The French standard for front hubs was 96mm. Some Japanese front hubs also came in 96mm width, perhaps for sale in France?
The 116mm rear is odd.
I've seen a few "funny" TT bikes with narrow hubs. I horse traded for a set of wheels that came off of one of them. When I got them I home I discovered that they were narrower than normal width.
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
David Snyder wrote:
> In my own experience, I've seen quite a few front hubs and forks spaced
> at 96mm from the 1970's.
> This was very common on lower-spec ten-speeds.
> I've also seen rear hubs on unmolested bikes spaced at 114-116mm and
> wearing 5-speed freewheels.
> I have no idea on the origins of these seemingly anomalous spec's, but
> considering that many, many five-speed-equipped, production rear wheels
> will instantly accept standard 6-speed freewheels with room to spare, a
> narrower 116mm spec won't be any worse than that, dish-wise, if the
> hubshell (and 5-speed freewheel) is positioned a few millimeters closer
> to the right within the slightly narrower spacing.
> Shimano would have been happy to supply hubs to any customer's OEM
> spec's, and early Dura-Ace parts were periodically spec'd on a variety
> of otherwise very low-spec bicycles in the '70's.
>
> David Snyder
> Auburn, CA usa
>
>
> Tom Harriman wrote:
>
>> Dura Ace hubs were all manufactured for standard sized rear triangles
>> and front forks. There were never any off sized hubs or frames.
>>
>> The problem is not the hubs, it's the frame and fork. I'm guessing
>> her because I haven't seen them, but I would say the the frame and
>> fork weren't properly spaced when they arrived at the bike shop, and
>> then an inexperienced mechanic removed spacers from the hubs in order
>> for them to fit the frame and fork.
>>
>
>> Charles Nighbor wrote:
>
>>> Mearsuring my NIB 70's Dura-Ace hubs from the 1970's I get a rear
>>> spacing of 116mm. I also get 96mm for front. Is that a typical
>>> dimension for 70's. I thought 100mm front and 120mm or 126mm was 70's
>>> normal.
>>> I checked 9 times.. I would like to use or sell them but with those
>>> spacings I would 1st need to replace both axes and add spacers to
>>> rear get to 100mm front and either 120mm or 126mm rear.
>>> The total length of the axles is not long enough to make standard
>>> spacing100 mm Front and 120 mm rear work. I have a set of same hubs
>>> but correct 100mm front and120mm rear and you can see the difference
>>> in the length of axles. My axles are 1/4'' shorter. My guess is made
>>> for special run of frames. Box doesn't give axle length. My only fix
>>> is new axles.