Our Reader’s Rig of the week comes from Kevin in Berlin, who offers a look at the late ’80s Bridgestone MB-5 he bought for 50 euros and slowly rebuilt into a budget tourer with a thoughtful mix of parts. Learn more about Kevin and his elegant 26er here…

Words by Kevin Chow, photos by Tal Chodos

Howdy all, I’m Kevin and I live in Berlin, but I’m originally from Colorado. At the beginning of the year, I bought this Bridgestone MB-5 for a cool 50 bucks from a guy in my neighborhood. I’ve been pulled into the orbit of Grant Peterson/Rivendell and Bridgestone bikes for a while now and wanted to build a bike that explores some of his preferences in parts and aesthetic choices.

1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer

The build is a hodgepodge of some XTR parts I’d been collecting, including a rapid-rise M951 rear mech and some M900 cantilevers. The rest came together quickly, and I’m happy to report that only the bottom bracket, brake levers, and stem are new parts. The rest I bought used. I put it all together at my house and have been having a blast riding it since then.

  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer

As you can see, I’ve got the bike set up as a 2x, using the former middle ring as a spacer (just on the outside). I bought a bb with a spindle that was a hair too long, making it impossible to shift to all 3 rings on a triple. So, it’s just a quirky-looking 2x with a useless outer ring.

1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • Frame/Fork: 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • Rims: Mavic Oxygen
  • Hubs: Suntour XC9000
  • Tires: Maxxis DTH 26 x 2.13
  • Handlebars: Nitto Dirt Drops
  • Headset: Cheapo something
  • Crankset: Sugino
  • Pedals: MKS Lambda
  • Derailleur(s): Suntour (front) / Shimano XTR Rapid Rise (rear)
  • Brakes: Shimano XTR Cantis
  • Shifter(s): Friction
  • Saddle: Brooks C17
  • Stem: Kalloy Riser
  • Accessory bags: X-Pac tool roll by me
  • Other accessories: Velo Orange bottle cages

So far, I’ve taken it on a 300-kilometer tour, a few overnighters, and a 150-kilometer brevet from the Grevet series on it without a problem—not to mention plenty of rides on the sandy and dilapidated trails around Berlin.

1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer
  • 1989 Bridgestone MB-5 Trailblazer

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