Originally Posted by
redneckwes
I.M.O. most old Shimano Ders, (Outside of 600) Are clunky overweight junk. But most any Suntour will work like a dream. I have VX, and VX-GT on a couple bikes, no problems whatsoever. Cyclone and AR-ARX seem pretty nice too.
My favorite hubs seem to be non-helicomatic Maillard lo-flanges, cause most of my bikes have them, or came with them.
Funny you should say this...I was just about to mention that my Shimano light action with 6 speed indexed shifters work like a dream (so does the Deore with 6 speed on my tourer). Granted I'm not shifting while cranking it up the Alp d'Huez, but I've been pleasantly surprised how well they work.
OP, since you don't mind a mishmash of parts, I would recommend going for aero brakes and some newer dual pivot calipers. They can be found for pretty cheap, are easy to adjust, and in my opinion are more important to have working flawlessly than drive train.