Bridgestone NJS build - the silver dream machine

after many hours frittered away on the interweb, searching in the vain hope that I may stumble upon a bargain Bridgestone in my size, the stars aligned and I found a 58cm square silver Bridgestone NJS frame at half the price they go for on NJS Export.

Apart from a couple of very minor chips and scratches, the frame is in excellent condition, and is fitted with a Sugino 75 bb and Hatta Swan headset.

I did plan on going down the "only NJS will do" route, but then I found a wheelset which altered my mindset...

to be continued

Two weeks after the frame was delivered, I was trawling the 'bay and found a set of Ambrosio Elite Prisma Durex (insert rubber johnny joke here) laced to Miche Primato hubs...

and they seemed to fit the look I had in mind, skinny rims with a low profile, the colour is a charcoal rather than black, and I quite like the look of the Miche hub flanges.

As a bonus, the wheels came with tanwall Schwalbe tyres, which I had not planned on running but will go with initially.

The cranks were always going to be an issue, as I wanted originally to fit Omnomnomnoms.

"WHAT???" I hear you cry

"are you fecking nuts?" I hear you spit vehemently

sanity prevailed, and I went in search of something more suitable, the candidates being:

a set of Sugino Super Mighty track 165
a set of Campy Record Pista 170
and a set of Superbe Pro Track njs 167.5

the winner?

Now you have to remember these are 30+ year old cranks, and had been raced on, so...not bad for $100, and a lot better condition than I have seen on t' web for almost double the price.
At the moment I am happy to leave with the patina on them, down the track I might go the Jol polishing method.

Such a shame to throw Miche on a Beaut like that! A frame like this deserves some 7600 IMHO

Agreed, needs DA or disco hubs

remove njs from description if adding miche !

nice frame in a mans size ! like it

I understand the Miche hatred, but the wheels will get it on the road until finances allow a better set...budget be tight yo!

i hear ya

Miche hubs are fine dude ;)! I'd rather ride Miche hubs on the road than 7600's..

whut ?

I understand the Miche hatred, but the wheels will get it on the road until finances allow a better set...budget be tight yo!

Wheelset gonna look great and those Suntour cranks are boss!! IMO wouldn't polish them up. I'm liking this build alot.

Miche hubs are fine dude ;)! I'd rather ride Miche hubs on the road than 7600's..

Hmmm why?

If not NJS components, your not doing right son!

Lovely frame though, (one of the best Bridgestone I've seen for a while) Good luck with the build.

Where did you get the frame from out of interest? Recently ordered from NJS Sexport.

Where did you get the frame from out of interest? Recently ordered from NJS Sexport.

it was an ebay find, for half of what the 57.5 is going for on NJS Export...plus 58 is a better fit

.. NJS Sexport.

wow ... that sounds great
hope to order something from them soon

;)

Very nice frame...! :)

My two cents: I've a Ciocc built up with ALL the best Campagnolo SR parts in titanium and pantographed stem/seatpost. Beautiful but £££ too. So you lock it in town...and are nervous it gets stolen...there's downsides to a perfect bike.

Hence I decided to go Miche on my second build. (a Gazelle track) £33 for cranks, ring, bb for Miche Primato. Campagnolo would set me back £100 easily used. I'm not convinced they're 3 times as stiff or 3 times as light... ;)

With black decals I think black wheels may work very well. Good luck and enjoy!

^this, people like us won't really notice any difference between Campagnolo Pista and Miche, if you just service it right and mount everything properly, there is really no problem at all. 7600 needs servicing all the time, Miche hubs don't. But that's just my experience.

the main purpose of the build is a "Sunday best" bike if you like, I would like a total NJS build, but in reality it will wear risers mostly, so there is that out the window, and the wheelset will be a stop gap measure to help me get the bike dialed in for comfort

Keen to see the final build.

I don't really understand the Miche hate either.

not hatred, just not in agreement that they are better than da 7600, on road, on track off road or wherever

So DA 7600 is not good for street wheels now?! When did this happen? Repack them every each season and they'll last a long long time.

^this I had and still have dura ace hubs on a beater which I ride off road on dirt tracks regularly, and they last 6months at least before I need to repack the bearings. Miche might be easier to maintain but dura ace are a little bit more flash and are nice 'things' to own

^this, people like us won't really notice any difference between Campagnolo Pista and Miche, if you just service it right and mount everything properly, there is really no problem at all. 7600 needs servicing all the time, Miche hubs don't. But that's just my experience.

I service my 7600s once a year and my set has been holding up for almost 4 years straight with daily abuse (snow, rain, etc.) My Miche's cracked up in less than a year plus service is a bitch. Yanking bearings out, replacing them etc..

But that's just my experience ;)

An advantage to old school packed bearings is that IF and only IF you repack-regrease-retighten often enough they last forever and ever and...

The downside is that you must do it. Esp. with bottom brackets its annoying as the tightness has to be exactly right.

Well if it's a Sunday Best...I'd say practicality is less important than looks. But then why use risers?

My Gazelle is street use so it will have road bars and tektro short-reach levers sorry as practicality has to come first :)

But then why use risers?

a moment of stupidity 4 years ago resulted in my left forearm now containing enough titanium to worry customs scanners at the airport, and drops are out of the question...mainly due to a comfort thing...seems a bit indulgent to have track/road drops and only ever use the tops.

but this build is about indulgence, so never say never