Hi all,

Bikes been sitting outside for quite some time at my grandparents house. Grandfather used to find all kinds of stuff and just keep it! I dragged it out from the snow and into my garage and took some pictures. I know very little if anything about bikes but have a friend who cycles. If this is restorable and has some potential I'd like to get it going and go for a ride once and a while with him. His bike is a couple grand so I'd at least like to be able to keep up.

What I know:

Bike is Miele (obviously, stickers )
Shimano 600 setup

Let me know what you can! I did find a number on the frame. Believe its *AS566527*.
Its certainly in rough shape but I have a thing for fixing old stuff and getting it to work properly and safely again. I'd hate to toss it.

Here's the pics.

Well, besides getting dizzy from the upside down pics, it looks to be in pretty good shape actually. The paint looks very good with few scratches that I can see. I see the chain needs to be replaced though because of rust, and a shifter cable looks loose or something, but other than that she looks very rideable. The Shimano 600 is a nice group to. No idea of the model but somebody will chime in on that. Tune her up, wash, wax and polish and she should good to go. Nice bike!

Welcome to the forums by-the-way!

lol when I posted the pictures I was just waiting for somebody to say how their neck is now sore…lemme see what I can do about that.

Thanks! I'll give er a good clean. The back tire had a brick on it so I'll have to determine if the rim isnt dented.

Yeah, that's better!

Can you see a sticker, normally on the down tube below the seat, telling you what kind of steel the frame is made out of? The type of steel used will basically tell you how good a bike is and what level, such as low end, mid-range or high end in the product line...

I think I see the remnants of a sticker lol. It may have at one time revealed the grade of steel…

I'll take a look again. **Yes definitely below the seat there used to be a sticker...

Checked a few of the Shimano date stamps. JA, JL, II. Looks like its dated around 1984 - 1985 on the Shimano parts. Still can't quite determine the model or anything of the bike

Not sure about the model, but it's undoubtedly worth cleaning up and riding assuming there's nothing catastrophically wrong with it.

I'd agree that it's actually in pretty nice shape (to judge by the photos).

A Shimano 600 equipped bike (right down to the proper headset, not skimping on expense) by Miele would almost certainly have been built with a good quality steel tube set - perhaps Tange 2, Tange Infinity, possibly even some shade of Columbus, they used a wide variety in building.

If you search the forums a bit, you should be able to locate some Miele catalogs from the 80s, which might help with determining model name.

If it's your size, it should be quite excellent on the road...

Loosen all the bolts as soon as you can and get some real penetrating oil in there. The seatpost and stem both might be stuck in the frame too. It's a nice looking bike definitely worthy of a complete overhaul. If anything is stuck don't force it, there's plenty of good advice on these forums.

Making progress on the disassembly/restoration.



Seat is in great shape. Its so hard I used it as a mallet.




This thing is really stuck…





CatsEye basic speed sensor of some type. Missing the piece that will display the information







All the bolts have come out without a problem really. Aside from 1 or two in the handlebar that were really rusted in. The seat stem as you say is definitely going to to be the most difficult to remove. Hit it with some penetrating oil and will see what happens.

My plans are to take it to a local bike shop for a few pointers, insights and parts. Gonna change all cables and the chain. The break cables aren't too bad but I don't want to put my faith in them.

Will give everything that moves a good clean with some citrus degreaser then lube it all up. As for the main crank gears, notice the rust, should I be worried and have it sand blasted or just leave it?

Will also be looking for a seat, handlebar tape, new rubber and will re-pack?? the hubs on the rims. I'll get a pic up of the rims next.

If your gonna do something do it right!

Update: Got the shaft out!

So the seat shaft is just like this one.

Frame being steel, shaft being aluminum, I was told I'll never get it out. Went to a local bike shop today to get some idea's on parts and pricing and what he thinks of the bike. Told me its great if I can get the shaft out but 8/10 times they don't come out. Read up on the ammonia trick and hot cold stuff….

