Originally Posted by
Charles Wahl
Really nice build
ehcoplex I have in-house the same
PX-10 frame (or PX-10 LE, as it became later) from the same year, in the same color, only 63.5 size, that I'd like to build up as a 650B, because the clearance for rear tire is greater than on any other (vintage, road) frame I've owned. It doesn't appear to have any sign of the Reynolds 531 seat tube and fork blade decals, but all the other instances I've seen of similar bikes have those decals in various states of degeneration, and the details are exactly like those on your frame and another found on the internet (and attributed to 1972), so I'm satisfied it's legit, despite its bare weight of 3.2 kg. What's also nice is that the 700C brake reach is pretty short (52.5 mm front and 55 mm rear), so I can reach a 584 ERD rim using something other than a Mafac RAID (like, a Weinmann 750, just). I have a few questions though:
The fork crown itself doesn't leave a lot of clearance between the castings' pointed tangs that hang down a bit: like 41 mm, and only 48 at the face of fork blades just below those. Did you have any problems with fitting the front fender there?
Did you respace the rear triangle to fit 7 speeds, or just pry them apart to fit an increased OLD? I'm assuming 126 mm, correct?
What size seatpost diameter has worked for you? I measured 26.4 mm, but most French Reynolds-DB-tubed bikes (I have a few such) are 26.6. Maybe that's why the frame seems on the heavy side.
What's the range on your freewheel?
Thanks!
Yeah, that pretty much looks like my PX-10, though it is a little odd that there is absolutely no trace of the Reynolds decals. But maybe as they deteriorated a PO scraped the remains off for aesthetic reasons?
I have a bit of frame-size envy of yours, but actually 63.5 would probably be a bit too big for me. It sure would achieve the classic ‘French fit’ look, though. I should’ve weighed my PX-10 frame when I had it all stripped down, but I didn’t.
I stuck with the Simplex (steel) seat-post that is original to the bike, so didn’t give much thought to the diameter. I just measured now, and depending on where I take the measurement from the post I get anywhere between 24.0 and 24.6….. The post was really pretty scratched up, but I doubt I could’ve taken .6mm off in polishing (though the chrome plating is extremely thin in spots now). Sheldon lists 26.2, 26.4 & 26.6 for the PX-10, depending on the year! Best to measure with a caliper and/or test fit.
I spread the rear triangle to 126mm with a DIY threaded-rod/washers/nuts setup, re-straightened the drop-outs and checked the alignment with the string method.
I did have to dimple the fenders to fit the fork (& likewise the chain stays), and I’ve got the fender right up against the bottom of the crown (actually not quite- the little TA rack has a support that goes between the bottom of the fork crown & the fender, so it eats up a little space).
This series of blog posts is really helpful for fender installation. I also dispensed with the little bolt-in rear dropout spacers and have the rear wheel all the way back in the slots (& have to deflate the tire to get it in and out).
After I already had the Raids (I was lucky and got a decent deal on a set on eBay.fr) I ‘inherited’ a box of random old bike stuff that has some Weinmann Vainquer calipers in it & eyeballing it, it looks like they’d work.
13-28 7 speed freewheel with 45/42/28 rings (Red Clover Triplizer). I maintain a pretty high cadence & it’s
very hilly where I live so this setup is working quite well for me. Occasionally I wish I had just a little more at the top end if I’m flying down a hill with the wind at my back, but most of the time I just coast knowing I’ve got another big climb after I get to the bottom.