I bought the frame for about $15, and I am hoping for some help with what parts I need. I hope to give it to my teenage daughter who loves her fixie, but wants a roadie to ride with me! Please help, as I haven't really been able to find much on parts appropriate, etc....

-There are no wheels, cogs, or chains, and my 700 Shimano RS10s don't seem to fit in the drops. Do I need 27" rims or something?
-Needs brake levers and calipers, etc.... Not sure what size/height I should be looking for.
- Down tube shifters seem in good shape, as does front derailleur, but no rear derailleur or hanger exists.

I know it is not the best Bridgestone, but it is steel, and she would really like it. Any help would be great. I don't really want another fixie out of it, if I can help it. Thanks! Bob

Here's a link to a thread that I found in a quick search that carries a lot of information about the RB-4.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ne-rb-4-a.html

Apparently it came with 27" wheels and used a six-speed freewheel. So the rear drops should be spaced 126, and you should be able to use 6, or 7, speed wheels without spreading, or 8/9 wheels with slight outward pressure (no need to cold set).

You already have shifters, so the least expensive way out would probably be a set of used 27" wheels that use a freewheel, and a 6-speed freewheel.

You can get a KMC Z-50, Z-51, or Z72 chain for less than $10 including shipping from a eBay Seller.

You might be able to convert it to 700C wheels if you are willing to get some long reach brake calipers (you need to buy calipers anyway, right?). Single pivot brake calipers are probably what it came with, but I'd convert to dual pivots brakes for the improved brake performance. You can probably find a set of used wheels on Craigslist, but they are also available on eBay (shipping can get ugly). I recently sold a set of Trek/Matrix 700C 7-speed wheels with skewers, and a freewheel for $100, including the shipping, which cost me $60) on eBay. And I bought two sets (two pairs) of new 700C Nashbar entry level wheels (in the box) with skewers from a Craigslist Seller for $10 a set.

The original group was Shimano Exage. Exage was Shimano's entry level road group, and I think that a lot of the parts were decent to pretty nice quality (sometimes a little heavy in weight), sometimes painted gray/silver (sometimes natural/polished), and almost as nice as RX100 (in many cases), which is still very popular from the prices that components go for on eBay. Maybe look for some Exage brake levers and dual pivot brake calipers on eBay?

Seems like nice looking Exage components are overlooked, and go for decent prices on eBay.

Really appreciate your help. Thanks! Bob

The most cost effective way to set the new frame up may either scavenging at a local nfp bike coop or finding a donor bike with the wheels, brakes, levers, and .RD that you can take off and install.

Good point. We do have a local coop, but I never seem to get there when it's open! Thank you.

The rear horizontal drops don't seem to have a hanger, so is there a special kind of rear derailleur I need? Thanks!

There are adapters made for this. I searched for "rear derailleur claw" and got a number of hits. Harris Cyclery has one that looks nice to me. Cheap and not hard to install.

As far as brake calipers go, you might be able to get away with replacing only the rear one with a longer reach 47/ 57mm caliper.

When I converted my 1990 RB-2 to 700c, I was still able to use a 'short reach' caliper on the front, but a longer reach proved necessary for the rear...

The bike was in poor condition when I bought it, and among other things it came with mismatched wheels- an OEM 27" on the front and a 700c (cheapo replacement) on the rear. I decided to build a new wheelset for it and, since the frame was on the small side at 50cm (c-t-c), I figured 700c wheels would probably improve its handling. Surprisingly this didn't pose any problems for the front wheel, however a 39/ 49mm caliper wouldn't allow the pads to contact the braking surface on the rear. Fortunately, I was building it with older Shimano 8 speed, and it wasn't hard to find a matching 47/ 57mm rear brake; IIRC it cost me all of $10 at our co-op:



+1 for Exage 7sp, it's good value; you might also keep an eye out for RSX components. Just as an example, only a couple of weeks ago someone sold a very nice set of RSX dual-pivot calipers via our local CL for a mere $15.

Thanks!

Thanks! I appreciate your post and pics.
I was able to get a set of 27" wheels cheaply, so if I keep them, I guess any old 'short reach' caliper will do?

Thanks, I will check it out. Appreciate your help and research.

If you're buying any parts via ebay, you are better off buying a component group, then selling off the bits and pcs you don't need. This way, you won't get hammered on shipping costs.

I bought road bars, stem, better grade Dia Compe levers and calipers for about $25 on ebay. Was able to pick up too.

Sorry I'm not of any help here, but I do look forward to seeing what ends up being built for your daughter!

I will check the local co op, but in a pinch something like THIS would nor break the bank. That would work, right?

Thanks. So far I have cleaned the whole bike and stripped the bars down, removed the brake levers (bent and unusable), and removed the old rusted cabling.

I got a 27" wheelset for about $50, bought a freewheel cassette, and tires, tubes, tape, etc.... very cheaply on eBay ($60 maybe tops shipped). Bought a chain tool and freewheel tool. Hoping to get the whole thing for under $150, but really don't care. It's been fun, and when the parts start coming in, it will be a great winter project.

I like the idea of riding steel after buying my Colnago Victory, and being able to get out with her on steel would be a great thing. She rides her fixie all over, and she's got some serious pedal power. She was pretty psyched when I bought the frame of CL for $15. She thought the Colnago was cool when that came, and if she could ride it I would have given it to her right then after the look on her face. But she's only about 5'4" and it's way too big.