Shimano Dura-Ace AX

Kevin Raymond casts his eye over the Japanese firm’s first true innovation

These days, if there’s going to be a significant development in bicycle componentry, you can bet the might of Shimano’s R&D department will be in the thick of it. But it wasn’t always that way. It’s worth remembering that Shimano components were once seen as a low-cost option by most people. The Japanese firm didn’t produce any pro-level components until 1973’s first generation Dura-Ace, and very nice it was too, but it wasn’t a step on from what had gone before.