Check Sheldon's timeline again. He actually says Dura-Ace goes back to at least 1973, so the brakes could quite easliy be 1975. In fact I remember changing out the Mafac brakes on my Lejeune F-70 to Dura-Ace SP's when I bought it new in 1973 or 1974. As a matter of fact, these weren't even the original Dura-Ace brakes, as the original ones were actually centerpulls which were I believe the first component to be marked Dura-Ace.
I don't believe Shimano made Dura-Ace pedals, and maybe no pedals at all, until at least the late 70's. "All Dura-Ace" bikes usually came KKT (Kyokuto) pedals. KKT was closely aligned with Shimano in the same way MKS was with Sun Tour.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Alfredo Marcantonio <alfredo.marcantonio@btinternet.com> wrote: I must admit to being in awe of people with period correct bicycles. But having spent the weekend, stripping an early Dura Ace groupset from a French 70's road bike, I don't feel quite so inferior.
The bike is like new and I was assured by the old guy who sold it to me that it was just as he had bought it. I am a Campag man and intend to sell the groupset, so with the aim of giving
would-be buyers an accurate description I consulted Mr Sheldon Brown's excellent Dura Ace timeline.
The Crankset is marked AH so is the bottom bracket shaft, and that signifies, August 76. The rear hub is AI, so is one month younger. The front hub is BC which is February 1977, six months younger.
The headset is marked BI which is September 1977. Interestingly , the brakes are both ZJ which I assume means they are October 1975, and pre date the 1976 Dura Ace launch date.
I can't find a mark on the front changer, but the rear changer has CB on the inside of the cage. Which presumably dates it at February 1978.
It all adds up to the fact that bikes aren't always 'born' with contemporary components and whilst this does nothing to detract from the sheer wonderfulness of having 'same year' equipment on a bike,
I now feel a lot better about the rag-tag dating of a lot of my bikes' componentry.
Oddly, the pedals are the one thing that aren't Dura Ace, they are Kyokuto, a very nicely made Campag clone.
Did Shimano launch pedals at the outset? Sheldon Brown' catalogue pics don't seem to show any.
Alfredo Marcantonio
Twickemham, Middlesex