Here are some photos of my old Bridgestone MB-4. My girlfriend (now wife) bought it for me new in '88 or '89 for around $600 from Aardvark Bikes in Sunnyvale CA. It was some sort of "special package"- it has the MB-2 lugged frame, tubing, and forks, but had the Deore Exage componentry to keep the price down. Over the next couple of years I upgraded the stuff to Deore XT. I rode the thing on probably every fire road on the entire SF Peninsula. My favorite was Old Alpine... quite a hump climbing up but coming down WHEEE!

Well now I'm living in El Paso (don't ask), and I have a full-susser to ride the mountain here (this place has gotta be the baby-head capital of the world). So the Bridgestone was modified for use as an urban assault vehicle. It's now got a wider seat, a rack, lights, Mary bars (fantastic, even if they make me look like a dweeb), even a kickstand! I use it to run errands, buy groceries, etc. The rack has a cut-down wastebasket on it that is sooo functional. It can hold (3) 2-liter soda bottles, a couple of pizzas across the top, PLUS a bunch of 2-for-1 DVD rentals!

I love this bike! It's way more fun to ride than the 'susser. It handles great, it's efficient (if you can call 36 lbs efficient), it can really haul a load (40 lbs dogfood), and has held up great. Yes, I know it looks somewhat ridiculous, especially with those orange tires.

But so what- this is El Paso after all!

eriknelson@gordonvalley.com