Bridgestone City Cruiser begins to take shape
#1
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Bridgestone City Cruiser begins to take shape
So I had to do something, if I wasn't going to buy a new bike. Time to give some attention to my older trusty Bridgestone City Bike, a 1987 CB-1 w/cro-moly frame & fork. The first changes have been made. I took off the original North Road handlebar and installed a cruiser bar. And I replaced the nondescript saddle with a no-name made in Japan 15-20 years ago, leather saddle with springs. A LBS found 3 of them in their warehouse and was selling them for $25 each. They said they had been back there for 15 years or so.
Oh, almost forgot, I put a wood handlebar bell on it. I think it balances nicely with the saddle, which otherwise would have been the only thing brown on the bike.
More changes to come. I think I'll trim an inch or so from each side of the cruiser bars, they are a bit too long. I have some black fenders that I think would be good on it.
Other specs are 26x1.5 city tires, platform pedals, 48/38/28 crank, 14-28t 5-spd cassette, Suntour friction thumb shifters.
It's foggy here today and that messes up the pictures a bit. I just stuck poor Bridgey into the snow and snapped a couple of shots.
Oh, almost forgot, I put a wood handlebar bell on it. I think it balances nicely with the saddle, which otherwise would have been the only thing brown on the bike.
More changes to come. I think I'll trim an inch or so from each side of the cruiser bars, they are a bit too long. I have some black fenders that I think would be good on it.
Other specs are 26x1.5 city tires, platform pedals, 48/38/28 crank, 14-28t 5-spd cassette, Suntour friction thumb shifters.
It's foggy here today and that messes up the pictures a bit. I just stuck poor Bridgey into the snow and snapped a couple of shots.
#2
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
While posting this, I was looking at my pictures and noticed that the saddle was too far forward. Just went out and moved it back about an inch. Ah, much better.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#3
Squirrel
I was just thinking that the cockpit looked very tiny... aren't your arms still out almost to the sides, though?
That's very pretty, Tom. The color looks great in the snow.
EDIT: OK, the more I look at it, the more gigantic the seat and bars look. Is that a really small bike?
That's very pretty, Tom. The color looks great in the snow.
EDIT: OK, the more I look at it, the more gigantic the seat and bars look. Is that a really small bike?
__________________
#4
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
It is a small'ish bike, an 18.5" frame. Top tube is approx 510 mm.
The saddle is a long one, about 11" long. With it moved up, it really does shrink the cockpit in those pics.
The saddle is a long one, about 11" long. With it moved up, it really does shrink the cockpit in those pics.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#5
Time for a change.
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 6 miles inland from the coast of Sussex, in the South East of England
Posts: 19,913
Bikes: Dale MT2000. Bianchi FS920 Kona Explosif. Giant TCR C. Boreas Ignis. Pinarello Fp Uno.
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
4 Posts
Glad you moved the saddle back as on that small a frame- you must be quite hunched up. Put the knobblies on, and a wet suit, and get out in that snow. Looks the ideal bike for control and reminds me of the Cruisers that some of the Kids had when I was younger.
Great looking bike but you have to get it out in the snow for a ride.
Great looking bike but you have to get it out in the snow for a ride.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
#6
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I was appreciating that Bridgestone used good parts in the construction. None of the screws on the handlebar had been turned since 1987. I feared that it would be impossible to remove the brake levers, shifters, and loosen the handlebars. But didn't have the slightest problem.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#7
Squirrel
Ahem... he didn't say he was going to actually RIDE it... in fact, he felt apologetic for sticking it in a snowbank.
How about it Tom...
How about it Tom...
__________________
#8
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Okay, mod1 has been performed.
If you look closely at my first pic, you will see that it has the 1987 seat post on it, with the large clamp. I bought a micro-adjust post for it a few months ago (26.0 mm) but had never put it on. I had to saw it down a couple of inches. So I just did that. It allowed me to move the saddle back even further. Here's the new pic that shows a little more breathing room.
If you look closely at my first pic, you will see that it has the 1987 seat post on it, with the large clamp. I bought a micro-adjust post for it a few months ago (26.0 mm) but had never put it on. I had to saw it down a couple of inches. So I just did that. It allowed me to move the saddle back even further. Here's the new pic that shows a little more breathing room.
