" (i.e. permanantly bending) it to 130 mm is not advised.

2. 24tpi and a Japanese bike of that vintage is almost certainly English threaded. I expect your bottom bracket shell is really 68 mm (2.67") wide

3. You need a 1" fork steerer and headset. If you have the OEM fork it is probably threaded and may be either JIS or ISO sized. These are both nominally 1" but slightly different cup and crown race dimensions. A bike shop could measure exactly to tell you which you have. I'm betting it's JIS.

4,5. Road bike caliper brakes come in "short reach" (37-47 mm from the center of the mounting bolt to the center of the rim's brake track) or long reach (47-57 mm). Again, a bike shop could tell you what you need and which length line up with what wheel diameter. Given the bikes position in Centurion's line up, I expect it came with 700c wheels.

BTW, the OEM fork was also aluminum and I'd be a bit leary of using one that old.

A Bing search for "86 Centurion Facet bicycle" turned up this link https://sheldonbrown.com/centurion/index.html to most any of the info you might need. It appears that some of the critical stuff may be Italian (bottom brkt). I don't know for sure, but there's lots of info out there to help you determine which it is. If you do the research so you know the difference between English and Italian components you'll no doubt learn a bunch so you can make some educated uguesses on how to proceed.

Per your reference. the only Italian made and equipped Centurion was a 1985 Cinelli co-branded model made with Columbus SL steel tubing and was a one-year special. Everything else was almost certainly English threaded.

I remeasured and you are right, the BB is exactly 2.67". Needless to say I'm impressed!

So, since it's not reccommended to fit a larger hub for more gears, what are my options? I would love to throw a 8/9/10 into this bike, but I may not need it yet since I'm not a regular rider, yet. I have the mindset of "more is better" even though that isn't always true.

I have read the entire post from the link before. There wasn't much useful information in it for me.

As for the fork, I have it and it looks fine. Why would you be weary to use it? It is made of the same material as the frame and at the same time, so should I be weary of using the frame too?

Forgot the quote....

I have read this link as well, and my model isn't in there. Since i am still a noob, I was unable to get anything useful from this article. I am definitely going to look into the different styles of bottom brackets, that will definitely help with future projects.

You can easily put modern 9 or 10 speed components on that frame and strong-arming a 130OLD hub wheel on the back does not require much effort. You can even buy a Shimano or SRAM "group" that contains everything you need in one box except the wheelset. 105 or Ultegra would work well on that Facet, and if you're a light guy then a keen-O low spoke count set of wheels would look pretty sharp as well.

What do you mean by 130 OLD hub? I plan on becoming a light-er guy once I get this beast up and running!

OLD is the over-locknut-dimension. Meaning the distance to the outside faces of the locknuts on the hub. In the ideal world regarding rear hubs, the OLD will match the rear dropout spacing of the frame. Your frame has, for all practical purposes, 126mm rear dropout spacing, which was common on bikes with 6 and 7 speed rear clusters for quite a few years, because the OLD of these hubs is 126mm. If things are off a millimeter or two, it's no biggie. In regard to the 130 OLD hub comment, what he's saying is that it's not a big deal to jam a 130mm OLD hub into your frame that has 126mm rear dropout spacing. 130mm OLD hubs are the modern standard on road bikes, and have been for quite a long time now.

Don't even think of going with low spoke count wheels if you intend to lose weight after you start riding - unless you want to get more excercise walking than riding. If you are heavy and inexperienced you are far more likely to break a spoke or get the wheel out of true/round. A low spoke count wheel will go farther out of true from a broken spoke and typically be harder to true. In return you save a few ounces at best.

Some folks obsess about extra weight on the wheel, forgetting that the weight difference generally coming into play is a very small percentage of the total. Your bike in use will not weigh 21 pounds, or 24 pounds, or even 30+ pounds. The weight underway is the bike's weight plus yours. Even for a svelte rider we're talking about 150 lbs, but more commonly around 200 lbs. That means if you save 4 ounces per wheel at the rim and accept the old saw about wheel weight meaning twice as much as static, the effect is one pound out of 200, or 1/2 of one percent. If you are getting the bike for excercise rather than Olympic level competition what is the point?

Weight (of the bike) isn't really an issue with me. More weight, more effort to move and more calories burned. I am not going to put the lightest parts on just because they are light. This project is basically aimed at me building a bike and learning as much as I can about the intricate parts and riding to work/becoming fit, not necessarily losing a bunch of weight.

I would like to say that I appreciate all of the input and help and to please continue to comment. I'd be an idiot to turn down free advice!

I forgot about a 27x1 1/4" wheel set I had in the shed. I test-fit them on the bike and they are too tall. I am figuring they are 26" tires, but how do I determine the width?

The correct wheels are 700c and 27" wheels are 8 mm larger in diameter than 700c. It does not take 26" anything. I recommend trying a set of 700x25 (i.e. 700c tires, 25 mm wide, more accurately referred to as ISO 622x25) for starters.

While I do not doubt your expertise, I need to be sure. I don't have the moolah or time to buy something that should fit and then wait a month for it to get here and not fit. I'll have to make a trip to the LBS for a test fit before I buy some.

That's an obvious way to be sure but the LBS is not going to be happy acting as a test venue and then having you buy the wheels elsewhere. Do you have any friends with 700c wheel bikes that will let you try-fit their wheels?

That's true, but the LBS mechanics laughed at me last time I brought a project bike in, 89' Fuji. They said it couldn't be fixed and would make a great single speed. So they can eat it.

As for the friends, I don't have any that cycle.

You were right, 700 fit. They only had 23C, but I have the room for 2mm more. Thanks!