Replacing an old Shimano 600 groupset

[Mattjg01]

Hoping someone can give me some advice, to help me on my way. Having just had a fourth bike stolen, I've decided to repair an old bike to use for my regular commute. The bike is a Koga Miyata Gran WInner, which has an old 600 groupset with shifters on the downtube. Virtually identical to this https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/koga-miyata-gran-winner-1987-road-racer/1226323649.

Unfortunately, the rear hub gave up the ghost last year. I think I have three options:

1) Try and find a replacement for the rear hub and see if that sorts the issue

2) Try and find a replacement rear wheel

3) Replace some of the groupset with something more modern, easier to find replacement parts for and perhaps a bit more user friendly

If anyone has any experience of the 600 groupset and has any suggestions for best approach, I'd be very grateful.

Cheers
Matt

[Brucey]

if it is the same as yours that looks like the last 'tricolour' version of the 6200 groupset (the first known as ultegra in fact) which had indexed gears, either 2x7 (or rarely 2x8). All the parts will be labelled XY-620x where XY are letters and x is a number.

If your rear hub was a cassette hub then it ought to be possible to repair it using parts from a later model, including converting the hub to accept HG cogs (which are available) in place of the original UG ones (which are not). The only part of the original hub that need be retained is the LH bearing race in the hub; everything else can be changed.

There is a large degree of compatibility between these parts and a lot of other shimano 'road' groupsets; for example you could replace the rear mech with almost any 7, 8, 9 or 10s one and it would work fine. If looked after carefully I think it would be fine for commuting use.

cheers

[boblo]

There are loads of Shimano 600 parts on eBay.co.uk . I just bought a pair of NOS 600ex SIS shift levers for an old nail I'm working on. Most parts come up fairly frequently, just save your search an eBay will email you as listings are created matching your saved terms. Use www.velobase.com to identify part numbers to ensure the search terms are very specific.

[rjb]

Before throwing cash at an old bike I would address the issue of security as a priority as this appears to be your main issue.

[Samuel D]

If you end up replacing the rear hub or rear wheel, you’ll need one that fits the width between the dropouts (so-called OLN distance for Over Lock Nut). Modern stuff is 130 mm or wider whereas your frame will be narrower.

Depending on the state of the various parts, I’d clean, lubricate, and adjust them and replace all the cables including their housings. Shimano 600 of that era (it looks more like 6400 series to me) was top-quality stuff and worth hanging onto. Give yourself some time to get used to the down-tube shifters.

[Brucey]

...it looks more like 6400 series to me....

on reflection if it is as per the picture then you are right.

cheers

[De Sisti]

Having just had a fourth bike stolen,

Insurance payout for a replacement?

[Mattjg01]

Having just had a fourth bike stolen,

Insurance payout for a replacement?

Not worth while with £100 excess and the bike was a btwin tribal 500se (£250)!

Thanks all for comments, probably do some eBay hunting initially. Will be going with d-locks in future as it’s been heavy duty cable locks that have failed to protect me so far.


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