#9
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
A short test ride confirmed that it is much more comfy now.
The leather saddle feels more comfy than I expected ... but that's after a 2 minute ride. It feels almost as hard as steel to my hands, but there is more give once my 200+ pounds rest upon it. Unfortunately the saddle is on the narrow side, more like a B17N than a B17.
The leather saddle feels more comfy than I expected ... but that's after a 2 minute ride. It feels almost as hard as steel to my hands, but there is more give once my 200+ pounds rest upon it. Unfortunately the saddle is on the narrow side, more like a B17N than a B17.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
Last edited by Tom Bombadil; 12-22-07 at 02:23 PM.
#10
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I do plan to ride it on occasion, but not in the snow. I had it out 5 or 6 times this past year.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#11
just keep riding
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Milledgeville, Georgia
Posts: 13,560
Bikes: 2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD,2017 Advocate Cycles Seldom Seen Drop Bar, 2017 Niner Jet 9 Alloy, 2015 Zukas custom road, 2003 KHS Milano Tandem, 1986 Nishiki Cadence rigid MTB, 1980ish Fuji S-12S
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 173 Post(s)
Liked 33 Times
in
22 Posts
I'm curious about why you chose those handlebars. My wife's Trek Calypso cruiser has wide upswept handlebars like that. I find them to be absurdly uncomfortable, to the point of ruining an otherwise nice bike. I have been trying to convince her to change them to something with a more downward bend at the ends. The shape of those bars makes for a very unnatural feeling and looking position for the hands and wrists.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
I want to know about the bell. What's its tone sound like? I've looked at those in the catalogue but decided on a brass one for my Bridgestone.
Since you already have a wood bell, a set of those wood fenders would really be cool. They're not cheap however.
Since you already have a wood bell, a set of those wood fenders would really be cool. They're not cheap however.
#13
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
The wood bell has a very dead "thud" sound. As a bell, it is useless. But it looks nice. I got it for $1 on a closeout table.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#14
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I find the hand positions on this bar to be very comfortable. Perhaps a little bit close, as I said above I may take an inch off of them. The sweep angle is excellent, at around 50 degrees. When I sit on the seat and place my hands on the grips, they drop onto them almost perfectly. No twist at the wrist.
I'm not married to them. Got them for $16 and decided to try them out. Goal was to find handlebars that would be very comfortable for 30-60 minutes and put little stress on my bad thumb. These feel like they may meet that goal, but time will tell.
If I want them to go down more at the end, I can pivot the bars in the stem to do so. In the 2nd pic I posted, you can see that they are almost flat at the ends.
I tried a moustache bar at the LBS and my wrists didn't like that sharp near 90 degree sweep at all. Almost instant discomfort.
I'm not married to them. Got them for $16 and decided to try them out. Goal was to find handlebars that would be very comfortable for 30-60 minutes and put little stress on my bad thumb. These feel like they may meet that goal, but time will tell.
If I want them to go down more at the end, I can pivot the bars in the stem to do so. In the 2nd pic I posted, you can see that they are almost flat at the ends.
I tried a moustache bar at the LBS and my wrists didn't like that sharp near 90 degree sweep at all. Almost instant discomfort.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
Last edited by Tom Bombadil; 12-22-07 at 03:50 PM.
#15
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Addendum on the handlebars. Note that I was switching from the original North Road bars, a bar that people switch to for more comfort. They served me well for many years, but in recent years I found my riding position to be too forward leaning with them (even with the stem shown in the pics). The last couple of rides I took on it were quite uncomfortable, and I had a lot of thumb pain.
Is it any wonder why I hate drop bars?
Is it any wonder why I hate drop bars?
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
Last edited by Tom Bombadil; 12-22-07 at 04:15 PM.
#16
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Of course these new handlebars are but a mild variant of the handlebars on my primary bike.
#17
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
That last post reminds me of my 2nd project today. While at the same LBS where I got my handlebars, I found a bargain on a recumbent trainer. They had one that was made for 20" wheels and had been used as a demo back when this LBS sold recumbents. They said it had never gotten much use, and it did look like it was almost new. Almost no wear on the rollers.
List was $250, they let it go for $100. No instruction booklet and I'd never hooked up a trainer before. So that was my 2nd project and it seems to have been successful, after a misstart along the way.
