Bridgestone Bicycles catalog 1992 eng.pdf

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Contents

MB-2

HOW TO GET SPONSORED EVEN

IF YOU AREN'T FAMOUS

THE 2 .2 PERCENT SOLUTION

HOW OUR BIKES ARE SPEC'D

MB-3

MB-4

HOW .To BUY A BIKE

AFFILIATIONS AND

BENEFICIARIES

.31

GETTING SIZED AND FITTED

MB-5

MB-6

FAR-FORWARD FRAMES :

FAD OR FASTER?

MANNERS FOR OFF-ROADIES

TOP - MOUNT VS .

UNDERBAR SHIFTERS

BERATING THE RAGS

THE BENEFITS OF A LITTLE

FRAME FLEX

ABOUT OUR ADVERTISING

- 21

FRICTION SHIFTING

IN AN INDEXING WORLD

CHOOSING APPROPRIATE

TECHNOLOGY

MOUSTACHE HANDLEBARS

x0-1

OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS

ON SUSPENSION

GOOD BUSINESS

OR GOOD DESIGN?

x0-2

x0-3

THE QUICK-RELEASE

AND HOW TO USE IT

WONDERFUL WOOL FOR

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

B B-I

IT'S 1992-Do You KNOW

WHAT YOUR Q-FACTOR IS?

CB-I

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF

RECYCLING INNER TUBES

- 42

FORGING AND CASTING

RB-r

A TUBE-JOINING PRIMER

ALTERNATIVE CHAIN

LUBRICATION

RB-2

FRAME GEOMETRY/SPECS 47&48

EIGHTEEN QUESTIONS

MB-I

R B .- T

THE B R I D G E S T O N E BICYCLE CATALOGUE 1 992

The 2ZPercentSolution

THIS YEAR CLOSE TO TEN MILLION BIKES WILL BE SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES. Ofthose, about

2% millionwillbe soldby independent bike dealers;the rest, by mass merchandisers.Thereare7,000

independent bike dealers in the United States; fewer than 400, or 5.7 percent of those dealers sell

BRIDGESTONES . That's eight per state, average. Of the 21/2 million bikes sold by those 7,000

dealerships,just55,ooo-or 2.2 percent-are BRIDGESTONES . We have 29 competitors. So in thebig

picture (the total U.S. bike market), we're microscopic; and in our 3o-team league, we're merely

small. This has advantages .

MOST PEOPLE AS

bike smarts and c

spec'd mostly by

bornness. Here's 1

DECEMBER-JANUARY :

We hear rumors at

ber, and those run

wrongin January,

from parts makers

types, often handn

usually labeled "no

tly, please." Som,

modified existing t

ride them around o

tion parts don't yet

For example, oursmall size allows us to be

which have since become "industry standards."

really particular about our bikes. We're large

Likewise, we carried the torch for round

enough to matter to component makers (and it

chainrings, top-mount shifters, and cantilever

probably doesn't hurt that our parent company,

brakes, even when it was not popular to do so.

BRIDGESTONE CYCLE Co ., LTD., Tokyo, is

These examples are not rare, isolated, and

carefully selected-they .are typical. When we

Japan's largest bicycle manufacturer) ; butwe're

take aminority stance on atechnical

small enough so that our demand

issue, we do so for sensible reasons.

requirements are unlikely to exceed

BRIDGESTONES are, if anything,

our suppliers' capacity-a situation

EARLY FEBRUARY: RESERI

If we haven't resen

factories, we do so

current models, talk

dealer comments, a:

any, we should mak

sensible . We don't claim to sell ex-

thatwould certainly lead to compro-

citement or a lifestyle. Excitement,

mising our specifications.

as youwell know, comesfrom riding;

Though this next pronounce-

L:I.MA

and your purchases shouldn't define

ment mayborder on elitism or snob-

bery, we offer it simply as fact: We

your lifestyle.

A further benefit to our small

don'taspire to sell anyofourbikes to

size is fhat it gives us the freedom to select our

a "typical bike buyer," and our lineup does not

dealers carefully. It's notour policy to give our

LATE FEBRUARY-SARI

We start out ideali

chainrings, painted

high Q-Factors. Aft

clearwhere we have

costly the bike, the 1

We find outwh

posed to what just 1

makers' menus . Par

not to make apart uj

for it; and if we're tl

theymay impose inc(

and delivery schedul

same part everyone e

include "something for everyone." Here again,

sales representatives quotas for opening new

oursmall size allows us to choose the trends we

want to pursue, to disregard theoneswedisdain,

dealerships. Rather, theyhave both thefreedom

and to be different when doing so will make a

and the luxury of seeking out the best dealers

better bike. Having to sell only 1,500 of a par-

in anyarea, which is one reason whythequality

ticularmodel, forinstance, gives us the latitude

of BRIDGESTONE dealerships exceeds, by a

good margin, the industry average. (Two years

to make it special.

ago more than 375 dealers applied for

But this is not to say that BRIDGESTONE

BRIDGESTONE dealerships; we selected 40.)

bikes have limited appeal. We've been accused

The drawback to having so few dealers is that

many times of going our own way, but in all

it's quite possible you'll have to leave town to

instances it's been for practical reasons that, .

more often than not, were ahead of their time.

find one.

