# Bridgestone MB-1 - Best year made?



## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

I'm looking for a 90's MB-1 and would like to know if any year stood out over the others as far as frame or component quality? I missed what I thought was a deal last night on a MB-1 but held back because it had a manitou shock on it that I didn't think was stock. Anyway, any ideas?


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## misterdangerpants (Oct 10, 2007)

I like the 1992 or 1993 MB-1, though I think it's more a personal preference. I also like the 1987 model with the drop bars, though. :thumbsup:


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

87 is by far the coolest with its drop bars, but for me 89 was a favorite as it had the first year 7 speed hyperglide, Koski fork (which was a $200-250 fork) and good quality paint. From what I've seen, from 1990 on the quality of the paint suffered.

Bridgestone was real cutting edge in the 80s and in the 90s they were retro grouches sticking with flimsy (unlike the Koski) rigid forks, thumb shifters, crappy paint and suspension stems... barf.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

My favorites:

#1) I agree with FB on the '89 because of the Koski fork and the 7sp. 
#2) Drop bar '87
#3) '88 - Cool black XT components
#4) '90 - Nice ride (paint was prone to scratching, but the flat gunmetal gray was easy to match for touch up.)

These were the only years I rode / owned, so can not comment on other years.


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## MERK26 (Aug 31, 2009)

I own a `90, but I`d really rather have an `85...


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

I found a pic of a '89 MB-1. Nice. I do like the grey/white paint. Didn't know about the fork. Did anything change reguarding the geometry in the later years?


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## Jak0zilla (May 16, 2010)

High Gear said:


> I found a pic of a '89 MB-1. Nice. I do like the grey/white paint.


I've always loved this paint scheme. If you say to me "close your eyes and picture a Bridgestone MTB" this is what comes into my mind.

A good friend of mine had one of these '89's, brings back lots of memories of great rides.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

High Gear said:


> Did anything change regarding the geometry in the later years?


Not sure, but the info should be in the catalogs. You can check the specs in the catalogs at Sheldon Brown's site:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/index.html#catalogues


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## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

1987:


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Oh man, I totally agree with FB. I have a 91 which I love but I would trade it for a 89 in a heartbeat.


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

*I thought you had every year of every Bridgestone?*



Also agree on '89


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## scooderdude (Sep 27, 2004)

Fillet-brazed said:


> 87 is by far the coolest with its drop bars, but for me 89 was a favorite as it had the first year 7 speed hyperglide, Koski fork (which was a $200-250 fork) and good quality paint. From what I've seen, from 1990 on the quality of the paint suffered.
> 
> Bridgestone was real cutting edge in the 80s and in the 90s they were retro grouches sticking with flimsy (unlike the Koski) rigid forks, thumb shifters, crappy paint and suspension stems... barf.


Nah, come on.... you know you really want an '88.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

scooderdude said:


> Nah, come on.... you know you really want an '88.


haha. I do. I first had an 88, raced it and rode it tons, and then wanted hyperglide since it shifted so nice and than saw the Koski fork and the 7 speed on the 89s and quickly decided to sell the 88 and get the latest and greatest. The 88 with the black cranks like sgltrack noted were really cool. Lots of memories with that bike. Yours is so clean - let me know when you're ready to sell.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

All of them where nice. My favorites:

1987 - drop bar
1989 - Koski fork
1993-1994 - super cool fork crown styled after the early Ritchey crown


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Shayne said:


> Also agree on '89


I've been paring down production bikes.


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## elrancho66 (May 31, 2007)

*93 For Me*



High Gear said:


> I'm looking for a 90's MB-1 and would like to know if any year stood out over the others as far as frame or component quality? I missed what I thought was a deal last night on a MB-1 but held back because it had a manitou shock on it that I didn't think was stock. Anyway, any ideas?


I have had some good times on my 93, but it's the only MB-1 I've owned so can't really say which year was the best,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2 Wheels Good:thumbsup:


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## Linnaeus (May 17, 2009)

I like 1993-4 for the bi-plane fork crown, more modern brake levers vs older years, and still had thumbies.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

sgltrak said:


> Not sure, but the info should be in the catalogs. You can check the specs in the catalogs at Sheldon Brown's site:
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/index.html#catalogues


Thanks! I'll check them out.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

Do you guys think there is any major disadvantage in picking an older bike like the MB-1 over anything thats out there these days? My big thing is that I feel a steel frame and thumb shifters perfected the MTB.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

The obvious one is the trail.


