Bikewright Workshop Project- 1986 Bridgestone MB-1 || Part 2

The 86 MB-1 has been on the shelf for many months and I just started back messing with it. There were a couple of reasons why this project was put on the shelf. One was what did I want to do with Bridgestone. Was it going to be a full-on mountain bike that was original or was it going to be a single-speed or what have you?

The second was the wheels. This has been the biggest issue for me. The spacing for the rear hub is smaller than modern-day spacing (road and MTN). This leads to a lack of hubs. But Paul Component Engineering came out with a fix with the Jono Hub. I figured a nice new set of wheels built with the Jono hub would be nice and could drop some weight off the bike.

But before I drop the cash on new wheels I needed to see what shape the old wheels were in. The wheels that came on the Bridgestone are Araya RM-20 with Suntour Cyclone hubs lace with 14 stainless spokes and brass nipples.

They are covered with years of dirt an old grease. I never had a bike with a freewheel so this is all new to me. I don't have the best pictures in the world but here you go.

Here is a picture of the freehub. The plastic disk still hard as a rock after 20 years...



The freewheel! It looks like a mess but this is not the original one that came on the bike and still has a lot of life left in it.



Lesson learned. On the front and back of the freewheel are bearings. Since old grease turns yellow and dries out and the bearing are loose, there is a good chance they are going all over the floor when you pull the freewheel off the hub. I would also guess there are about 50 of these bearings. But I would not know since I am not sure if I have found them all...

Everything is cleaning up real nice and I think these wheels have many more miles in them. So, for now, I am going to keep what I got. I am going to have to purchase some new bearings and rim tape.

So that's it! Until I get the parts you will just have to wait to see them finished.

Comments

Dan O said…
That Jono hub is pretty cool.

As you've discovered, the Bridgestone spacing is 130mm, not the usual mountain bike 135mm. Bridgestone hung on to the older spacing sizes longer then most. My '91 Bridgestone RB-1 road bike has 126mm rear spacing, very old school.

Since modern road bikes use 130mm spacing, you could use a road hub, though it would be a cassette, not a freewheel.

Freewheels are old school now, though you can still find plenty of new ones online. Search eBay for a bit and you'll score plenty of options. Rivendell also carries new 7 speed freewheels.

Good luck on the build, looking forward to some pictures.
Brian Wright- said…
Dan O I think the spacing is the same on the 86 as your 91 RB-1. But I did write on my paperwork 130mm spacing. So I think I need to go back and check this out again.

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