First, I put the shaft in a vice, removed the BB, and sprayed "Move It" penetrating lube down the shaft. Yes I know its not supposed to help an aluminum to steel bond but before I progress to ammonia I was trying this. Filled it right up and started twisiting. Wasn't moving, sprayed more, twisted harder. Finally, a budge! At that point I knew I had it. Just worked it back and forth until it finally came off!

With all the hard stuff out of the way, I'm figuring out what I'll be able to do on my own.

My expense list:

Re-pack hub's of both rims. 24.95 and 29.99
Rubber, maybe 50 - 60 a tire.
Cables.
Seat?

I hope to do most of the work myself in terms of cable wiring. I'll be giving the mechanisms a soak and lube, but the re-packing I think is out of my skill set. For 25 or so dollars a piece I figure I might as well. Is it hard to do? Should I bother doing it myself?

google repacking bike hubs and search for bike forum posts too. also lots of great stuff on youtube. watch multiple videos because there is often more than 1 way to do things. you may need to buy/make some tools. I think you could buy the tools for less than $25 and you sound reasonably mechanical and confident. I recomend DIY

Right on. I'll take a look and see what kind of tools. Seem's like unscrew stuff, break cleaner on bearings, grease on bearings, reassemble. My only concern would be bearing replacement and knowing which one needs it. How about re-packing the BB bearings, same process?

Generally speaking, Miele bicycles were well made, equipped and crafted. The OP's looks to be of high mid level quality and should prove to be a nice bike to ride.

This Miele catalog might help shed a bit of light on the subject...

1985 Miele Beta, Japanese manufactured, 100% positive.

Thanks guys. When I started searching I found that catalogue and model and its parts seemed to be exactly what I have. However when i noticed the colour options and didn't see orange I thought it may be something else. Its probably the Beta but in a year where they made it in orange as well. Its always nice knowing what you have.

I'd trust T-Mar, especially when he says 100% positive. I just now saw this thread, or I would have guessed wrong, LOL. I have a '93 Invictus, with Columbus SL tubing and Tri-Color 600, and from my limited research, I would have thought yours was a Gara, which was orange (or Gold Bronze, if you believe the catalog), and had some version of Shimano 600. That still looks well worth rebuilding, for sure, good luck.

Definitely. Should have it up and running in a couple weeks. Question though, the hubs say "Sealed", does that mean I can't open them up to clean the bearings or just a marketing trick for older hubs.

Sealed Bearing hubs these days usually means cartridge bearings, that very rarely if ever need servicing. In your case, it probably means there's a rubber seal, to keep dirt out of the otherwise "normal" ball-bearing assemblies. At least that's what my Tri-Color headset is like, and it really needed fresh grease. The old original grease was hardened, almost like varnish. Just go slow, those BBs are feisty little critters, if you're not careful.

That's a pretty easy mistake to make. The first year the Gara came out, they still offered the Beta and both used New 600EX! However, this one definitiely predates a Gara. It's also appears to have been upgraded to SIS, which would explain the time span of the date codes.

Yes I did notice a few different model numbers stamped on the parts. I'll get some details on that last.

So tonight I gave the paint a good clean, polish then a wax. Nice orange colour. Next I cleaned out the BB with all the old grease and re-assembled with a high quality multi-purpose lithium.

Then I tackled the front wheel hub. Tire removal was a real pain and discovered a few spiders :S. Disassembled the hub, cleaned out all the old grease, and a bearing managed to escape me! I tracked it down luckily. Reassembly was perfect, wheels spins if you breathe on it. I do have one question though.

There was a long bolt with a smooth portion, I assume thats the axis on which it all spins, and I guess two curved sides to the nut that I assume rest on the actual ball bearings. You then place a locking nut and then two shiny ones with the little arm (pardon my ignorance I have no idea what these things are called). However, do you full tighten the axis bolt or back it off just slightly so that there is no resistance when the wheel spins, then tighten the lock nut? If I tighten it fully, it will rub, back it off a touch, no contact and it spins more freely. Is this correct? Hopefully I explained myself clearly lol...

