Few brands in the cycling industry carry the cachet of Shimano. Known by all types of riders from casual to professional, in March 2021, it will have been 100 years since Shozaburo Shimano started the company with only a lathe that was borrowed at the time.
Obliviously, Shimano’s catalog has grown exponentially and has advanced by light years compared to their first product. But that 3.3.3 freewheel set the tone for the next 100 years to come by pushing the limits of what was possible with the manufacturing abilities at the time.
The history of Shimano Dura-Ace dates all the way back to 1973 when it debuted on the bikes of the flandria pro road team from Belgium. In 2021, it will have been more than four years since Dura-Ace’s last refresh – will a new Dura-Ace group be the big product launch to celebrate the Centennial?
We all know that everything old is new again, but this 80’s-tastic video promoting the Shimano Dura-Ace AX group with its revolutionary aerodynamics is a must watch.
Most of the videos uploaded so far focus on road bikes (or fishing reels) but that’s partly because Shimano’s purpose built mountain bike components didn’t really exist until the early 80’s.
Most recently, Shimano released a video focused on the Dura-Ace 7400 series. This group was notable for the option to run either friction or Shimano Index System (SIS) shifting – which seemed to be the key to getting the pro peloton to adopt the technology.
For more on the lead up to the Shimano Centennial, follow the youtube channel as Shimano continues to add new videos in the lead up to March, or check out the Anniversary site below (including their photo contest). Future videos will cover HG Gear, Dual Control Levers, SPD pedals, XTR, Hollowtech II, and Dura-Ace Di2. Only 193 days to go!
