In 1961, a 3-speed bicycle hub displayed at the New York Toy Show was the catalyst for what would eventually become Shimano American Corporation. The popularity of 20-inch wheeled bikes with hi-rise handle bars fueled a demand for multi-speed hubs and Shimano was producing an affordable and reliable version that caught the attention of the industry. So much so, that by 1965, Yoshizo Shimano, the youngest son of the company founder in Japan, opened an office in New York to get quicker product feedback and to provide technical and warranty assistance to retailers selling bikes equipped with Shimano parts. Though Shimano American has grown from that first modest office staffed by only three people to a full distribution center with sales Read more