Ciufalon

I'm looking for suggestions/advice on components for my Miyata 610. It has 68mm bottom bracket and 126mm rear spacing. Can I put 7 speed or more in rear would like to put triple up front. Would also like to switch to 700 wheels and wonder what brakes would be good. It currently has Diacompe 981 canti brakes which I like. I put a 700 wheel on and the brakes almost matched perfectly - barely a difference. I prefer using SunTour components after reading up on them in the forums and am most interested in value and reliability. Need cranks/chainrings too. New or vintage is OK. I would really appreciate any help here. The bikes original components were all switched out for low end stuff -double front and 5 speed in rear. Thank you.

truman

I put a 7 speed on my Miyata 310 with no issues. I also run 700c wheels, with some generic dual pivot brakes, I'd guess they're the Nashbar Silver models, with 105 levers. I had to lengthen the brake pad slots a few mm to solidly contact the rims, and miss the tires. The brakes are... adequate... for everyday riding, but I would not like them for anything like loaded touring - not nearly positive enough for that. I run a double ring, so I have no input for you there.

You'd probably get much better answers to this question in the classic/vintage forum

Ciufalon

Thank you for your input. The reason I posted here is that I really want to build this bike back up into great touring bike. I love the way the bike rides and it fits me great. Also, my funds are limited and I think I can have a nice tourer without spending a huge amount. I like older bikes for many reasons but in this case, as it is a lugged, steel touring frame, I don't see the difference between asking for advice on this and advice on building a bike like a Rivendell or Heron or something similar, except they cost a lot more. The measurements, clearances, etc. are different sure. But that is why I need help and want to know what is possible with what I am dealing with. Because it is not made to current chainstay widths, etc. and I would like to make it as nice as I can with what I have to work with. There are some very knowledgeable people here and I would really appreciate some of you sharing your knowledge on this subject with me. The LBS's near me are terrible and of no help.

NeezyDeezy

I just did a tour with my 610... although maybe mine is older because it has 120mm rear spacing, so I used a 5 spd (13-32) freewheel.

What components does the bike have on it now? Then maybe we can help you.

cyccommute 

It's really no issue to put a 130 mm hub in the 610 frame. You don't need to cold set the frame to do it, either. It's a 4mm difference which you can easily do by spreading the frame by hand and forcing (gently) the wheel into place. I've had an 8 speed drive train on mine and if you can do 8 you can also do 9.

Your current Diacomp brakes should work just fine for a 700C wheel. You'll need to set the pads lower but that shouldn't be an issue.

As for components, the Suntour that originally came on the bike is long past dead. You can find some of it around but it's rare. For a touring bike, your best bet would be to stick with Shimano. Tiagra front derailer/XT rear with whatever shifters you like. For a crank, I'd choose this one and an Octalink bottom bracket or this one with an ISIS bottom bracket. Either would work well. Use an 11-34 cassette for a good high and a good low.

tacomee

cyccommute pretty much sums up the quickest and easiest rebuild-- I'd fallow his advice.

Ciufalon

I think my bike is an '83. Shimano SIS front DR and Shimano Light Action rear DR. Can these accommodate triple infront and more than 5 speeds in the rear? Cyccommute, are you saying you have an 8 speed cassette in a 130mm space and that 9 speeds also come in this width so I could actually squeeze in a 9 speed? Is this because chains are now narrower and the sprokets placed tighter together? Are cassette set ups better than a freewheel set up? Can cassettes or clusters be bought stock with the range you mentioned or do I have to get it put together custom? Also, why Tiagra on the front and not XT? Do Deore XT derailleurs come in different length cages or is there just one model? And, what does ISIS mean? I don't much care for black cranks. Do you suggest any others that aren't black? Are 700 wheels better than 27 for any reason or just more readily available? I do have a new set of 700 Campagnola Omega Strada Hardox 36 hole rims I could go with. I just need to get some hubs and get them spoked up. Are chains standard so that all chain rings, derailleurs, shifters work together? Sorry to ask so much but I am just learning about this. I've never had to build up a bike.

Seggybop

Hi Ciufalon,

I also have a Miyata 610, believed to be 1983, that I have upgraded/modified significantly. Here are all the changes I made that I can currently recall:

36 spoke 27" single wall rim wheels replaced with 32 spoke 700c double wall rim (some model of Alex rim) wheels with DT freehub in the rear - rear hub is 135mm and I pulled apart the rear triangle
5 speed Suntour freewheel replaced with 9 speed XT cassette
Downtube shifters replaced with barcons, friction mode
Suicide brake levels replaced with Dia-Compe aero brake levers
Mountech rear derailleur replaced with newer model Suntour X-1
Seatpost replaced with slightly longer one from Nashbar
Dia-Compe 981 canti brakes replaced with Shimano BR-AT5 canti brakes

I think that's all of it, anyway

Ciufalon

Thanks for the help. I looked around and figured out what a few things mean - like ISIS and so on. The advice and experiences you passed on to me are a big help.

NeezyDeezy

My 1983 miyata 610 has 120mm spacing, so if you want to put wheels with a 130mm or even 135mm axle in there, you will have spread the hell out of it. You need to find this out, and that is why I specifically asked for you to tell us what components your bike currently has.

If you're going to make any changes, it's cheaper and easier in my opinion to just get a 5 spd or ultra-spaced 6 speed freewheel if bigger range is your goal... it's only a one-part swap. I thought I wanted 700c wheels too when I got my bike, but there's really nothing wrong with the older wheels IMO.

cyccommute 

In friction mode, the front and rear will probably handle anything. If you want indexed shifting, you'll need shifters to match number of cogs you use. So, if you decide on 8 cogs on the cassette, you'll need an 8 speed shifter. Front shifters are indexed too so you'll need a derailer that can handle that. The rear might work with modern shifters but it's a long shot.


Yes. If the hub will accept 8 cogs, it will take 9. They use the same hub and are spaced differently. The 9 spd cogs are narrower as are the spacers between them.

Cassettes are plentiful, relatively cheap and readily available. Freewheels are ...um...relatively cheap (figuratively and literally ). A cassette hub is also stronger because the bearing are further outboard. It makes for a stronger wheel.

Cassettes should be easy to customize but they aren't. You buy a range. For touring (and mountain biking) an 11-34 is pretty standard.

Mountain bike and road bike front derailers don't play well with each other's shifting systems. Cable travel is different. Rear derailers aren't an issue but, for example, you don't get good shifting with an XT front and STI shifters. I suggest the Tiagra over something higher in the Shimano road line because the Tiagra is wider and shifts a front triple better. It has less rubbing issues.

The rear derailers come in 4 different models: SG, SGS, high normal and low normal. Personally, I'd go with an SGS high normal.


ISIS is a splined bottom bracket. Shimano uses their own system and doesn't match to the ISIS system. ISIS is used for just about everything else except the external bearing cranks and square taper cranks. Although external bearing cranks are pricey, they have the advantage of not needing too many tools to service in the field.

That's about the only reason. 27" is fine but finding quality tires is more painful. The Hardox should work.

Chains should be matched to the number of cogs on the rear wheel. If you have 8 cogs, use an 8 spd chain; 9 cogs, a 9 spd chain. You can use a narrower chain on a wider cog and Sram even says that on their packaging. I'd use Sram chains over just about anything out there. The black ones are cheap and durable and no better or worse than the nice shiny chrome plated ones. The Sram master link has made chain service a simple task compared to days of old.

Hope this helped. Feel free to ask anything else.

harrier

Does the 610 have a 1" headset?

cyccommute 

Yes.