1991 Bridgestone MB-0
This Bridgestone MB zip was one of the best mountain bikes available in 1991.
Grant Peterson of Rivendell Bicycles fame designed most of the Bridgestone line, and he did a fabulous job here.
At a time when mountain bikes were heavy, he made them light. While everyone else was using neon green and purple splattered paint, Grant picked “Tusk” as the color for the MB-0. While Shimano made everyone use oval chainrings and early rapidfire shifters, the Bridgestone was spec’d with a Mavic crankset and simple thumb shifters.
Bridgestone catalogues of the era were also crowd favorites. They featured cycling peronalities Gene-O along with Pineapple Bob and Karen teaching Bridgestone riders everything from proper descending techniques to sewing up a patched tubular tire to lubing a chain with melted beeswax.
You can still see old Bridgestones like this one being ridden today. Most likely they’ll have smooth tires and a cargo rack, doing commuter duty in the rain, but they’re still rolling. The MB Zip is one of the bikes that made Bridgestone bikes such a cult favorite even today.