Bike Page > My Bicycles> Bridgestone Comp SS Project

1990 Bridgestone MB-Comp Single Speed Project
(Actually "Comp MB-1 - see below)
S/N - A02XXXX

Note - this bicycle is listed in the Cyclofiend Single Speed Garage

I snagged this bike in near-stock condition for $75 and then pulled the beast apart to create a singlespeed MTB. It had very little use on it, and I didn't really have use for an "old" geared bike. It followed on the heels of the Whitehouse/Schwinn Crosscut project, during which we achieved maximum bike for minimum cash outlay. It was in that frame of mind that this project was pursued.

Everything was in good condition, though somewhat time-neglected. I decided to keep the original tires on it until they were ground to smoothness (the rear on it was a Panaracer Smoke, which wasn't original spec, and the front was a Ritchey Alphabite, which I believe was), in addition to only replacing the minimum needed to single-speed the bicycle. So, I used cogset spacers to shim out the freehub to position the rear cog in line with the inner chainring. The handlebar was '90's racer narrow, so that had to go away. There was a ghastly Avocet saddle involved, but that found its way into the "Trips For Kids" donation bag in favor of a ratty old WTB SST. I figured (correctly) that this would be my foul-weather/winter-months ride, and there was no real point in putting a new saddle on it.

These photos were taken after I began riding again in early 2001. The wrists were healed and the Lantana was blooming. Sorry about the truncated side view, but the camera I used has a sparodic light leak which affected the front. It's only a tire, I realize, but it's nice to have things represented fully.

For the purists who may be frothing at the mouth, I still have the lightly used original XT bits (including thumbshifters), except the 16T cog from the set, which I used for a while before switching over to the BMX cog. I had too much slippage while climbing from the shorter teeth on that, and it did wear noticably during the month I rode on it. It also tended to derail from the cogset very easily on rough trail. Switching to the Shimano BMX 16T cog was a dramatic improvment. The profile on the inside of the cog was compatible with the freehub.

I also figured out pretty quickly that alloy chainring bolts are not the friend of a single speed mountain bike. While cleaning the drivetrain one dropped out of the chainring under the pressure of soapy water and a brush. The others ranged from suspect to torched and were replaced with steel.

Currently running a 36:16, which I curse like Tourette's-inflicted sailor during some climbs, but I think that has more to do with me.... Stock/original XT cantis & levers because there's no reason to kill momentum. Original wheelset with Ritchey rims. Nice old XT crankset. The headset is getting a little crunchy as it headed into the spring of 2001, so we'll see what kind of shape that is in when I pull it apart for spring tuneup. The chain still tends to drop off the chainring periodically, generally when it bobbles across washboard trails (I can recognize the frequency that tends to cause it, and usually am able to predict when it drops), but hopefully a different chain will clear that up. The chainring teeth are a bit worn too, so perhaps a new one will help things a bit.

Overall, it's running very well, and an excellent bike for errands and building strength. There's definitely a different way one rides a singlespeed, which helps nicely when you go back to a geared bicycle.

Parts Added:
A red and black Salsa QR set that I had in the parts box (it went with the paint job.)
Surly Singleator with spring reversed to pull up towards frame. (new)
Profile Maniac Rise bars (new)
Shimano BMX Cog 16T (new)
Sachs chain PC81 (new)
Single chainring bolts (alloy), then sheared all of those in the first month so, Single chainring bolts (steel).
Old WTB SST saddle off of my Stump
Old SPD-M535's that I'd been using on the Sekai.

Back one evening in May 2001, the setting sun caught a recently cleaned bike...   
  You've got to love a lugged fork...

Updates & Changes:
- Lizard skin neoprene chainstay protector. 11/00
- Replaced the M535's with Time Aliums, as using them on the Poprad won me over, particularly in muddy/adverse weather conditions. 3/01
- Replaced fork with a Ritchey Logic unicrown purchased at Recyclery in San Rafael. The original one had split at the threads. ($20) 12/01.
- Finally wore out the Smoke rear tire, so replaced front and rear with WTB Motoraptor 2.1's (kevlar bead). They are definitely lighter than the other tires. 1/02.
- 11/05 - Broke another fork steerer. The front end of the bike felt a bit "loose" coming down a rocky bit of trail, so I whipped out the headset wrenches. But, with one twist, I had that sickening feeling of separating steel. So, I limped home and stripped it apart to find that I had split another fork right at the threads. Four years of reasonably hard use. But - Was it me? Was it the headset? Was it the headtube? Further investigation is warrented.
- 3/06 - After a bit of pleading on the iBob list in November, another member supplied a repainted MB fork with an appropriate steerer tube. I took the headset that came stock with my Quickbeam, had Sunshine Bicycle install it and attach the fork. All good once more. As long as I had things apart, I swapped the silver Ritchey stem for the Salsa one I had in the parts pile. Then I retired the frighteningly worn saddle for a new WTB one. Back up and running once more - photos will probably end up here.

Thoughts & Addendum:
There's a quote I really like from
William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties
which goes something like:
"The handles of a craftsman's tools bespeak an absolute simplicity, the plainest forms affording the greatest range of possibilities for the user's hand. That which is overdesigned, too highly specific, anticipates outcome; the anticipation of outcome guarantees, if not failure, the absence of grace."

(3/7/01) I'll probably end up switching to a stiffer chain when this one wears out. The PC81 is really a nice smooth chain, but probably thinner than it needs to be in the sideplates. This leads to a bit of "whippiness" when going over rocky trails, and may be the cause of some of the chain derailment experiences.

How I dated this frame:
from the Rivendell Bicycles Bridgestone FAQ:

http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/faq/BSfaq.html
"How can I tell what year it was made? The serial number is usually under the bottom bracket shell. If the first letter is A through G, it was made in January through July. The first number following that letter is the last number of the year. If it's a 9, you have to figure out whether it's 1989 or 1999, bearing in mind all the while that Bstone quit exporting to the U.S. in 1994. The other numbers identify the week and day it was made. "

Update: Bridgestone Catalogs Online

12/04 - Well, Merry Christmas! Sheldon Brown now has a full set of Bridgestone Catalog scans on his website, as well as a concise history of Bridgestone. This has accomplished two things. First, I can now positively ID this as a 1990 model (previous year had a different fork). Second, I will have to stop referring to it as an MB-Comp and use the more appropriate "Comp MB-1", as shown in the 1990 catalog...

Current Status:
5/01 - Rideable and used frequently. It's a great bike to ride.

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This page's Last Update: November 18, 2006

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