The First Modern Mountain Bike?

If you spend more time riding trails than dreaming about it; if you're tired of bikes that position you like a typist and steer like tractors; if you want a light, comfortable, nimble bike for precision travel over any surface - then the MB-1 is your bike. A maverick. Blind to the whims of the market and built to ride. - 1987 Bridgestone catalog

Grant Petersen, who ran the US division of Bridgestone Bicycles, was a cyclist who often marched to the beat of a different drummer. Instead of following the market, he attempted to design bikes that "worked." By the mid-90's, this earned Grant the title of "retro-grouch" but in the 80's it would be hard to use that term to describe Grant.

Drop bars on mountain bikes was not unique to Bridgestone; both Ibis and Wilderness Trails Bikes (Cunningham, Potts, and Slate) produced drop bar bikes. However, Bridgestone was the first production mountain bike offered with drops. The bar option was only standard in 1987, and only 300 MB-1 bicycles were made that year, so even though it was a production bike, it was not super common. The stock MB-1 bar was a made by Nitto and had a slight outward bend on the drops. I installed the WTB Dirt Drop bars on my bike, as I have a tendency to bash my knees into bars which should be less of an issue with the increased flare of the WTB bars.

Many people consider the '87 Bridgestone to be the "first modern mountain bike." Throughout the 80's, the California Klunker geometry (long chain stays, and slack seat and head tube angles) was prevalent. These bikes made great downhillers, but were not always the best climbers. Bridgestone introduced steeper angles and shorter stays in 1987, the rest of the industry followed their lead in the coming years. While certainly not the first to build with this style of geometry, Bridgestone was the first to mass-produce it, and in general is given credit for moving the industry in that direction.

Until it's demise in 1994, Bridgestone USA continued producing bicycles that were unique in the industry. Their high-end bikes were built with lugs, long after everyone else had stopped - TIed frames are slightly lighter, and easier and cheaper to produce - because Grant appreciated the craftsmanship in the frames. Bridgestone was the last manufacturer to use thumb-shifters, and the last to do away with the rigid fork. Each model and size was speced with components and tube set that made it work best for it's intended purpose. The uniqueness of Bridgestone made it a favorite among many. In the end their slightly premium-prices brought on by both their attempt to not compromise on quality/craftsmanship and a drop in the Asian economy, lead to the closing of their doors in 1994. Grant still produces unique bikes at his own company, Rivendell Bicycles.

-el