When did Shimano first launch SPD?

[mrkawasaki]

.

I've an article on SPDs from MBA April 1992 which reviews the new range - listing the PD-M737 (Deore XT) and PD-M525 (Deore DX).

Article says they were first in regular use in the USA from 1991, after Look introducing their click in system for the road in 1984.

Mr K

 

[FirstFlight]

I
Problem is there is no evidence to back up the information their and you only seem to put the two top groupsets in.

Everything is straight from Shimano catalogs. I have very little interest in STX and Exage so they are not listed.

 

[gump]

I
Problem is there is no evidence to back up the information their and you only seem to put the two top groupsets in.

Everything is straight from Shimano catalogs. I have very little interest in STX and Exage so they are not listed.

quite right too!

 

[MJN]

As has been said SPDs were in use at the Durango worlds namely used by Tomac and Furtado,there is a youtube clip on here featuring both riders.They became available to the general public late 90,I got mine in 91,DX's arrived later but I can't remember when,never been fused about DX stuff

 

[Cristian-T]

i got mine from halfords in 92', but remember them coming out in 90'.

 

[sq225917]

Had a pair brought back from the US in 91. Still have the spare plastic collars.

 

[FirstFlight]

I've tried to be extremely careful in posting stuff on our web sites so make sure it is as accurate as possible. Most of the web pages have be constructed with the help of the guys who were there at the time. But this was 30 +/- years ago and it can sometimes be tough to nail exact dates down (do you remember what you did 30 years ago?).

Much of our other info is from catalogs and magazines of the era. But catalogs can often be inaccurate and stuff isn't made or changed (vaporware). Magazines often had lead times to deal with and prototype stuff was out for sometimes years in advance. You also get into the calendar year vs. model year quandary. If it was introduced in November of 1990 for the model year 1991, when was it introduced?

 

[Old Ned]

As has been said SPDs were in use at the Durango worlds namely used by Tomac and Furtado,there is a youtube clip on here featuring both riders.They became available to the general public late 90,I got mine in 91,DX's arrived later but I can't remember when,never been fused about DX stuff

I have the Nov/Dec 1990 'Winning' magazine with pics. Furtado definitely on SPd's, Ned and Tim Gould with clips and straps. Ned with yellow plastic ones and Tim with traditional steel ones.

Funny thing is, no pics of Tomac anywhere. :?

 

[PDL]

I bought the October edition of What Mountain Bike yesterday, and that has a review of pedals. The article says that Shimano introduced SPD in 1988, but I'm not sure what their source is, or whether introduced is prototypes rather than on sale.

Really good article about Orange, Hope and Pace in there as well.

 

[FluffyChicken]

PDL, well Microsoft says they where released in 1990, though someone on Wikipedia says they where introduced in 1988 (with no reference to anything)
I believe Mr Shimano used to walk around in the '100' SPD shoes (prototypes I would guess) before that, all over the place to test them they where the grey ones. I think that was covered before the official release, so i guess introduced...
But don't quote me, I was still new to MTB's in 1988 (i.e. just a dream other people road iirc.) and memory is a hunch sort of thing.