Re: [CR]Another Shimano history question

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot)

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 20:45:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: "David Feldman" <feldmanbike@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Another Shimano history question
To: Grant McLean <Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <D40031E5F7ACD71195BC009027887CFF118D6F@SLSERVER>


As a wrench, I'll say that the 7400 group was such a drastic improvement in material quality--bearing surfaces, brake function, crank forgings--to many of us in the field it seemed like Shimano realizing the need for functional improvement over EX/AX. Probably getting too many requests for AX brake levers got "new" DA aero levers put into production.
David Feldman
Vancouver, USA


--- Grant McLean wrote:


> Tom,
>
> This is another interesting shimano quirk.
>
> The 1980 AX group indeed had aero brake levers, and
> yet when 7400 dura ace
> was introduced, 4 years later, it has conventional
> cable routing option
> only!
>
> Further evolutions of 7400/1 groups are actually
> pictured in the catalog
> with
> AX levers in an inset photograph beside the group!!
> (5 year old levers!)
> until the time when the first widespread aero
> dura-ace brake lever appeared
> as the 7401 in 1986.
>
> Even further "oddness" is that 7400 was also only
> available originally
> as 6 speed, even though 7 speed freewheels were
> widely in use at this time.
>
> So for 7400, generally a group that is remembered as
> being so innovative
> for SIS, actually had rather "old school" features,
> beyond the fact that
> the right hand dt lever tended to go "click" when it
> moved.
>
> I've said this before, I believe this was the case
> because dura ace AX was
> a total and utter failure at retail. Shimano had to
> "regroup", (bad pun)
> and their
> next major design push needed to be in a less
> radical direction to assure
> the world that they had not completely lost their
> minds.
>
> http://dura-ace.shimano.com/publish/content/duraace/en/home/history/7400.htm
> l
>
> Grant McLean
> Toronto.Ca
>
> O \O/
> _< \_ _< _
> (_)>(_) (_)>(_)
>
> Tom Sanders wrote:
> As one who had and liked a Crane derailleur on a
> PX-10 I have been =
> following this discussion of early Dura Ace with
> some interest. Racers =
> seemed to embrace at least the aero brake levers of
> the Shimano AX =
> grouppo rather quickly. How does this tie into the
> Dura Ace line, was =
> it a competitor and was it of similar quality? I
> sure liked the AX =
> levers I had on a vintage bike recently. It was the
> Chris Pauly that =
> Larry Black has now.
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