Last fall I found a great deal on a bike that I've wanted to try for quite some time. I did a super quick blog on it, but here's the not-so quick story.
The bike is a 1993 Bridgestone RB-1. For two years Bridgestone made this bike in my size (57.5). The 93 has the fancy Ritchey crown and 130mm rear spacing and ishiwata 22 tubing. There. That's the technical info I cared about. Well, and it's yellow. That matters too.
When I bought this bike I weight about 240 lbs. Big fat dudes in spandex who ride crazy race bikes are referred to as "squids" by some folks. Although I don't (and god help me if I ever do) wear spandex, being a big fat dude on a fancy bike like this is just not something I could bring myself to do even if being a squid didn't do the trick.
So, I made a goal to get to 190 before I rode it, as that seemed like a reasonable weight for me. I finally got within striking distance of that goal in the last couple weeks by hitting just under 200, so I've been riding the RB-1.
It's a lot of fun. There's some new stuff for me going on with how this bike handles that I'm excited to explore and get to know more. It just wants you to lean and dive into corners, none of this long swoopy arc-type cornering. Scary and fun all in one. Like all bikes I end up riding a lot, it encourages you to stand on climbs.
I unwittingly found myself on some barely technical single track today on this bike and a steepish/rocky descent was a rush. Like, that "first time" kind of rush that is so rare in life.
If things align right, I'll be taking the first trip up 395 to Colville this Saturday. If it's not a rainy pissy mess, I'll be on the RB-1.
BTW: the way to loose weight I have found is pretty simple. There's the low-hanging stuff like eating normal amounts of sensible food, drinking tons of water, and moving more. But the clincher for me was: no beer. As in: you get no beer until you hit your goal. That is a motivator.
10 comments:
Are you going to 650Bify it?
"It just wants you to lean and dive into corners, none of this long swoopy arc-type cornering. Scary and fun all in one." Um, yes. For me it always seemed to fight turning, like I'd have to struggle to avoid hitting the guardrail. 650B fixed that.
"Like all bikes I end up riding a lot, it encourages you to stand on climbs." Yes. Of all the bikes I've got, this one "planes" the best for some reason, even more so than a 531 frame of similar size.
I would never say never, but 650b isn't planned for this one.
On my limited time on the bike I'd agree with the assessment that it "fights turning." But it seems to invite dropping/diving into corners, and excels at that. It's the polar opposite in this regard to my Riv Atlantis, which loved to swoop around corners...
As for magic (some call it "planing") my RB-T's are even more magic. This 93, as I think you've pointed out elsewhere Jim, has an oversized top tube which stiffens it up a bit in comparison.
There will be more to come on this as I ride it more.
no beer? how about whiskey?
Locke:
a very occasional (1 a month) Maker's Mart on ice is part of any successful weight loss plan. But that almost goes without saying.
It's lycra. Spandex is so 80's. :-)
That is one of the sharpest looking bikes I've seen in a while.
The colors are right up my alley.
Rock hard, Ride free!!
Me wants the bridgestone.
naha and bryan; thre's a small one on reno craigslist at the moment. $400. a bargain in my book: http://reno.craigslist.org/bik/627023497.html
Nice bike. I just found a red 1989 RB-1, and cleaned it up a bit. I've spent $40 on it so far (including the free bike), for tubes and bar tape and a pedal wrench. I think it is a 57 or 59cm frame, fitting me at 5'11". It felt good on my test ride, but I'm waiting for a non-rainy day to try a longer ride.
My serial number starts with "C9". Does anyone know if that makes it an 89 for sure? It has Suntour GPX components, and one original-looking Wolber rim.
The 700x23 tires are skinny compared to what I'm used to on my Trek MTB, but it is fast on the road.
Ken, nice score.
It's weird, with a serial number starting with C9, that indicates a 1990 model year, but the component/color combo sync's with the 1989 model on sheldon's site: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1989/pages/bridgestone-1989-14.htm
Regardless, it's a great bike and a great deal. If you're used to riding a mtb, then you'll probably have a pretty good time on the RB-1.
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