Welcome to the Future..Shimano AX/Shogun Aero

A few years ago, after reading a Shimano 

AERO dynamics brochure from 1981, 

and ogling a few Cycle magazine adds for the 

Lotus Aero with full Shimano AX Dura Ace group set, 

I was suddenly seized by a strong desire to experience 

for myself, the wonderful future that this aero bike

 and it's wind slicing component set offered us mere mortals

battling the wind on our old fashioned round tubed machines.

From the Shimano AX catalogue, actually not to far off 
what a few pommy TT riders looked like 
on race day in the early eighties.

Anyway, the chances of tying out one of these bikes

of the future seemed pretty remote as I don't believe

there where any importers bringing Japanese Aero bikes

into New Zealand during this initial aero moment.

Then out of nowhere this completely original 

Shogun Aero came my way, suddenly the future

was the present...so to speak.

These early eighties aero bikes were made by a number of 

different Japanese frame builders, it seems that 

tubing manufacturer Tange and Shimano must have worked in

conjunction to give the local builders a lead on the market with

Tange building it's complete Aero tubing set to coincide with

the release of the full group set range of AERO dynamics

components from Shimano.

 1981 Shogun Aero with full (nearly) full

Dura AX group.

In usual Shimano thoroughness, the bottle

and cage are integrated into the package, 

it is little wonder Shimano went on to dominate

the bike component industry with the kind of

money they must have dropped on R/D
during the eighties.

 Shimano seat pin is specific for the Tange Aero tube set.
 Seat cluster was a big disappointment for me, more thought

should have gone into it's finish and execution.

Must be one of the first top mounted gear levers?

Rear derailleur is thing of beauty, 

and works well to.

Very pretty Nitto Crystem blue stem, hidden brake

cables of course.

 Unfortunately bike didn't come with AX brakes,

which is a shame as these calipers are one of 

the highlights of the AX range for me.

Love the Shogun logo.

 Here are some overall shot to give you an feel

of how the aero tubes and components look.

 The bike rides very well, Dura Ace works well, of course.

I know this sounds stupid, but the bike did actually feel..

well aero, it certainly doesn't feel light and aggressive in

the English TT manner, but definitely stiff and pretty quick.

Maybe it could have saved you a second or two over

a relatively flat course, I don't know, but maybe just the 

the morale boost to know you where riding the bike 

of the future in '81, would have made the difference.