We've seen to it that thesebikes are worth

In the arenaofproduction mountain bikes,

the trip. Eachofournewmodels earned itsplace

for example, . the list of BRIDGESTONE "firsts"

in ourlineup, andcompared with otherbikesin

includes two-finger brake levers, sub-17-inch

their use-category, each is without peer. Small

EENY,1

chainstays, 73/71-degree geometry, toe clips,

as we are, we beat the giants. And all others.

narrow handlebars, and racing saddles-all of

THE

B R I D G E S T O N E

BICYCLE

CATALOGUE

1992

How Our Res Are Sped

MOST PEOPLE ASSUME spec'ing bikes requires

the part badlyenough, and we generally do, we

bike smarts and creativity. It doesn't. Bikes are

put up with the restrictions.

spec'd mostly by ricochet, default, and stub-

Special parts made just for us are another

bornness. Here's howit works.

story. Our success depends on timing (handle-

bars require less time than cranks) and our

DECEMBER-JANUARY: RUMORS AND CRUDE PROTOTYPES

relationship with the maker. We generally bat

We hear rumors aboutthe newparts in Decem-

about .650 in this game, but our strikeouts this

ber, and those rumors are confirmed or proved

yearincluded cheaperbar-end shifters;bar-ends

wrong in January, when we get faxes and visits

compatible with 16mm inside-bar diameters;

from parts makers. Then we see crude proto-

low-priced, low-Q - cranks; and, lastly, a left

types, often handmade from wood or clay and

(front) top-mount shifter that downshifts on

usually labeled "no test," meaning "fondle gen=

, the forward stroke. Maybe next year.

tly, please ." Sometimes the prototypes are

modified existing parts, in which case we can

THE E FACTOR

ride them around our parkinglot. The produc-

When the specs are 98 percentfinal, we review

tion parts don't yet exist.

them looking for a reason or excuse someone

might give for not buying a particular model.

Usually it's something unusual about the bike.

Examples this year include bar-end shifters on

the RB-i andtheMoustache Handlebars on our

xO-i and xO-2 . Any obvious, unusual spec

requires more explaining and scares off timid

customers. For this reason, we call these bikes

"high-E bikes," and we seriously consider

EARLY FEBRUARY : RESERYING PRODUCTION TIME AND REYIEW

If we haven't reserved production time in the

factories, we do so now. Then we review the

current models, talk with our sales reps, review

dealer comments, and decide what changes, if

any, we should make.

LATE FEBRUARY-EARLY APRIL:.SPEC'ING THE BIKES

whether the functional advantage is worth the

We start out idealistic, ruling out nonround

marketing risk. Usually it is, and our "high-E

chainrings, painted cranks, and cranks with

bikes" are the ones we're most proud of.

high Q . Factors. After realitysets in, it becomes

Everything aboutspec'ing encourages us to

clearwhere we have to compromise. The more

conform. Spec'ing bikesislike paintingbynum-

costly the bike, the less often we compromise.

ber: There seem to be many choices, but on

We find out what's really available, as op-

closer inspection you discover your limitations.

posed to what just happens to be on the parts

Sometimes getting the bike to turn out the way

makers' menus. Parts makers generally prefer

youwant it to means making up your own rules

not to make apart unless they getlots oforders

and hoping you can pull them off; but time

for it; and if we're the only ones who order it,

restrictions and practicality often don't allow

theymayimpose inconvenient ordering policies

that,andour"first choice" is sometimes theleast

and delivery schedules, to guide us towards the

ofseveral evils. Fortunately, many modern bike

same part everyone else is ordering. Ifwe want

components work pretty well.

EENY, MEENY, MINY, MO/CATCH A TIGER BY THE .TOE/IF HE HOLLERS LET HIM GO/

EENY, MEENY, MINY, MO .

M Y MOTHER TOLD ME TO PICK THE VERY BEST ONE -

THE BRIDGESTONE BICYCLE CATALOGUE 1992

How ToBuyABie

E:s' SHOP FOR A DEALER, NOT A BIKE -- a-A

Manufacturers design and spec the bikesand pick thematerials, then

depend on dealers to assemble this mass of potential into a high-

quality, trouble-free bike. Bikes are unique in this way; the quality of

the ready-to-buy bike ofanygiven modelvaries from dealer to dealer.

The best advice we can give you is to find adealer you like and trust

and who has agood reputation.

BUY SIMPLICITY AND

PAY A LITTLE MORE

GETA COLORYOU CAN LIVE WITH

FROVtf TECHNOLOGY

Simple things have

fewer parts, fewerpotential

problems, are easier to

repair, and give you more

quality per dollar.

First production runs are

notorious for problems.

When in doubt, wait for

the sequel.

The best dealers take

the time to assemble and

adjust your bike properly,

and charge you for it.

A higher price is usually a

good sign. The term "false

economy" was invented for

poorly assembled, heavily

discounted bikes.

Trendy colors

are best for cheap things

you can replace when

fashions change,

or when the color starts

to turn your stomach.

Remember, too,

that a new paintjob costs

at least siio.

A WORD ABOUT PRICES

Up. Lastyear youcouldget adecent, modern, moderatelylightweight,

multi-speed bike for $30o. In a'92 model the same $3oo buys you an

exercise in cost-down materials andmanufacturing methods; ahollow

imagehigh on frills and features, lowin quality. Such abike is fine for

basic utility rides and short commutes-and these are noble, legiti-

mate uses indeed-but it's probably overgadgetized for these pur-

poses, andin any case it is notsuited to hard,long-term, athleticriding.

The least expensive 1992 BRIDGESTONES, our BB-i and x0-3,

typically cost between $38o and $400. We have some leftover CB-i's

from last year, andthey can be had for less. These are good bicycles.

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