Bridgestone as a corporation is gigantic, but it has always concerned itself with products related to transportation. Its founder, Shōjirō Ishibashi (the name translates as “stone bridge”) began making tabi, traditional
Japanese sandals, in 1925 and moved to tire manufacture in 1931.
The company is now best known for its namesake tires and also
owns the U.S. tire manufacturer, Firestone. Along the way, Bridgestone built motorcycles, cars and in 1945 began building bicycles as well. Not the sort of bikes stateside riders imagine but Japanese-style city bikes, with step-
through frames, baskets and generator lights. Apparently, the
company made sporting bikes as well. Information about its early history is surprisingly hard to find given its size today.
BRIDGSTONE BUILDS PLANT IN AGO
The Bridgestone Cycle Co Ltd. originated in 1949. It offered bicycles under its own brand and under the Anchor brand. At one time, Bridgestone marketed bicycles under the name Kabuki Around 1960 Bridgestone Bicycle built its Ageo Plant in Ago, Saitama Prefecture. The Company began manufacturing motorbikes named Bridgestone Champion. After incorporating the small engine division of Prince Motor Co., Ltd. (an associated company). Bridgestone Bicycle was renamed Bridgestone Cycle Industry Co., Ltd.
COMPANY RECEIVES AWARDS
In 1966 Bridgestone Cycle Industry received the industry’s first Good Design Award for “Super Light” and “Jet Bambi” a kids tricycle. In 1968 the Company received the industry’s first Okochi Memorial Production Award, in recognition of its innovative bicycle frame manufacturing method (based on the die cast method) as an excellent research result leading to reduced costs and improved productivity.
GRANT PETERSON JOINS BRIDGESTONE
Bridgestone had developed a high level of expertise in sport bike design by the early 1980s. This was accelerated when Grant Petersen, now of Rivendell Bicycle Works, joined the company as Bridgestone USA’s marketing boss. Petersen learned much of his design philosophy from contacts with Bridgestone designers in Japan. Bridgestone USA’s glory days are usually referred to as, “the Grant Petersen years.” Nonetheless, his success was rooted deeply in the company’s quality-obsessed origins.
Grant developed a reputation for resisting popular trends in the bicycle industry and instead followed his own personal philosophy of building dependable and comfortable bicycles. Peterson applied this approach to Rivendell after Bridgestone stopped marketing bicycles in the U.S
It was largely on Petersen’s watch that those Bridgestone products so sought by collectors today were designed and manufactured, having now evolved into a bonafide bicycling paradigm.
BIKES THAT SOLD IN AMERICA
The bicycles that were selling the most were the racing-style road and mountain bikes. Adults in America feel compelled to justify bicycle riding by implying that they are engaging in competition, or at least preparing to, or pretending to prepare to. It was this market that Bridgestone hired Petersen to address, and he did it in a way that confounded many and delighted a perceptive and lucky few in America’s bicycle community. It also established a legacy that has continued to enrich both bicycling and the public culture of our country. 
Ishibashi’s motto for Bridgestone was, “For the welfare and happiness of all mankind.” While it may be suspect that building monster tires for SUVs, as Bridgestone now does, is
in perfect harmony with that sentiment, there is no denying the bicycle is a near perfect vehicle for actualizing Ishibashi’s hopes.
Petersen, as marketing director of Bridgestone USA, was perhaps the perfect person for the job. In a 1992 California Bicyclist interview, Petersen said:
“The best use of a bicycle is commuting, it’s not racing or
competing or recreation or anything like that. Ultimately its best use is getting cars off the roads.”
Grant was all for getting cars off the roads, making room for people, for general betterment. And, at the same time sell bikes to brash, braggy, self-conscious Americans. The question was, how best to go about doing so with the limited resources at-hand.
