Still waiting on pedals and seatpost, but I’m impatient to share now that it’s ridable. I love vintage steel, but wanted a modern setup. Best of both world, I hope. Grant Petersen designed no less.
== 1989 Bridgestone RB-1 ==
- Full R7000 105 11 speed mechs, brakes
- Shimano RS100 wheels (because I’m cheap)
- Soma quill stem, Soma Highway One bars
- Calculated 23.4lbs / 10.6kg
Beauty! Spring can’t come soon enough.
What that California bike scene is doing nowadays (the steel frames made at MaxWay) from Rivendell to Sklar, is just beautiful. I personally love the Black Mountain bikes, maybe someday…
Hell yeah friend that’s nice
Hot hot hot hot! 🔥
Shimano RS100 wheels
What’s wrong with them? Strong cup-and-cone, strong alu rim, look good, prolly not to heavy either.
You’re right, they’re not bad. Just the one part I’d splurge on if I had a bit more budget.
Congrats on the resto! It’s great to see your RB-1 assume its “final” form. :D The red on black on red looks sharp.
How much of the eight months was hunting for parts? What challenges were there in your build?
There was definitely some waiting to find parts, as I was seeking 11speed 105 NOS (the crank is 12speed, don’t tell anyone) but mostly I just wasn’t in a hurry. Riding other bikes in the meantime.
Challenges, honestly not many other than finding NOS Shimano parts. Rear hub went in without having to cold set; brakes bolted right on, and sticking with a quill stem the cockpit was easy. I guess getting the special tools to remove and install the headset was a little hiccup. I had never run brake and shift cables/housing, so there was a learning curve there.
Looks very nice! I haven’t done any bike building, But I’ve recently been inspired to learn. Do you mind if I ask, what kind of constraints do you encounter using a vintage frame? Was that a factor in choosing rim brakes? It looks like you have a nice, original fork; but if one were to replace a fork, has head tube design changed over time?
Sure!
Pay attention to “rear dropout” spacing. That’s the distance between each side of the rear stay, where the rear wheel is attached. Older frames are 120-126mm (my bike is 126) where most modern wheels are 130mm. Doesn’t sound like a lot, and with steel bikes it isn’t because the rear stays can flex somewhat. But if you’re trying to fit 130mm hubs in 120mm, it’s going to be a challenge.
Head tube. Yes, older bikes use a 1” threaded standard, where modern bikes have 1 1/8” “threadless”. You’ll be somewhat limited on headset and stem choices, and forks too if you’re replacing those.
Be wary of less standard bottom bracket shells on some older frames; might be a problem when selecting a bottom bracket and crankset. Bike name brands you’ve heard of from USA or Japan should be fine. French probably not, and I don’t know much about Italian.
Those three components should be understood before buying parts.
Rim brakes are mostly a function of mounts on the fork/stays. Older frames/forks won’t have the mounts. Don’t worry, rim brakes can still be good.
Finally, if you don’t have a frame yet, let the maker of steel guide you. Columbus or Reynolds is what you’re looking for. I personality like Reynolds 531 (or 501 if the frame was otherwise cool), or the Columbus equivalent. This refers to the type of steel and how much it weighs. My Bridgestone is Ishiwata 022 steel. I doubt you want to put time and money into a standard chro-moly steel frame.
Speaking of money, it’ll probably cost you more than an equivalent off-the-shelf bike. Have fun.
Be wary of less standard bottom bracket shells on some older frames
This really isn’t the problem it used to be. In the last few years, companies have offered inexpensive square-taper and Hollowtech II bottom brackets for Italian, French, and Swiss threading.
Right now is a great time to be fixing up an obsolete frame, and stocking up on spare parts.
That’s great to know. I was sufficiently scared away from anything other than English threads that I didn’t look too much further into it.
You’re right about it being a golden age. My garage would be filled with frames hanging from the ceiling if my wife would allow. :-)
Also you can use a non-Shimano crankset if you need to uses a BB that isn’t Hollowtech.
This is lots of good detail! Thanks!
