Ultegra

Shimano Ultegra rear hub FH-6500

Ultegra (for Ultimate Integrated ), formerly 600 is the name of a road bike group from Shimano . The group has existed in a different form since 1975 and is below the high-class Dura-Ace and above group 105 .

Components

The group includes all components :

tax rate
Chain
Chainrings
Ring gear package
Brakes
Shift and brake levers (since Ultegra always as a unit )
Hubs

Ultegra 600 components, including 9-speed shifting technology , were compatible with all Shimano racing bike and MTB groups, with the exception of the Dura Ace 7400 (6-, 7-, 8-speed). With the introduction of 10-speed switching technology, MTB and racing bike groups are no longer compatible. The Ultegra groupsets are compatible with other Shimano road bike groupsets up to 11-speed, with the exception of the latest Tiagra 4700 10-speed groups.

600

The 600 group was built under this name from around 1975 to 1988. It hit the market as a middle class group two years after the high-class Dura-Ace. Under the model number 6100, a 5-fold system was initially produced, later a 6-fold system.

600AX, 600EX and 600 Arabesque

Shimano 600 chainring, 1980

The 600AX series was produced from 1981 to 1983. AX stands for Aerodynamic and was taken over from the Dura-Ace-AX series. The “Aero” seat posts are particularly noticeable. All parts of the group were designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, which was in line with the trend of the time. The group is also using the “Dyna Drive” pedal system for the first time . From 1978 to 1984 a 600 arabesque group with special engravings was also issued.

Later the EX group came onto the market. The 1986 600EX group was after the Dura-Ace group the second group with SIS, i.e. an indexed circuit. After SIS was introduced on the 600EX, the switching technology on the rear derailleurs and the frame shift levers was slightly modified: the cable retraction path per switching step was increased. This was then introduced as the standard for the remaining groups, which from then on led to incompatibilities between the Dura-Ace group and the remaining Shimano groups. It was not until 1997 that Shimano adjusted the rope retrieval path with the new Dura-Ace 9-speed group so that all groups were again compatible with one another. In the EX series, Shimano uses the Delta brakes introduced by Campagnolo as an alternative to the previous single-joint side-pull brakes ("mono pivot"). However, this system did not catch on because it was too difficult and complicated to maintain and required higher operators.

Different 600 groups were produced and distributed at the same time.

600 Ultegra

In 1988 Shimano added the addition Ultegra to the 600 group , which initially had 7-speed SIS frame shift levers. The word Ultegra stands for Ultimate Integrated . Shimano manufactured the RD-6401 series from 1992 to 1997 . From this point on, the group also had brake shift levers (STIs) , which from then on replaced the frame shift levers that had been common up until then. This became known as "Tricolor" because of its three distinctive stripes on the label. The series was designed as a 7-fold, later an 8-fold system and initially designed with single-joint brakes, then the first dual-pivot brakes (two-joint brakes) of the series. In the course of the series, the standard rear wheel hub width was adjusted to 130 mm. The 600EX Ultegra followed under the number 6402 for a short time . In this generation Shimano introduced the Biopace technology of oval sprockets to the 600 Ultegra and its other road bike groups.

Ultegra

On the left a carbon SLA crank from the manufacturer FSA from 2008 (53/39 teeth), on the right a Shimano Ultegra crank, produced from 1999

Shimano has been producing the Ultegra 6500 series as a 9-speed group since 1999 and omitted the name 600 for the first time . The Ultegra 6500 was also available with a 3-way crank for the first time. From this time on, Shimano also introduced its flight deck technology: The STIs can be combined with appropriately prepared bike computers and display and process data on the selected gear and the corresponding translation. In the meantime, the systems also offer a graphic display of the selected gear and show its translation after the gear change.

In 2005 the 6600 series came onto the market, with a 10-speed rear derailleur and again with a 3-speed crank. The bottom brackets of the series are on the outside as standard.

The new Super-Light-6600 series is the color Ice Gray and a further weight reduction. A new feature of the 6700 series is that the brake and shift cables are routed under the handlebar tape, as with the competitor Campagnolo. The chain of the series is constructed asymmetrically: the inner plates and on the inside also the outer plates are perforated.

Ultegra Di2 and hydraulic systems

Ultegra Di2 front derailleur

Shimano has been manufacturing electronic components of the Ultegra Group 6770 under the name Ultegra Di-2 since 2011 . The current series for the Ultegra group in the version with electromechanical components has the number 6870 . The bike computer , the sensor in the crank arm and the rear derailleur or front derailleur communicate with each other via the bus system in the flight deck .

In 2014 the 6800 series came on the market. The most obvious change was the eleventh cog. The additional gear should enable finer gradations in the sporty 11-23 or 11-25 gear ratios. As with the Shimano Dura-Ace 9000, which was available at the same time, the chainrings now sit on four instead of five arms, which, according to Shimano, should bring better power transmission with less weight. The Ultegra R8050 series was introduced for the 2018 season. Among other things, the chainring spacing has been revised, which has been increased in view of the increasing number of racing bikes with disc brakes. This should create more space for the frame. In conjunction with the new front derailleurs required for the new cranks, the shifting performance is significantly improved, according to the manufacturer. The number of 11-speed cassettes offered increases to six.

11-fold STIs for hydraulic brakes have been available in two quality levels since 2015 . They are no longer assigned to any group and can also be used for Ultegra systems.

photos

Listed chronologically in the development of the 600 / Ultegra components.

600 arabesque series

Shimano 600 rear derailleur, 1980
Shimano 600 front derailleur, 1980
Counter ring and ball rings of a Shimano 600 Arabesque headset
HP-6200

600 EX series

Shimano 600 front derailleur for mounting on the braze-on base of the frame (mid-1980s)
Shimano 600AX brake lever (early 1980s)
Shimano 600EX rear derailleur, 1986–1988
RD-6208
Shimano 600EX headset, 1 inch (late 1980s)
Shimano 600 frame shift lever
SL-6208