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## Linnaeus (May 17, 2009)

High Gear said:


> Do you guys think there is any major disadvantage in picking an older bike like the MB-1 over anything thats out there these days? My big thing is that I feel a steel frame and thumb shifters perfected the MTB.


Tons of disadvantages. I have a 1992 MB-5 that I love to ride, but I wouldn't give up my full suspension bike as a primary mtn bike. I can ride more of the trail and do it faster on my "modern" disc equipped bike, which is now 10 years old. I do like thumbies a lot, and luckily there are plenty of options for 8, 9, and 10 speed thumbies. IRD and Paul make products for this. There are also a plethora of fine steel bikes made today that can fit modern suspension forks, disc brakes, larger tires, etc. These are all good things.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Well, quite honestly, MB-5s are not that great. You're comparing apples to oranges.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

High Gear said:


> Do you guys think there is any major disadvantage in picking an older bike like the MB-1 over anything thats out there these days? My big thing is that I feel a steel frame and thumb shifters perfected the MTB.


It depends on what you're comparing it to and where you ride. If you are looking at a modern rigid mountain bike to ride, the MB will compare very favorably. However if you're comparing it to a full-suspension bike, there's no comparison - a MB-1 is dated. What do you plan on riding? For commuting, gravel roads, and most non-technical trails, a rigid bike works great. And if you're a good rider, many technical trails are fun on a rigid bike. However if you're looking at bikes to ride on a down-hill mountain bike course, a rigid bike is likely not the best choice.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

laffeaux said:


> It depends on what you're comparing it to and where you ride. If you are looking at a modern rigid mountain bike to ride, the MB will compare very favorably. However if you're comparing it to a full-suspension bike, there's no comparison - a MB-1 is dated. What do you plan on riding? For commuting, gravel roads, and most non-technical trails, a rigid bike works great. And if you're a good rider, many technical trails are fun on a rigid bike. However if you're looking at bikes to ride on a down-hill mountain bike course, a rigid bike is likely not the best choice.


This is going to be for gravel bike trail, around the town scoots and maybe some single track here in Connecticut. Not to mention towing the Burley.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

you'll be fine!


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

girlonbike said:


> you'll be fine!


Cool. I thought so. Plus I'll be riding retro. Maybe more bike than I need, but I like the fact that It will perform well off road too.


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## jabrabu (Aug 2, 2010)

I used to have an MB-0 (zip) from that era. It was a very nice lightweight steel bike, but perhaps too light because I eventually cracked a chainstay and I weighed less than 140 lbs back then. 

Looked like this;


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## screamingbunny (Mar 24, 2004)

*kinda partial to my 94'*

Panel paintjob is a little different. While I ride my 09' Santa Cruz LT2 for most technical and epic rides I spend more time in the saddle of my Stoner' to include single track.


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## Linnaeus (May 17, 2009)

girlonbike said:


> Well, quite honestly, MB-5s are not that great. You're comparing apples to oranges.


My MB-5 has the same frame geometry as the MB-1 of the same model year. The only difference is weight and component spec. Quite frankly, most of this boils down to weight, because there isn't much performance difference b/w the mid level and upper groupsets of this vintage. The riding experience b/w MB-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are all quite translatable. The geometry on all of them is a treat, and it's a testament to Bridgestone that they kept this geometry across the model line and produced such fine riding entry and mid level bikes.


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## da'HOOV (Jan 3, 2009)

*"94 for me*

of course it's the only one I've ridden besides my MB2.....I think what a person has ridden is the deciding factor. Try one out, if you like it , get it...if not move on to the next one. You'll find one thats right.:thumbsup:

( I think the fork on the '94 is from a '93)


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

da'HOOV said:


> of course it's the only one I've ridden besides my MB2.....I think what a person has ridden is the deciding factor. Try one out, if you like it , get it...if not move on to the next one. You'll find one thats right.:thumbsup:


awesome contribution!


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

Just another production mountain bike from Japan...Most of the rest were just as nice. Who did Grant actually source the frames from for the MB-Zips, 1's and 2's? National? Toyo?


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## da'HOOV (Jan 3, 2009)

Fillet-brazed said:


> awesome contribution!


thanx FB, for another tired old comment....and BTW.....did you see that gorgeous stem on BP's bike?


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

gm1230126 said:


> Just another production mountain bike from Japan...Most of the rest were just as nice. Who did Grant actually source the frames from for the MB-Zips, 1's and 2's? National? Toyo?


I'd put my money on Toyo. He has always said he has a long history with them. Who has National built for?


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

jeffWho has National built for?[/QUOTE said:


> Well, let's see...they are owned by Matsushita Appliance whose brand is Panasonic. They have also built for Schwinn, Raleigh, Centurion, Bridgestone, Nishiki to name a few.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

I asked...


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Lugged = Japan. Tig = Taiwan. But yeah, it's just another production bike that will do the job that the OP wanted it for.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

girlonbike said:


> Lugged = Japan. Tig = Taiwan. But yeah, it's just another production bike that will do the job that the OP wanted it for.


Not just another production bike really. Sure the frame was made overseas, but they (Grant) actually put his own thought into the geometry and went way above the norm in how he chose to spec the bikes. Read the 87 catalog and name another Japanese brand that had anything close to the character and uniqueness Grant's bikes had.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

ha! Well, I didn't mean to make them seem quite ordinary. Yeah, Grant did a fantastic job with Bridgestone. I think I'll always keep my MB-1...unless I have to start selling stuff for some reason.

And...zips are nice. They are super light and really fun to ride. Bradbury Manitous also had lots of cracked frames.  It happens.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

da'HOOV said:


> thanx FB, for another tired old comment....and BTW.....did you see that gorgeous stem on BP's bike?


well, unlike your post where you're just picking the one you happen to have out in the pile in the barn, most of us here are choosing our favorites based on something else. I've owned a 90 and a 94 MB-1 (parts bike purchases) and didn't like either as much as some of the other years for various reasons. I've never had an 87, but I think it's by far the coolest of them all... Just sayin.

I'm not sure what stem you're talking about.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

girlonbike said:


> ha! Well, I didn't mean to make them seem quite ordinary. Yeah, Grant did a fantastic job with Bridgestone. I think I'll always keep my MB-1...unless I have to start selling stuff for some reason.
> 
> And...zips are nice. They are super light and really fun to ride. Bradbury Manitous also had lots of cracked frames.  It happens.




Wasn't necessarily directed at you, someone said this earlier in the thread (GM9485345), yours was just closer when I hit respond.


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

Toyo is a small shop and I'd doubt even back then it could handle a really large volume. National, on the other hand could crank them out easily.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

I'm pretty sure that Bridgestone build their own bicycle frames. Bridgestone USA, which is what most of us are familiar with, was small and produced a relatively small number of frames. However, Bridgestone of Japan (Bridgestone USA's parent) is a huge company that builds many bikes for the Asian market which is by far larger than the US market.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> I'm pretty sure that Bridgestone build their own bicycle frames. Bridgestone USA, which is what most of us are familiar with, was small and produced a relatively small number of frames. However, Bridgestone of Japan (Bridgestone USA's parent) is a huge company that builds many bikes for the Asian market which is by far larger than the US market.


yeah, probably so. They may have used National though, if not in house...


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

Oh, duh! 
Indeed, Bridgestone Japan is huge and still makes plenty of high end bikes for the Japanese market under the Anchor brand.


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## mechagouki (Nov 30, 2007)

Bridgestone fans in Toronto are probably considering this very question just at the moment, mmmmmmm mustache bars!


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

Fillet-brazed said:


> Not just another production bike really. Sure the frame was made overseas, but they (Grant) actually put his own thought into the geometry and went way above the norm in how he chose to spec the bikes. Read the 87 catalog and name another Japanese brand that had anything close to the character and uniqueness Grant's bikes had.


In a world full of shops with vehicles with two wheels ...he, Grant, was trying to be different, unique and set himself apart from the masses. I can think of a number of high end 87 bikes that were just as unique and also production bikes. Regarding the catalogs...Marketing 101, he was just trying to educate his customers enough to make a decision. I really doubt that Grant threw himself into Bridgestone any harder than any of the other product brand managers in the industry at the time.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

gm1230126 said:


> I can think of a number of high end 87 bikes that were just as unique and also production bikes.


like......?



gm1230126 said:


> Regarding the catalogs...Marketing 101, he was just trying to educate his customers enough to make a decision. I really doubt that Grant threw himself into Bridgestone any harder than any of the other product brand managers in the industry at the time.


Do you have any examples of brand managers that did things like Grant? I'm not talking about things like adding a third, many might say gratuitous, triangle to a frame either.


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

Marketing 101, that's why Bridgestone's catalogues were the same as all the others....


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

This is actually the page I was thinking about when I said read the 87 catalog, but it's actually from 88. Left a lasting impression on me as a kid. Pretty cool:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1988/pages/bridgestone-1988-10.htm


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

Fillet-brazed said:


> 87 is by far the coolest with its drop bars, but for me 89 was a favorite as it had the first year 7 speed hyperglide, Koski fork (which was a $200-250 fork) and good quality paint. From what I've seen, from 1990 on the quality of the paint suffered.
> 
> Bridgestone was real cutting edge in the 80s and in the 90s they were retro grouches sticking with flimsy (unlike the Koski) rigid forks, thumb shifters, crappy paint and suspension stems... barf.


I have two questions please;

1. How does the Koski fork effect ride/ handling when compared to the Ritchey Logic fork?

2.Does the rear stay style that attaches to the side of the seat tube change handling or ride/ stiffness when comparing to the later models with fastback stays.


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## rallyrcr (May 5, 2010)

I had an '88 MB-2, blue with black components. ran the crap out of that bike. got a '92 MB-1 that I still have in the shed. rode it a few yrs ago on the 5 boros ride in nyc. with the race wheels that I built it weighed in at 20.5 lbs.


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

Posted by Mr Kelly on RBUK:


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

jabrabu said:


> I used to have an MB-0 (zip) from that era. It was a very nice lightweight steel bike, but perhaps too light because I eventually cracked a chainstay and I weighed less than 140 lbs back then.
> 
> Looked like this;


There is all sorts of everything just wrong about this bike....


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

~martini~ said:


> There is all sorts of everything just wrong about this bike....


LOL!

Well the frame is stock anyways


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Fred Smedley said:


> I have two questions please;
> 
> 1. How does the Koski fork effect ride/ handling when compared to the Ritchey Logic fork?
> 
> 2.Does the rear stay style that attaches to the side of the seat tube change handling or ride/ stiffness when comparing to the later models with fastback stays.


The standard '80s fork starts off at 1" OD (outside diameter) at the crown and tapers down to a spindly 1/2" OD. The offset comes at the bottom 4-5" or so of the fork blade. The Koski blade goes from 1" to 3/4" (50% larger) with a partially enclosed, plug-in dropout to further stiffen things up. The offset on the Koski also comes from a much larger radius that starts closer to the top of the fork near the crown. The Logic fork is stiffer than your standard fork with a 5/8" blade at the dropout and also has a larger radius bend almost like the Koski. I should also mention that the Koski also came in a straight bladed version.

As for the ride of these, for casual, non-aggressive riding the standard forks might have a more supple feel. For aggressive stuff, the stiffer blades pay off with better "damping", less shutter, and vibration.

Regarding the stay attachment, I don't think anyone could feasibly tell a difference between the two. Maybe on paper the earlier ones could be a little stiffer laterally since it's a wider attachment point.. Hard to say unless you tested it in a lab I'd guess.


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## da'HOOV (Jan 3, 2009)

*see post #9....*

duplicate... but it still looks good..



yo-Nate-y said:


> Posted by Mr Kelly on RBUK:


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

Fillet-brazed said:


> The standard '80s fork starts off at 1" OD (outside diameter) at the crown and tapers down to a spindly 1/2" OD. The offset comes at the bottom 4-5" or so of the fork blade. The Koski blade goes from 1" to 3/4" (50% larger) with a partially enclosed, plug-in dropout to further stiffen things up. The offset on the Koski also comes from a much larger radius that starts closer to the top of the fork near the crown. The Logic fork is stiffer than your standard fork with a 5/8" blade at the dropout and also has a larger radius bend almost like the Koski. I should also mention that the Koski also came in a straight bladed version.
> 
> As for the ride of these, for casual, non-aggressive riding the standard forks might have a more supple feel. For aggressive stuff, the stiffer blades pay off with better "damping", less shutter, and vibration.
> 
> Regarding the stay attachment, I don't think anyone could feasibly tell a difference between the two. Maybe on paper the earlier ones could be a little stiffer laterally since it's a wider attachment point.. Hard to say unless you tested it in a lab I'd guess.


Most important, the Koski forks look better.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

IF52 said:


> Most important, the Koski forks look better.


that too.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

rallyrcr said:


> I had an '88 MB-2, blue with black components. ran the crap out of that bike. got a '92 MB-1 that I still have in the shed. rode it a few yrs ago on the 5 boros ride in nyc. with the race wheels that I built it weighed in at 20.5 lbs.


If it's a 55cm, sell it to me.


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## Schmitty (Sep 7, 2008)

Bridgestone branded bikes are still made, and they are sick. Not sure if it's just an Asian market thing or what.

All the US 'Stones broke if ridden much.

-Schmitty-


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

http://www.anchor-bikes.com/bikes/bike_index.html

At least a couple years ago they were still doing custom/made to order bikes under the Bridgestone brand name too. All the production stuff goes by "Anchor" these days though.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Bridgestone never went away. It was "Bridgestone USA" that went out of business. Grant Peterson is strongly associated with the US company which sold bikes form about 1986 until 1994. The bikes made during that time were specially designed and market within the US.

Prior to that Bridgestone (not Bridgestone USA) had sold bikes in the US for several years. The model names seemed to be mostly named after stars (celestial, not Hollywood), and were the same bikes offered in other countries. In an effort to gain a larger market share in the US, "Bridgestone USA" was created and the RB and MB bikes series were made for sale in the US. The economic turmoil of the early-1990's put an end to Bridgestone USA, and to all Bridgestones sold in the US. However the parent company still exists and sells bikes outside of the US.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> The economic turmoil of the early-1990's put an end to Bridgestone USA, and to all Bridgestones sold in the US.


Although some would argue the reason for their demise was more that mountain bikes moved on and Grant stayed with rigid forks, thumb shifters (which are now somewhat desirable again), and flex stems...


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Fillet-brazed said:


> Although some would argue the reason for their demise was more that mountain bikes moved on and Grant stayed with rigid forks, thumb shifters (which are now somewhat desirable again), and flex stems...


Yeah, that may have been another contributing factor toward declining sales. However, even if they'd produced a cutting-edge bike, the price would have needed to be higher than much of their competition's price due to the economic issues. SunTour ceased to exist at the same time due to the same crisis. But yes, Bridgestone, being much bigger than SunTour, may have been more interested in weathering the storm if the sales volumes had been higher.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> Yeah, that may have been another contributing factor toward declining sales. However, even if they'd produced a cutting-edge bike, the price would have needed to be higher than much of their competition's price due to the economic issues. SunTour ceased to exist at the same time due to the same crisis. But yes, Bridgestone, being much bigger than SunTour, may have been more interested in weathering the storm if the sales volumes had been higher.


...and Suntour was also doing terribly in the market place at that time...


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

Fillet-brazed said:


> ...and Suntour was also doing terribly in the market place at that time...


What is the Suntour that is out there now? Is it just a revival of the name?


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## mechagouki (Nov 30, 2007)

High Gear said:


> What is the Suntour that is out there now? Is it just a revival of the name?


I really like this article: Sunset for Suntour

That will answer your question, but if you don't want to read the article the quick answer is that the current Suntour is Suntour in name alone - a Chinese parts company now owns the rights to the name.


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

Fillet-brazed said:


> ...and Suntour was also doing terribly in the market place at that time...


Obviously, Shimano is (and was) a Japanese company and would have faced the same market and economic conditions, yet they thrived when Suntour failed. Did either company build a lot more parts outside Japan or otherwise minimize exposure to the yen, or did Shimano survive largely by being more in tune with the market? I know they're also in fishing and golf, but my impression is that they're not huge in those industries (?).


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

cegrover said:


> Obviously, Shimano is (and was) a Japanese company and would have faced the same market and economic conditions, yet they thrived when Suntour failed. Did either company build a lot more parts outside Japan or otherwise minimize exposure to the yen, or did Shimano survive largely by being more in tune with the market? I know they're also in fishing and golf, but my impression is that they're not huge in those industries (?).


There's probably a lot more to it, but Shimano had moved production to Taiwan and SunTour was still in Japan. However, as FB pointed out, if your business is already in trouble, a financial crisis may only be the straw that broke the camel's back.


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

Fillet-brazed said:


> The standard '80s fork starts off at 1" OD (outside diameter) at the crown and tapers down to a spindly 1/2" OD. The offset comes at the bottom 4-5" or so of the fork blade. The Koski blade goes from 1" to 3/4" (50% larger) with a partially enclosed, plug-in dropout to further stiffen things up. The offset on the Koski also comes from a much larger radius that starts closer to the top of the fork near the crown. The Logic fork is stiffer than your standard fork with a 5/8" blade at the dropout and also has a larger radius bend almost like the Koski. I should also mention that the Koski also came in a straight bladed version.
> 
> As for the ride of these, for casual, non-aggressive riding the standard forks might have a more supple feel. For aggressive stuff, the stiffer blades pay off with better "damping", less shutter, and vibration.
> 
> Regarding the stay attachment, I don't think anyone could feasibly tell a difference between the two. Maybe on paper the earlier ones could be a little stiffer laterally since it's a wider attachment point.. Hard to say unless you tested it in a lab I'd guess.


Great information, thanks, I found a little interesting background information on the Koski fork . http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=460974&highlight=Koski


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Fred Smedley said:


> Great information, thanks, I found a little interesting background information on the Koski fork . http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=460974&highlight=Koski


yeah, neat article. I happen to have one of those mentioned that Steve Potts made. It's got a Type II crown with the Koski blades. Never have seen another.


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

laffeaux said:


> There's probably a lot more to it, but Shimano had moved production to Taiwan and SunTour was still in Japan. However, as FB pointed out, if your business is already in trouble, a financial crisis may only be the straw that broke the camel's back.


Good point - always a combination of factors and similar to the auto industry (among others) in recent years. I wonder if anyone proposed having the Japanese government take a majority stake in the company and split it into the "good Suntour" and the "bad Suntour" at the expense of taxpayers and bond holders? :thumbsup:


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

cegrover said:


> Obviously, Shimano is (and was) a Japanese company and would have faced the same market and economic conditions, yet they thrived when Suntour failed. Did either company build a lot more parts outside Japan or otherwise minimize exposure to the yen, or did Shimano survive largely by being more in tune with the market? I know they're also in fishing and golf, but my impression is that they're not huge in those industries (?).


Shimano is pretty big in the fishing industry. They make some of the nicest reels on the market. I know a few guys who are tournament billfishermen who won't use anything else.


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

And Japan is a big market for fishing stuff as well. Even if the yen was screwing them over for exports to the US, Shimano had a lot more to fall back on domestically than Suntour did.


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

Shimano has also been cold forging parts for the automotive industry since the early ninties.


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

For real?


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## rallyrcr (May 5, 2010)

High Gear said:


> If it's a 55cm, sell it to me.


49cm... sorry


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Great thread.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

Finding a 55cm is like looking for hens teeth.


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## finger51 (Jul 21, 2006)

I'm pretty happy committing blasphemy (linear brakes?! Threadless headset!? single speed?!) on my 1992- The pearl tusk paint is holding up nicely. I haven't weighed it but I'd guess it's around 22 or 23 pounds. Easily the funnest bike I own.


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## finger51 (Jul 21, 2006)

doublepostate


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)




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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Schweet!


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

Fillet-brazed said:


>


That is a picture of beauty.


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## wv_bob (Sep 12, 2005)

Do these old Bridgestones hold a fat tire in the back? The old Bianchi I use as a singlespeed barely fits a 1.95, so I'm interested in finding a replacement that would do at least a 2.1 with room for some mud. I've seen a lot of MB-?s come up for sale, but I don't want to spend money on one if it won't help my situation.


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2010)

*87 Drop Bar on CL*

Who scored the 87 Bridgestone drop bar that was listed on CL [ SF Bay Area] a few weeks back, somebody here I hope?


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## scooderdude (Sep 27, 2004)

'88


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

vw bob, I run modern tires on my 92 and has a 2.1 on the rear and front.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

scooderdude said:


> '88


so clean and so stock. let me know when you're ready.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Couple of old scans of 2 of my MB-1s when they were new. One of the 1988 the day I built it in spring of 1988, and one in spring of 1989 with both my 1989 and my 1989 on the pick up.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

scooderdude said:


> '88


That bike is what I'm dreaming of.


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## gruppe_a (Oct 18, 2006)

*MB-1 love*

Love the old MB-1's. Don't get to ride my '87 very often... it's semi-retired up in Alaska:








Original owner must have ditched the drop bars. I don't miss them.

Picked up an '89 recently for a decent price:








Needs some paint work & a rebuild on the RS-1, otherwise it's solid.

And before that I picked up an injured '90:
















It's a decent frame aside from that chainstay... think it's worth fixing? Who wants it?


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## Linnaeus (May 17, 2009)

I'd say it's worth fixing. If you don't want it but want to see it get used, I'd offer it to Anthony Maietta of Maietta cycles; I saw that he recently fixed up his father's MB frame to keep it going and he obviously appreciates that these bikes are special. (I would take it and fix it, but it's way too small for me).


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## gruppe_a (Oct 18, 2006)

Cool, maybe I'll float him an email. I don't really care what I get for it, but it'd be nice to see it back on the road!


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## kiwisimon (Oct 31, 2006)

Fillet-brazed said:


> yeah, probably so. They may have used National though, if not in house...


I worked in the factory that made the MB-1s. They were made by Bridgestone in Japan, as were all the Bridgestone bikes. Grant went to Toyo after BS pulled out of the US market to continue his niche marketing with Rivendell. Now BS carbon frames are sourced out to Taiwanese makers. Steel / Alloy Racing bikes and steel Keirin frames are still made in house. I had a 94 like Da'hoov's but with matching color fork. Got it for free from the factory to test ride. We also were racing the XO bike with moustache bars in 93. Never liked the STI shifer set up on those things but one of the national team road riders, Ex Olympian, put in some really fast laps on one. This thread brings back the memories.


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

kiwisimon said:


> I worked in the factory that made the MB-1s. They were made by Bridgestone in Japan


Your reply is all encompassing and they were made in more that one factory over the years.


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## Luther (Aug 29, 2004)

Let me say that I have owned several Bridgestones and I currently own a 1991 mb2. I have owned a 1987 MB1 and if I could have one back that would be the one. It is a very unique bike. I also love the 1992-4 MB1. That would be my pick for a rider (or maybe a 1993 MB2)

That aside, I just picked up a 1991 Fuji Professional (their highest end steel bike) and it is a very sweet bike as well and the geometry is extremely similar to the Bridgestones. Prestige tubing and it has a lot of design touches that make it maybe nicer than the Bridgestone. If it were my size, I would keep it but I bought it for the parts. I think these guys simply didn't market as well.


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## kiwisimon (Oct 31, 2006)

gm1230126 said:


> Your reply is all encompassing and they were made in more that one factory over the years.


Yes you're right, I should have limited my generality to lugged frames and with the caveat "as far as I know". The tig'ed frames were I think welded up in Taiwan.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

I'm still looking. Anyone see a 55cm, PM me.


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## Luther (Aug 29, 2004)

High Gear said:


> I'm still looking. Anyone see a 55cm, PM me.


I have actually run across several 55's over the years. I even bought a 55cm MB2 because I thought it was a 52. 2 weeks later I found a 52and picked it up too. I may know where a 55cm MB-0 is if you are interested. I didn't buy it because, again, I like teh 52cm for myself.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

Luther said:


> I have actually run across several 55's over the years. I even bought a 55cm MB2 because I thought it was a 52. 2 weeks later I found a 52and picked it up too. I may know where a 55cm MB-0 is if you are interested. I didn't buy it because, again, I like teh 52cm for myself.


I want to stay away from the Zip's. From what I read, the frames are prone to cracking. I would love to find an '89 or '90 MB-1. I'll wait. It may take some time. But PM me if you see something in good to excellemt condition.


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## cyclesoflife (Apr 4, 2004)

*I am also interested in a 55 cm MB1*

though I am particularly interested in a 92-94 edition.

If you are interested in a 21" 1986 MB2 that the owner claims has never been ridden offroad, and looks it from the pics of it I have seen, PM me and I will point you to it.


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## TaTaToothy (Sep 3, 2010)

I owned a 55cm '91 Zip and '91 MB-3, both of which I bought new. I got the Zip on closeout from Bridgestone after they announced they were closing up shop in 1994 or so - they had a bunch of them in a warehouse and sold them for $535 to shop employees (of which I was one at the time). The Zip was a great bike and survived a lot of abuse at my hands. I never found it unduly fragile, though it got a giant dent in the top tube from my bar end once when I laid it down. I ultimately stripped the parts to put on my Serotta ATi and sold the frame/BB to my roommate (who also had a Zip) for $50. Actually the front Mavic hub and front thumbshifter were on the Serotta for many years, until it was stolen out of my garage a couple of years ago (the rear was an 8-speed XT RF+ to match my Shimano rear drivetrain.

My MB-3 was my first mountain bike, and by the time I got rid of it, that thing was beat to hell, but it withstood thousands of miles of riding over all sorts of terrain. I had a first-gen Answer Manitou fork on it for most of its service life.


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## muddybuddy (Jan 31, 2007)

:d.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

good offer.  read the stickies and get an ad in the classified section here: Login - Buy and Sell and Review Mountain Bikes and Accessories only $2 and a great deal.


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## MtBMaMa (Aug 23, 2012)

*classified problem*

I'm trying to list my MB-1 in the classified and twice now it appeared to submitt but just took me back to the page. I don't see it listed under My Ad's. any suggestions?


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

MtBMaMa said:


> I'm trying to list my MB-1 in the classified and twice now it appeared to submitt but just took me back to the page. I don't see it listed under My Ad's. any suggestions?


You may need 10 posts to post an ad. Try going to the test forum posted below, get to ten and then try again? Sorry it's not the easiest thing to do having done so myself but I'm pretty sure you'll be successful. Thanks mtb mama!

test forum - Mtbr Forums

Oh! One other thing: Make sure your images aren't too big (195k in file size or smaller, 1024 pixels wide or tall or less)


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## MtBMaMa (Aug 23, 2012)

thanks, my pics may have been too big so I'll check on that, and check your test.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

MtBMaMa said:


> thanks, my pics may have been too big so I'll check on that, and check your test.


Digging around other people with issues, I'm leaning with the resizing picture solution.

Thanks!


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## djmuff (Sep 8, 2004)

How did I miss this thread when it was fresh? I'm leaning towards the '89 MB-1 as my favorite too. Especially since I just picked up another one, in my size, and without a top tube dent. Here's the first '89 I picked up, which I posted a few years ago. This is what a 21"/55cm MB-1 looks like.


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## High Gear (Oct 13, 2007)

djmuff said:


> How did I miss this thread when it was fresh? I'm leaning towards the '89 MB-1 as my favorite too. Especially since I just picked up another one, in my size, and without a top tube dent. Here's the first '89 I picked up, which I posted a few years ago. This is what a 21"/55cm MB-1 looks like.
> 
> View attachment 719106


Nice!


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## MtBMaMa (Aug 23, 2012)

*'94. Mb-1 still available*

Check out the classifieds. My 1995 MB-1 is still for sell! Great ride!


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## HeHateMe444 (May 4, 2017)

I've thought about selling my '87 MB-1 several times to make room for newer rides, but every time I get close to the edge I quickly scramble away. It's just too cool. I love it.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

HeHateMe444 said:


> I've thought about selling my '87 MB-1 several times to make room for newer rides, but every time I get close to the edge I quickly scramble away. It's just too cool. I love it.


That is probably the coolest year of them all. Don't let it go.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

sgltrak said:


> That is probably the coolest year of them all. Don't let it go.


That's the one with the drop bars, eh? I'm also a fan of the 89.


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

I like 1990, 91, 92 because i was crazy about buying one then but i had to ship it from the states and it was easier to just buy something from the LBS.


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## HeHateMe444 (May 4, 2017)

Yes, '87 is the one with the drops. And although I still have the original bars, mine is currently sporting Casey's Crazy Bars.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

I've owned several different MB-1s over the years. I ultimately settled on a '94, the final year. I put a lot of miles on an '87 and really enjoyed the drop bars, but ultimately the late model fork with the "best looking crown ever" won out. I like the color of he '94 MB-1 a lot, but the paint tends to fall off if you look at it.

This is my current MB-1. It's a bit of a beater, but it gets me around the neighborhood well enough.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

This was posted by Garro at Coconino nearly a year ago. I suppose I could've posted this in the retro/modern thread. Check out number 6

Thinking about resolutions bike wise:
1: No BB shells under 73mm again unless a NOS unit is supplied and made for appropriate width tires of the era.
2: No OLD's of under 135 except special cases (see #1) 
3: I will make bikes with rear spacing of 135mm and Boost 148mm with appropriate cranks 
4: 440 ATC on rigid forks max
5: No curved blade forks with discs - just no. 
6: Make a run of rigid MTB's along the lines of the MB-1 with lugged forks, 1.125" top tubes, 1.25" down tubes and rim brakes 
7: Mountain Cruisers = YES
8: Frames & forks will be priced "No Paint" but I can facilitate paint, but 1st I'll be PIF on my frame work & you pay the painter - I'll still be glad to built it for you if you choose. 
9: I'll lace wheels for people again separate of bike purchases as I have made time for that. 
10: Fully rigid bikes will be made with a 1.125" head tube, as they should be.
11: Modern MTB parts and road parts shall not mix.
12: Rigid forks shall be 9mm QR
13: Rigid forks with frames only.
14: I build for 120mm travel forks max. 
15: I build for 3.0" tires max.
16: NO BUILD QUEUE - one bike at a time.
17: NO DEPOSITS - one bike at a time.
18: All shipping of anything to anywhere paid by client.
More later as I jell my "new" business model, as after the next bike, I have no orders here at Coconino Cycles for the 1st time in 14 years.


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

Vader said:


> This was posted by Garro at Coconino nearly a year ago. I suppose I could've posted this in the retro/modern thread. Check out number 6
> 
> Thinking about resolutions bike wise:
> 1: No BB shells under 73mm again unless a NOS unit is supplied and made for appropriate width tires of the era.
> ...


Yeah!


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

girlonbike said:


> That's the one with the drop bars, eh? I'm also a fan of the 89.


I had 2 different '89s over the years and really liked them, too. I still have a Koski fork from one of those '89s hanging in my shop just waiting for the right project.


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