List was $250, they let it go for $100. No instruction booklet and I'd never hooked up a trainer before. So that was my 2nd project and it seems to have been successful, after a misstart along the way.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#18
Squirrel
So you did* get a bike, in kind of a practical sort of way.
__________________
#19
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I got a modified bike, a way to ride my bent in the winter, and spent about 3 hours working on & test riding bikes and trainers. A good day.
That may put off my hankering for a new bike until Monday or so.
That may put off my hankering for a new bike until Monday or so.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
#20
just keep riding
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Milledgeville, Georgia
Posts: 13,560
Bikes: 2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD,2017 Advocate Cycles Seldom Seen Drop Bar, 2017 Niner Jet 9 Alloy, 2015 Zukas custom road, 2003 KHS Milano Tandem, 1986 Nishiki Cadence rigid MTB, 1980ish Fuji S-12S
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 173 Post(s)
Liked 33 Times
in
22 Posts
Don't get me wrong. If the bars are comfortable to you, then whether they are or not to me matters not at all. I'm glad you found something that works for you.
My problem with them is not their height nor width nor how far they sweep back. It is that when mounted in the way I most often see them mounted, the ends of the bars point up so your pinkie fingers are higher than your thumbs. For me, that is a very unnatural and uncomfortable position. I can't even get comfortable with level bars. Every swept back bar I have used I need to have the ends pointing downward slightly, similar to the way your recumbent bars are in the photo above.
Same thing with moustache bars. I often see them mounted level. I have to tilt them down to be comfortable.
My problem with them is not their height nor width nor how far they sweep back. It is that when mounted in the way I most often see them mounted, the ends of the bars point up so your pinkie fingers are higher than your thumbs. For me, that is a very unnatural and uncomfortable position. I can't even get comfortable with level bars. Every swept back bar I have used I need to have the ends pointing downward slightly, similar to the way your recumbent bars are in the photo above.
Same thing with moustache bars. I often see them mounted level. I have to tilt them down to be comfortable.
#21
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Yes, these types of bars are frequently mounted so that the ends sweep up. I too have seen them set up this way on many cruiser bikes. I'll probably try them at a number of angles.
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Woolgoolga NSW Australia
Posts: 275
Bikes: Long Recumbent, Short recombent, racing bike, MTB, beach bike,Tandem,Fixy.2 twentys and a folding bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I like it
I have bars of all sorts on my diferant bikes... from under on my long recumbent to up, out, long, short, down on other bikes.
The Cruiser look... on my mtb [that I use on the fire trails around hear is layed back and comfortable
I have bars of all sorts on my diferant bikes... from under on my long recumbent to up, out, long, short, down on other bikes.
The Cruiser look... on my mtb [that I use on the fire trails around hear is layed back and comfortable
#23
just keep riding
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Milledgeville, Georgia
Posts: 13,560
Bikes: 2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD,2017 Advocate Cycles Seldom Seen Drop Bar, 2017 Niner Jet 9 Alloy, 2015 Zukas custom road, 2003 KHS Milano Tandem, 1986 Nishiki Cadence rigid MTB, 1980ish Fuji S-12S
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 173 Post(s)
Liked 33 Times
in
22 Posts
Just shows to go ya it's not a one-size-fit-all world.
The problem I ran into trying to rotate them to where the angle suited me is that they sweep so far back that a few degrees angled down results in the grips moving several inches down.
The problem I ran into trying to rotate them to where the angle suited me is that they sweep so far back that a few degrees angled down results in the grips moving several inches down.
#24
Pedal pusher...
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 7,766
Bikes: I've got a bunch...
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hey that's a wild seat. I have one, too, and so does our mod Tom Stormcrowe. He told me it was modeled after the Brooks Conquest, a very long saddle design.
I like the shade of blue alot. Is it a rattlecan job?
I like the shade of blue alot. Is it a rattlecan job?
#25
His Brain is Gone!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Standard stock color on the '87 Bridgestone. They called it "Aquatone Blue". Almost a Carolina Blue. It's what caught my eye that day in the summer of '87 in Morgantown, WV.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1987-19.htm
So this knock-off saddle has gotten around, eh? I have no idea if what the salesman told me about it was true.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1987-19.htm
So this knock-off saddle has gotten around, eh? I have no idea if what the salesman told me about it was true.