I thought I'd posted this question yesterday, but can't find it now, so maybe it never got there.

Anyway, my question.

I'm thinking of building a 700c wheel with an SA 5 speed hum to fit on a road frame. the frame at the minute takes a 7speed wheel with derailleur.

Will the the 5 speed SA hub fit, and if not, where is the discrepancy - hub too big, will need frame pulling to fit, or hub too small, so will need spacing.

Is there a chance the axle will be too short even to fit?

Memory tells me I should have no problem, but I'm going back to a time when 5 speeds were common, and those frames would take an SA hub.

Many thanks

Phil

The old hubs have a short axle that you (not me) could replace with a longer one. The 28" roadsters came with the longer axle stock.

Or you could just squeeze the stays together. My son has a SA 3 speed in his Super Course (120mm) and I didn't have any problem putting it together...

Gotte,

It's all about the numbers. Measure with your calipers (or have someone with calipers do the measuring) the OLD (over locknut dimension) spacing of the hub you have in mind and the dropout spacing of the frame you have in mind and then all will be revealed. Post the numbers on this forum and advice will flow like water.

I'm building a bike with a 5 speed SA hub and 700c wheels now. As I recall, the OLD of the hub is 118mm. I cold set the frame to fit.

Thanks for that. I'm told the axle is 110mm, but I'm not sure the seller is confusing that with the fit, as I have an SA 20 inch wheel, where the distance from end of spacer to other end of spacer is 110mm. The frame I;m looking to fit it on is 135mm. I don't mind trying to bolt it on to shorten the distance. My main concern is if the axle is too short.
On the other hand, I don;t mind cold setting the frame, which I assume means simply bending the chain stays in, but how does one do it to ensure the bend is equal. I image you need some weight (like standing on it) to bend a stay in permanently.

Many thanks for the input.

Refer to Sheldon Brown for cold setting instructions.

Thanks. just looked at Sheldon's site, and could do with some clarification. In the images some ways down in the article:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

he states you pull on the right side of the wood (image 2). How do you stop the frame simply rising up? Shouldn;t it be "Pull on left side? I can see that working as the wood is held against the seat tube (though is there a danger of the wood bending the seat tube in if it's butted?).

I am replacing the axle on my SA. Hopefully the lbs didn't have to use the last new axle they had in stock, and I can get it today. My dropouts are too thick to use the short axle. I don't know what axle your hub takes, so YMMV

The hub's anti-rotation washers will need to be compatable with the frame's drop-outs.

tcs

Ahhh, yes. Now, I'd forgotten about those washers. I just assumed they'd fit.

Note to self: Don't assume.