1981 Lotus (Tsunoda) Super Pro Aero

[ata]

Good luck trying to get those ADB-X bars on a DA AX stem. Anyway, I love the Dura Ace stem family (I've build up a small stash of DA EX stems and DA bars to get me through any mishaps with my pride and joy). But the crystemblue stem is another incredible looking Nitto piece of art and quite ahead of its time. And as a bonus the front looks like a friendly robot salamander. If I just could find some ADB-X bars at a reasonable price. They even remade them to taunt me...

 

[kohl57@yahoo.com]

The front end is wild.... not many frames were fully "aero" like this as it required fillet brazing and it's almost all.... bondo! Must have been extremely labour intensive and these things cost a packet to manufacture. The rumour was that Shimano wanted these to showcase the DA AX series so badly, they sold the component group at cost to keep the retail price of the bike down. Even, they cost US$1200 each and that was at the very top end in 1981 price-wise. But yes, the stem and the 'bars are a matched set... the ADX bars with their flat tops won't work in a conventional stem.