Classic & Vintage - Bridgestone 700 (circa 1985) - what can you tell me?

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Bob Ross
04-26-07, 12:19 PM
I've got a line on a 1985 Bridgestone 700 for sale, going to check it out tomorrow. Wondering if anyone familiar with this bike can give me some idea of what to expect.

Any known problems, or weaknesses? (Or strengths?)

Especially curious as to how compatible it is w/ contemporary components should I ever decide to "upgrade" w/o regard to maintaining vintage status.

Assuming it's in good shape: What sort of riding would it be good for? What sort would it *not* be good for?

Thanks.

GCRyder
04-26-07, 01:00 PM
In case you haven't found it, Sheldon Brown has a Bridgestone page with scans of their catalogs. Here is the 1985 Bridgestone 700 (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1985/pages/07-bridgestone-700.html). You can see for yourself what the components were. Good stuff, mostly. The bike also looks very upgradeable. Brakes are recessed mount, wheels are 700c, the downtube has braze-ons, cable guides are below the bottom bracket, etc. You'd undoubtedly need to spread the rear dropouts for 8-to-10 speed gearing, but that's not much of an issue. The only really "dated" feature that jumps out at me, and would not be update-able, is the fully-housed rear brake cable routed along the top of the top tube. From a functionality standpoint, I like that, but it's not the "modern" standard.