Yep, that's the tricky part, is getting the lock-nuts adjusted just right. Obviously, you want them to spin freely, with no resistance if possible, but just as importantly, you don't want any play/slop, where the parts move away from being a snug fit, if you wiggle it side to side. It sounds like you understand the basics already, from hands-on experience, the best teacher. It's normal to have to play with the adjustment a little, to get it "just right", so don't get frustrated, if that happens. BTW, I'm not sure what you used for tools, but the actual cone wrenches aren't expensive, and fit really well, since they're much thinner than a normal wrench.

The long bolt is called the axle. The axle nuts with thecurved sides that the bearing ride on are called cones. The long piece with the handle that fits through the axle is called the quick release skewer.

When assembling the cones onto the axle, you screw them finger tight, then back them off about 1/16-1/8 of a turn. After you tighten the locknuts, the wheel should spin freely and there should still be slight but noticeable side to side play when pushing and pulling on the axle.

Next you instal the skewer. When closing the lever, the effort should should leave an imprint on your palm. If it doesn't or you can't close it fully, use the nut on the oppsite end of the skewer to adjust the tension. Do not use the lever to srew the skewer tight. It is meant to clamp and unclamp the wheel by flipping it closed and open.


Once the the skewer tension has been properly adjusted and the wheel is clamped in the frame, spin the wheel. It should spin freely and quietly. Grab the tire and try to move the the wheel from side to side, There should be no play. Clamping the wheel in the frame should have removed the residual play in the hub cone adjustment. If there is play, the cone adjustment is too loose and you start over.

The wheel should be tested for side play at several points in it's rotation. Sometimes it will be perfect at one spot but loose at another. This is generally indicative of a bent axle and/or irregular cone wear.

Getting the cone adjustment right is a matter of trial and error, as most people back off the cone adjustment slightly when tightening the locknut. It can be frustrtating for beginners, taking several attempts but you will improve with experience.

Great responses from both! Thanks. I understand it clearly now. I tightened it hand tight and backed it off so it spins freely. I've proceeded to the rear rim now but it looks like I'll be needing a special tool. The rear cogs I think are held on with what looks to be a two notched setup. I thought the two holes on the face where it says Shimano would be a good spot for a pin wrench to remove it but it doesn't want to turn that easy. After reading I don't think you even are supposed to use a pin wrench or those two holes for removal.

Will I be needing this special tool to get to the rear bearings? I could get the local bike shop to remove it, but then I would need them again for re-assembly...

The subject tool is called a freewheel remover. They're relatively inexpensive at about $10. You should probably overhaul the hubs at least yearly, so it's a good investment. There are several different styles, so you'll need to know the make and model of your freewheel to ensure you get the correct one. You do not need the tool to reinstall the freewheel.

It's a good thing that you weren't able to loosen the cove plate, as it's also the outer cone for the freewheel. If you'd gotten it loose you'd have dozens of very small bearings rolling arouind on the floor. Reassembling a freewheel is perhaps the most difficult overhaul on a derailleur equipped bicycle.

Update. I looked up some diagrams and the plate I was removing was what Shimano called the "smart" dust cover. It is reversed threaded and that is why I was unable to remove it. Upon removal I have a clear path to the notched bolt I need to remove and what looks to be the actual adjustment plate with another 2 holes. Here is the problem, I brought the wheel to a local bike shop, a reputable one at that, and he did not have the required tool to remove it. Said his didn't fit. So instead of purchasing one online at a high price and shipping it to Canada, I'm going to try and make the tool myself.

One more thing. I get why its good that I was unable to remove the cover plate as I'd have dozens of small bearings fall out, but shouldn't I be cleaning and re-greasing those bearings as well?