135mm versus 120mm Rear Spacing

[hippy]

Let's just say I'm in a hurry to buy another bike (for whatever reason).

The new Il Pompino comes as a complete bike (useful now I have no workshop to play) or as a frameset + bits.

Buying the newer complete bike gets you a 120mm spaced rear triangle whereas if you buy the frameset, it comes as the original 135mm spaced rear.

I'm looking for opinions to on going either way.

As I see it 135mm would have more road/mtb hub choice, 120mm more track hub choice. On-One mention something about 120mm letting them run trick cranks so perhaps there was a chainstay clearance issue? 135mm means standard road wheels should work - option for future when I get roadie? Um.. what else..

Condor Cycles are in the back of my mind too - they build some nice road machines with a fixed flavour: http://www.condorcycles.com/

hippy

 

[suzyj]

Hi Hippy,

135mm spacing is the work of the devil. If "insert favoured deity here" had wanted us to ride bikes with chainstays that far apart, we'd all walk around like we've spent too much time on a horse.

If you're running six speeds or less, 120mm spacing means the chainstays are closer together, meaning you can run real track cranks with narrow Q factor. As well as that, the distance between the dropout and hub flange is a lot less, making for a much stronger rear wheel.

Cheers,

Suzy

 

[JayWoo]

I'd go 120mm. Still plenty of hubs to dribble over & if you are building up from parts, there is less of a juggle with parts vs chain line. I'm not into the Pompino coz of the canti brakes, but hey that's me. The Condor Pistas looks a lot cleaner.

 

[Rory Williams]

As I see it 135mm would have more road/mtb hub choice, 120mm more track hub choice. On-One mention something about 120mm letting them run trick cranks so perhaps there was a chainstay clearance issue? 135mm means standard road wheels should work - option for future when I get roadie? Um.. what else..
hippy

I haven't seen one for a while, but my guess is that the 135mm option came because they put the early ones together based on a road bike frame, ten saw the error of their ways. As Suzy says, spacing a 120mm hub between the 135 chainstays leaves you with a point of weakness, and possibly a chain alignment hassles. Anyway, if they don't have a hanger for the derallier a conversion to a geared hub is going to end up pretty ugly later on so I would take courage in your convictions and go 120.

Rory W

 

[hippy]

I'd go 120mm. Still plenty of hubs to dribble over & if you are building up from parts, there is less of a juggle with parts vs chain line. I'm not into the Pompino coz of the canti brakes, but hey that's me. The Condor Pistas looks a lot cleaner.

I stared at the Pista EOM all night..
http://www.condorcycles.com/showBike.php?id=47

but for a couple of hundred quid more I can get back into the roadie thing:
http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/UAN/340/V/2/SP/

Optimum solution would be to find a "coolish" sh1tter to turn into a mean street machine and then pay real moolah for a niceish roadie. Search continues...

hippy

 

[JayWoo]

I stared at the Pista EOM all night..
http://www.condorcycles.com/showBike.php?id=47

Just noticed the Classico Pista after going back for another oggle... Mmmm.

 

[Claes]

Let's just say I'm in a hurry to buy another bike (for whatever reason).

The new Il Pompino comes as a complete bike (useful now I have no workshop to play) or as a frameset + bits.

Buying the newer complete bike gets you a 120mm spaced rear triangle whereas if you buy the frameset, it comes as the original 135mm spaced rear.

I'm looking for opinions to on going either way.

As I see it 135mm would have more road/mtb hub choice, 120mm more track hub choice. On-One mention something about 120mm letting them run trick cranks so perhaps there was a chainstay clearance issue? 135mm means standard road wheels should work - option for future when I get roadie? Um.. what else..

Condor Cycles are in the back of my mind too - they build some nice road machines with a fixed flavour: http://www.condorcycles.com/

hippy

Condor is an old old favourite of mine, of cycling plus too, always good reviews. Well, it is an UK mag reviewing a UK frame, so bag of salt and all that. But, lovley frames, just lovely. OnOne feels like Kmart in comparison, when we talk about feeling, not functionality.