Uniglide to Hyperglide conversion

[buzz22]

My 80's Throwback build was almost perfect except that the 13-21 uniglide cassette on the back and 42-53 front limited the grade of the hills I could enjoy it on.

In my younger years I'd take on any hill with this combination, now at 50 not so much.
They haven't made uniglide cassettes since the early 90's and if I could find one with a 28 I'd be paying $200 or so for a NOS example.
The difference between uniglide and the current hyperglide cassettes is the splines on the hub.

It's hard to spot in the photo but the uniglide's (top) splines are all the same size, the hyperglide has one spline that's a bit smaller.

In the bottom of this photo you can see where I've filed the tab flat for the smaller spline so that the hyperglide cassette fitted on the uniglide hub.

The other difference between the two types is that the uniglide uses the smallest cog to lock the cassette onto the hub.
I found an older cassette with a 12 tooth small cog so I used this with the new hyperglide cassette which is now 12-28 instead of 11- 28.
A new chain to handle the bigger cassette and job done.
End result- a bike that's more usable and still retains the beautiful Shimano 600 tricolour hubs.

 

[Legs]

See you're rocking the old Biopace chainrings there . Hateful things! Had them on my first road bike, a mid-90s Giant Speeder...

 

[All uphill]

I like your creativity!

I hope that freehub keeps working for you now.

 

[buzz22]

See you're rocking the old Biopace chainrings there . Hateful things! Had them on my first road bike, a mid-90s Giant Speeder...

I don't mind them, although to be honest I can't tell any difference from regular chain rings 😁

 

[buzz22]

I like your creativity!

I hope that freehub keeps working for you now.

I can't take credit for the idea, my local bike mechanic mentioned it was a common fix when they stopped making uniglide.
The other option was modifying a freehub- a lot more work.

 

[midlife]

I think it's a Sheldon Brown fix too

 

[fossyant]

My Dura Ace 7400 is still uniglide. Ive nipped out the Dremmel on a 26 tooth hyperglide sprocket to fit. I'm running 13 x 26 on my Ribble, 600 tricolore, but Mavic wheels so hyperglide. Going to move the Dura Ace to 13 x 26 as its on 13 x 24 at present.

The rear mech won't take a 28 i don't think.

I agree its hard work with a 39 x 24 bottom gear. That extra 2 is just enough. Gone are the days doing Winnats on 42 x 21. Wasn't fun then when I was a racing snake.

 

[fossyant]

I can see your axel is far back in the drop out. That gives you a bit more room. Both my steel bikes have the axel much further forward as I have the adjuster screws in the drop out.

 

[fossyant]

600 but on Mavics with adjuster screws

 

[midlife]

In the garage I've got some odd alloy sort of freewheel / set of cogs made by Regina that I think fit over a uniglide hub, silly expensive money iirc

 

[buzz22]

I can see your axel is far back in the drop out. That gives you a bit more room. Both my steel bikes have the axel much further forward as I have the adjuster screws in the drop out.

Yes, it's all the way back, there's no adjuster screws in there.
With the height of me on the bike I'm happy to have the ever so slightly longer wheelbase.
All my road bikes have 28 as the largest cog now, it makes the transition easier between bikes and I can swap wheels if I need to at a pinch.
26 is a good max size if you can get it in there.

 

[buzz22]

In the garage I've got some odd alloy sort of freewheel / set of cogs made by Regina that I think fit over a uniglide hub, silly expensive money iirc

I shudder at how much money I've wasted over the years on stuff I didn't really need

 

[fossyant]

Yes, it's all the way back, there's no adjuster screws in there.
With the height of me on the bike I'm happy to have the ever so slightly longer wheelbase.
All my road bikes have 28 as the largest cog now, it makes the transition easier between bikes and I can swap wheels if I need to at a pinch.
26 is a good max size if you can get it in there.

I had moved both road bikes to 24T before I busted my spine, but I've lost a bit of fitness since, which I'm working on getting back up, but having ridden MTB for 5 years, I tend to spin more, so the 26T has made the steep stuff a bit more tolerable.

Currently got a bid in on ebay on a new HG 50 13x26 for the bike above, as thats running HG and UG sprockets. Will save the UGs for the Dura Ace bike

 

[buzz22]

I had moved both road bikes to 24T before I busted my spine, but I've lost a bit of fitness since, which I'm working on getting back up, but having ridden MTB for 5 years, I tend to spin more, so the 26T has made the steep stuff a bit more tolerable.

Currently got a bid in on ebay on a new HG 50 13x26 for the bike above, as thats running HG and UG sprockets. Will save the UGs for the Dura Ace bike

I'm doing the same, spinning a bit more than when I was younger.
All the best with getting your fitness up, I imagine it must be a difficult recovery from that injury.
How do you like the Dura Ace? It's always seemed out of reach for me but one day I'll build a bike with it- a goal for the future.

 

[fossyant]

I'm doing the same, spinning a bit more than when I was younger.
All the best with getting your fitness up, I imagine it must be a difficult recovery from that injury.
How do you like the Dura Ace? It's always seemed out of reach for me but one day I'll build a bike with it- a goal for the future.

It's 30 year old Dura Ace.

Compared to similar age 600/Ultegra, is's that bit smoother. Hubs have grease ports etc and just finished better. The calipers are smoother too. It did cost me alot at the time (as it does now) but the old stuff was made to last, rather than be weight weenie prioritised. don't think there was much weight difference back then between 600 and DA, it's just better finished, and smoother.

Oh and the old DA stuff is blooming expensive now on ebay.