The invention relates to economical and efficient methods for producing 2-methylene-3-methylbicyclo[2,2,1]heptane, 2,3-dimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene and the like that are useful for materials of producing base oil of traction drive fluid for traction drive lubricating oil. The methods comprise reacting one or more C3-4 acyclic olefins with cyclopentadiene and isomerizing the resulting bicyclo[2.2.1]heptene derivatives in the presence of an isomerization catalyst to give one or more bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives.