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Bridgestone MB-0 Restomod

1991 Bridgestone MB-0

All neighborhoods have that one house where there are stacks of stuff piled in the front yard. On my street, ours is just around the bend, about six houses down. Walking our dog Loly one evening, I noticed a bike frame sitting in the yard of the aforementioned house. Always looking out for a project, I saw that the frame was promising: drop bars, canti brakes... maybe a cross or touring frame? I really couldn't make out any specific details. So, after Loly did her thing, I walked home, making a note to inquire about the bike. A few days later on another walk, the stuff house's owner happened to be out, so I asked him if he would want to sell the frame. He was just holding the frame for someone, so he said he'd get back to me. Next time I saw him, he said I could just have it. Nice. So, a thank you six-pack of Blue Moon later, I brought it home. Turns out, it's a 1991 Bridgestone MB-0!

No surprise for a frame that was sitting in a yard, it was dirty and dinged. But it had some nice bits on it: Nitto Dirt Drop stem and bar, Deore headset, XT cantilever brakes, SR triple crankset. Inspired by this setup, I picked the build direction: dirt drop MTB/touring/gravel rig!

Since I decided on a drop bar MTB build, the Nitto bar and stem were staying. I already had the saddle and a few seat post options, but not much else for the build plan. A visit to Street Level Cycles in Berkeley was in order! I had great luck over a few trips: I sourced an XT triple crankset, rear derailleur and cantilever brakes, Ultegra triple front derailleur, brown Fizik bar tape to match my saddle, Specialized tires and (best find of all) a wheelset built from XT hubs laced to Mavic XM819 rims. Score!

With the frame in super rough shape, I knew I was going to get it sandblasted. I was torn between powder coat and rattle can, but ultimately decided on powder for its durability, speed, and that someone else was doing it. I chose an Olive Drab to go with the brown saddle, tape, and sidewalls for that camping outdoorsy vibe.

For the graphics, I went with updating and simplifying the original design, working it all up in Illustrator. I couldn’t resist going Rasta on the stripes. I then went crazy on the Cricut vinyl cutter to produce the decals. Once applied, I sprayed matte clear coat for protection.

With the condition of the parts as found, I knew that considerable cleaning, stripping, and polishing was on order. The cranks in particular were pretty scratched and gouged. Originally thinking of a more satiny finish, I ultimately went for a maxed-out mirror finish on the components. I really like how the build turned out.