# gravel bikes and the bridgestone RB-1



## dave66

with all the hoo ha over gravel grinders and adventure bikes, it makes me think of my trusty ol 92 rb-1
it went thru everything, fit up to 32 c tires on a sweet steel frame and had bar end [with friction mode!] shifters 

why oh why did i ever sell it????

i know there are similar rigs out there now, but i would love to see a reboot of this rig 
or perhaps i am just old and nostalgic


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## DaveG

dave66 said:


> with all the hoo ha over gravel grinders and adventure bikes, it makes me think of my trusty ol 92 rb-1
> it went thru everything, fit up to 32 c tires on a sweet steel frame and had bar end [with friction mode!] shifters
> 
> why oh why did i ever sell it????
> 
> i know there are similar rigs out there now, but i would love to see a reboot of this rig
> or perhaps i am just old and nostalgic


If Bridgestone had a smart marketing person that could come up with terms like "gravel bike" or "adventure bike" they would have really sold. But they were just "bikes"


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## robt57

I have run a few 27-1/4 frames as 700C Woods/gravel/adventure, whatever cliche deJour term desired/used. 

I do also have a steel disc custom 'All Road' disc bike that does it all better and for a whole lot more money. ;O

All Road=commuter/woods/crappy surface use with less than race geom longer WB and chainstay/frontcenter machine that will take bigger tires. And it does not have to be a zoot plastic $3500+ bike by any means. But of course can be. 

I used a 90s Steel Trek 930 Hybrid for 10+ years, steel OX frame/fork canti brakes, even as my only single track bike. It fit a 45mm Panaroacer Fire-CX tire. I used it as a 20 mile a day commuter as well with some 28mm ALL Season Contis. After I tried 35mm Pasella and got tires of dragging those up a steep long hill for that trip. 


Even a junker Sirrus AL total trasher Parts is parts 'adventure' I hardly ride my 26er or 28er and should sell them off probably. Guess I like drop bars too much.

80s Bridgestone 400. With Dia-comp center pulls and 700C wheels it took a 35mm CX tire and also got used for 'adventure' use and even club rides with 26mm road tires. It was a touch crotch banging with the CX tires if you got too rambunctious though. Old bikes can be tall, an issue the Trek hybrid did not have even with 45mm tires. 

Those two are gone, but the last retro vintage taint banger I still have is an 80s Panasonic lugged frame. Black crinkle powder coated with also Dia-Comp center pulls and 700C wheels. Those brakes clear 42mm Conti speed rides, no room for mud buildup though... It has 8 speed bar con shifting [as did the Trek 730 and 9s Bridgestone 400], All triples. he Panasonic even has a Soft ride stem out of my parts drawers.

Honestly, the only thing gobs of coin gets you is a lighter taint banger.


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## PMC

Geometry, tire clearance, etc of the old RB1 and Surly Pacer are very similar. The Pacer is another bike that doesn't get any love but is pretty good at doing a lot of things well but not great.


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## BCSaltchucker

It is very ridiculous that 'gravel bike' is seen as a newer trend. Of course it is nothing of the sort. It is practically the oldest kind of bike since the first 'safety bicycle' came out.

And cyclocross supposedly dates back a 100 years too.

Even back 25 years ago my racing buddy and I built up designated gravel bikes. Because there were easily 4x as many quiet empty gravel roads near our midwest town. We called them 'hybrids' because that was the trendy term back then. My buddy had a custom Marinoni 'touring' frame ordered and put on 700x32c rough surface tires, fenders, w bar end shifters. I had some other cheap steelie set up similar (later he had canti brakes brzed on his, then even later on I bought the Marinoni from him and road it another 15 years till I bent the forks).

nowadays you can still buy a touring or Cross bike/frame and set it up to your liking. Things have not changed much at all. (I now use a Ti lynskey cross frame for gravel)


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## dfischer1

The RB-1 is a great gravel bike, even only with 25c tires. Mine's currently doing gravel duty in Santa Fe.