GRANT SETS OUT TO SELL AMERICANS ON BICYCLES
Grant Petersen set out to sell Americans on the idea bikes
were practical yet sporty. It would not be an easy job. Coming on board in 1984, Petersen entered a design culture that probably resonated with his own perceptions and which some say influenced him as much he did it. Certainly he had been exposed to Japanese concepts of practical sporting bikes through his friendship with Hiroshi Iimura of Jitensha Studio in Berkeley, California. His bikes are reputed to be comfortable, strong and fast, and are usually able to capably address various types of riding and road surfaces with little modification.
Bridgestone Uses The French Touch
While Petersen’s design concepts were probably influenced by Japanese interpretations of classic French and Italian designs, his componentry specifications have a decidedly French touch to them. He put the greatest emphasis on what works well and lasts the longest. Petersen’s marketing copy for his present Rivendell project makes repeated reference to “rough stuff” bikes, basically ruggedized road bikes that can run naked on narrow slicks. Grant was also all for putting on fenders, racks and wider rubber to make it just as comfortable to ride off pavement in the rain as on a Sunday road spin.
BRIDGESTONE’S CAME EQUIPPED
Most Grant-era Bridgestone’s came equipped for riding, riding hard and fast nearly anywhere one might want to go, without worrying about what would break next. The philosophy made no reference to contemporary bicycling fashion, and resulted in bikes that puzzled those who couldn’t see beyond their own conditioning.
Bridgestone mountain bikes helped define the modern ATB — but the top end model came with drop bars! “Dirt Drops,” specifically designed to the task, and among the most wonderful handlebars anywhere.
The road bikes, the RB-1 and RB-2, were raced to great
success. Still, a clean 59cm RB-1 twenty-plus years old were selling for over one thousand dollars. Furthermore, the RB-T, one of Bridgestone’s more obscure models when released, is now a popular cyclocross mount.
THE QUIRKIEST BRIDGESTONE EVER PRODUCED
It was the XO series that was probably closest to Petersen’s heart, and the quirkiest (for its time) bike Bridgestone ever produced. The XO was, if surmised correctly, Petersen’s effort to produce something approximating the French 650B-wheeled rough-stuff bikes of the middle 20th century. They were basically road frames built for 559 (mountain bike 26-inch) wheels. They could take anything from narrow slicks to (in
most cases) moderately wide knobbies. They could fit racks and fenders. Some had triple cranksets well before aging baby boomers made them common on play- racers. And some came with the beloved/notorious moustache bar!
Grant Peterson Symbolizes Bridgestone
The moustache bar symbolizes Grant Petersen to many people in the bike biz, and Grant Petersen symbolizes Bridgestone, so it’s worth taking a look at their relationship. The bar is a Petersen design, inspired by the handlebars made popular during the first bike boom at the end of the 19th century. To quote Petersen on the current Rivendell website: “[It’s] a variation of a shape that has been around for more than a century – longer than drop bars. The details of this one bend evolved during five prototypes and thousands of miles of testing and refinement during my commute to work in 1990-91. The first prototype was bent by a plumber out of copper tubing.”
Petersen’s ambition was not just selling bikes, not even
well-made, affordable, practical and sporty bikes – which he did. It was rather creating a community centered on the bicycle but going beyond the bicycle. Subsequently, he structured Bridgestone catalogs to resonate this belief. As a result, articles included topics like, the history of bicycling, the means and manners of the rider and the ride, things that in some way reflected the spirit of the bicycle.
Bridgestone Diversified
Bridgestone is currently building frames in Japan for keirin track racing under Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai approved standards. It is currently producing non-NJS frames for the Japanese market as well. In Japan, it is known as a manufacturer of utility, mountain and road racing bikes. The road bikes are currently produced under the Anchor brand name. Bridgestone has collaborated with Dr. Alex Moulton to produce the Bridgestone Moulton Bicycle. They also are now marketing a folding bicycle called the Picnica.
CLICK ON ITEM FOR MORE INFORMATION
We earn from qualified Amazon purchases with NO cost to you. In fact, ANY item that you need or were going to purchased anyway through the above links, helps support this site. Thank you for your support!