On many road bikes from the 70s and 80s you see the Shimano 600 Ex Arabesque group, a beautifully decorated group with plant motifs and I must admit for me it is without doubt the most beautiful group from Shimano and perhaps the most beautiful of all groups I know.
The Shimano 600 Ex group was released by Shimano in 1975, a few years after their best quality group Dura Ace and was to ensure Shimano's international breakthrough in Europe, which was then still dominated by Campagnolo. The components were no longer made of duralumin but of aluminum, which made them very light
Shimano 600 Ex was bewust gekozen niet van dezelfde kwaliteit van de Dura Ace groep die voor het professionele wielrennen was ontwikkeld, maar had een ideale prijs-kwaliteit verhouding en werd aangeprezen zowel voor racefietsen als voor Touring fietsen. In die tijd was de laatste categorie bijna even populair als de gewone racefietsen.
Production of Shimano 600 Ex Arabesque from 1978
A few years later, in 1978, the Shimano 600 Ex Arabesque group was launched, which perfectly matched the numerous handmade frames in Europe. The beautiful ornaments were engraved into the shifters, front and rear derailleur and crankset while the brakes remained the same. Only the finish was adjusted and in addition to the traditional one, an anodized form was now also available.
The anodized version of Shimano 600Ex
The Shimano 600Ex Arabesque group as presented in a 1978 catalog
Also in terms of technology, changes were made such as the hatch-plate mechanism that allowed the rear derailleur to be easily removed without breaking the chain and a cassette with a longer reach than the Dura Ace in combination with a long cage. Ideal for the adventurer.
The headset of the 600 Ex series is also different from the traditional one, with the result that you need a special key, which is to the annoyance of those who want to tinker with their bicycle.
The special headset of the Shimano 600 group
The Shimano 600 Ex Arabesque group remained in production until the mid-1980s when it was replaced by the more modern Italian-flagged Shimano 600, also known as the Shimano 600 tricolore.
The Shimano 600Ex Arabesque group as presented in a 1980 catalog
Imitations by other brands
Because the Shimano Arabesque group was so popular, Shimano's competitors also introduced an imitation of it. Below you can see the versions of SunRace. There was a normal and a black version. For now these are the only 2 I've come across, wondering if any other imitations exist.
Beste,
Ik ben bezig met het opbouwen van een frame en heb hiervoor een shimano 600 groepset gevonden. Nu vroeg ik me af of u weet welke versnellingskabels ik hiervoor nodig zou hebben. Ik ben benieuwd of u nog tips heeft!
Dag Pien,
de versnellingskabels zijn de klassieke die je gewoon in iedere fietswinkel kan vinden
Groetjes Gunther