Shimano Tech Seminar: Candy for Trackie

Last Thursday in Portland, Shimano brought their tech seminar national tour to the Northwest. Besides explaining all about the new Dura Ace 7900 and the revolutionary DA 7970 electronic group, Shimano’s Chad Roberts explained the new Shadow-style rear derailleurs for mtb and the new lighter, more versatile Saint group.

Shimano also markets a line of components under the Pro name. Supplying the likes of Hushovd’s Credit Agricole Pro Tour team, they apparently supply champion track sprinter Theo Bos with this awesome carbon track bar and stem.

The bar is a 42cm tradtional pista style bar (wide radius bend starting just outboard of the stem). Personally, I like a narrower width (small rider) with an anatomic bend, which is too bad because the bar just looks so dope with that carbon stem. The stem looks like nothing else, just huge, blocky, and industrial with gold paint graphics that remind me of the phoenix on the hood of a ‘78 Trans Am.

There was no scale on hand, but let me assure you that the bars were light, incredibly so by the standards of steel keirin bars and stems. I am sure that no one is ever going to use steel bars at the top levels of competition anymore. No word yet on price and availability.

My dream would be to roll up for the track races in a Trans Am with a t-top roof and bike rack on top. Wife-beater shirt and ’70s ‘stauche would be mandatory. David Zabrieske would have nothing on me.

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