Classic & Vintage - Shimano 600 and Fulcrum Racing wheels

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Oostal
09-26-10, 06:01 AM
Hi,

I am planning to get new wheels on my older steel bike. The bike is probably from late 80s or early 90s and has mostly Shimano 600 components. Could someone please confirm me if the new Fulcrum racing 5 or 3 wheels are compatible with the Shimano 600 or do I need to make changes in the group.

I have currently Mavic MA40 wheels. They have a bit too much flex for my liking. May be they are just getting old? So I was looking for durable new wheels.

bradtx
09-26-10, 06:21 AM
Oostal, Looking at Fulcrum's website I'd guess the Shimano compatible refers to a 130 mm 8-10S hub.

Brad
RobbieTunes
09-27-10, 07:29 AM
Oostal,

Which components? That would be the question.
Cassette or freewheel?
8-sp or 7-sp?

If you already have Shimano 600 8-sp, there is no problem.
That would rule out "late 80's, early 90's," though.
Most Shimano 600 componets are 7-sp, with downtube shifting.
You can get the modern wheels, move your R shifter to friction, and be fine.

If you already have the 8-sp cassette on the later model Shimano 600, you just swap wheels and go.
If I'm guessing right, then you have Shimano 600 8-sp STI shifters. I've not seen 8-sp DT shifters in 600, but I think they made 'em.

If your 7-sp is a cassette, you can swap wheels, get a spacer, put it behind the cassette on the new wheels, and run 7-sp on an 8/9/10 freehub. Most of the time the spacer works, but you'd have to do some RD adjusting.

If your 7-sp is a freewheel, you can swap wheels, run an 8-sp cassette in indexed, and "overshift" the last cog. It'll work, but often it slips, so you have to keep your tension up.

So many if's, because there isn't a lot of information in the question. You'll like the new wheels, though.

Too much flex on the 600/Mavic MA4's? Sounds like a true and tension would cure most of that. Tight spokes, tensioned uniformly, on a true wheel: big difference in flex.