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## DaveG

BCSaltchucker said:


> It is very ridiculous that 'gravel bike' is seen as a newer trend. Of course it is nothing of the sort. It is practically the oldest kind of bike since the first 'safety bicycle' came out.
> 
> And cyclocross supposedly dates back a 100 years too.
> 
> Even back 25 years ago my racing buddy and I built up designated gravel bikes. Because there were easily 4x as many quiet empty gravel roads near our midwest town. We called them 'hybrids' because that was the trendy term back then. My buddy had a custom Marinoni 'touring' frame ordered and put on 700x32c rough surface tires, fenders, w bar end shifters. I had some other cheap steelie set up similar (later he had canti brakes brzed on his, then even later on I bought the Marinoni from him and road it another 15 years till I bent the forks).
> 
> nowadays you can still buy a touring or Cross bike/frame and set it up to your liking. Things have not changed much at all. (I now use a Ti lynskey cross frame for gravel)


Its only a matter of time until some smart marketers realize we need more than one gravel bike. You'll need a specialty bike for loose gravel, one for heavy stone, and one for sand. Maybe 3 different wheel size standards, like with mountain bikes


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## gearloose

DaveG said:


> Its only a matter of time until some smart marketers realize we need more than one gravel bike. You'll need a specialty bike for loose gravel, one for heavy stone, and one for sand. Maybe 3 different wheel size standards, like with mountain bikes


And each one will have a brand new (and different) bottom bracket specifically designed for that service that will fit no other bike.


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## Richard L

Costs more than an RB-1, but if you like lugs and don't want to go custom,

Roadeo

The Roadeo is made by Waterford. Depending on options, there's not much of a price difference between the Roadeo and Waterford's custom lugged frames. You could order the Waterford with RB-1 geometry.

Custom Bicycles from Waterford Precision Cycles


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## dave66

thats a beauty! looks just like my old 92!
i had a campy C record hub rear wheel with a straight block [12-19] on it - sigh...
a classic


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## leond

DaveG said:


> If Bridgestone had a smart marketing person that could come up with terms like "gravel bike" or "adventure bike" they would have really sold. But they were just "bikes"


They did. His name is Grant Peterson. Check out Rivendell bikes.


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## den bakker

dave66 said:


> ...gravel grinders...


Every time that is said, a cyclist gets a flat. 
please think of the cyclists.


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## OldChipper

Gravel bikes and events are the hipsters' new fixie.


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## Peter P.

The difference between a road racing bike and a gravel grinder is merely the ability to fit larger tires. Current road bikes COULD fit much larger tires even with short reach brakes if they placed the rear brake bridge higher. The limiting factor are carbon forks which by necessity need bulkier fork crowns, swallowing up the ability to fit larger tires. An equivalent high end steel fork with a proper fork length can easily fit a 30mm tire.

My Soulcraft Royale is a perfect example: Short reach brakes with the pads at the bottom of the slots, front and rear. I can fit a 32mm tire.


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## Fredrico

Peter P. said:


> The difference between a road racing bike and a gravel grinder is merely the ability to fit larger tires. Current road bikes COULD fit much larger tires even with short reach brakes if they placed the rear brake bridge higher. The limiting factor are carbon forks which by necessity need bulkier fork crowns, swallowing up the ability to fit larger tires. An equivalent high end steel fork with a proper fork length can easily fit a 30mm tire.
> 
> My Soulcraft Royale is a perfect example: Short reach brakes with the pads at the bottom of the slots, front and rear. I can fit a 32mm tire.


I can get a 28C tire on the back of my '84 DeRosa. Plenty of clearance below the flat fork crown. They were great, but tamed the sprightly response of the bike, so quickly went back to 25Cs. 

28C work better on the fendered commuter with lazy relaxed angles. The added weight feels right. It helps the bike glide along in the straight line it wants to.


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