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The Catalog of Reminiscence

The Invitation for Cycling by Mr.Gami

Part 93: Bridgestone Diamond and Super-Speed




This time I introduce the catalog of Bridgestone Diamond and Super Speed of 1974.
This catalog must have been familiar to those who began cycling early 1970s.

Diamond was a brand of professional sports bicycle which appeared after the traditional series of Super-Speed. I suppose that Bridgestone began to advertise the company's technology and the policy about bicycle from Diamondo series.

This catalog is A4 size, composed of 16 pages including front page.
Two kinds of Super-Speed and 11 kinds of Diamond are introduced in the catalog. There are touring model, camping model, sportif model, road-racing model, and track-racing model in the lineup as with the other mass-production makers.
As for the models DT-6110, DC-6115, DG-7110, RR-7110, TR-7000, and TR-7100, you could order a special frame which was composed of Rainorlds 531 tubes, if you pay 10000 yen as extra money. This was a selling point.

I prepared big images excluding first two pages. You can watch them with clicking each image.

This catalog was offered by Mr. T.







The front page and the back page, the model is DF-7110.






Robert Van Lancker who was a winner of sprint at world bicycle championship explained about superiority of Bridgestone sports bicycle as a face of company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Van_Lancker










Through two pages, Catalog explained the technical explanation and the policy of the maker from five viewpoint.
The theme is "studying sports bicycle scientifically".
The explanation is not advanced content. However, I felt selfconfidence as a bicycle maker from it.






Catalog introduces each models from this page.
The first model is a radonneur which can be used for Rinko. Catalog calls it "carrying randonneur".
The model name DT-6110 is the combination of below.

DT: Diamond touring
6: 26 inch wheel
1: Single frame size
10: 10-speed model

The model had a typical specification as high grade randonneur of mass-production maker in those days. The model equipped with CrMo lug-less frame, Sugino Maxy II chain wheel, Suntour derailleur set, Yoshigai cantilever brakes, and Fujita leather saddle. The selling point was the weight 11.95 kg.

This was so-called Rinko model of Alps type. When you packed the bicycle, you could separate the rear fender and pull the front fork out of frame.

The price was 78,000 yen including Rinko bag. This was almost same as first salary of new university graduates.






The catalog explains about the trait of DT-6110 in this page. The explanation refers to necessity of qualification of the membership of Japan cycling association and a ticket of carry-on item for Rinko.

The small image is SSQ-10 which is a low-priced model of DT-6110. The frame was made of high tension steel. The model equipped with Maxy model-I which was a fixed outer-sprocket type and Spirt front derailleur. There was no brake lever pad.

The price was 52,000 yen. SSQ-10 was short-lived model. However, its conception was taken over to Eurasia which was announced in 1976.






This is a camping model DC-6115. Back in those days, most of mass-production makers prepared Camping model as flagship model of touring bicycle.

Camping model of Bridgestone had long tradition; it shared market with Katakura Silk. The model name DC-6115 is the combination of below.

DC: Diamond camping
6: 26 inch wheel
1: Single frame size
15: 15-speeds model

The model had a typical specification of Japanese camping model of those days. It was equipped with Sugino pro-dinamic triple chainwheel, four side-pannier racks as standard equipment, 650*42B tires, and aluminium bottle. Rear derailleur was Huret Albeit. The frame was made of CrMo. It had crossed seat-stay, was a typical camping model. The double shoulder plates of front fork crown was a BS original.

The price was 106,000 yen.






The catalog explained about the trait of DC-6115 in this page.
As for the gear table, the combination of low gear F33T* R24T is slightly heavy than standard gear ratio F34* R25T of compact crank of present road-bike. I can feel the change of times from this difference.

SS-10 in the small image was a long-lived model. We used to see it frequently at youth hostel or in cycling in summer holiday. Those of travelars were rather beginner who tried bicycle trip in summer holiday than pure cyclist.

The price was 52,000 yen.






This is a fast-riding model DF-7110.
Back in those days, sail-fast cycling was called "fast run". This model was produced for that purpose.

The model name DF-7110 was the combination of below.

DF: Diamond fast-riding
7: 27 inch wheel
1: Singl frame size
10: 10-speed model

In comparison with Cyclo-sportif of France, this model didn't have a carrier but equipped with short type fenders and WO tires on to a road-racing model. Wheel size was 27 inch * 1-1/4 because 700C-WO tire was not popular in those days in Japan.

Specification was almost same as road-racing model. It was a high grade model which equipped with Sugino Mighty-compe cranks, Yoshigai Gran-compe 500 side-pulled brakes which was a new product, and Yoshigai Gran-compe forged stem. The price was 94000.

I could feel the 1970s from the close-gear ratio F50T* 46T, R15-24T. Aside from F50T* R15T of the top, F46T*R24T of the combination of low gear is considerably heavy.






The catalog explain about the trait of DF-7110 in this page. Italian-cut lug of plating and frame-works without direct welding were standard of fast-riding model in those days.

FS-7110 in the small image was a low-priced model of DF-7110.
The frame was made of high-tension steel. To lower the price to 56,500 yen, the model was equipped with low grade parts such as Sugino Super-maxy cranks, Fujita seamless saddle which was not leather, Dia-compe centre-pulled brakes.
Two prefix FS must have been the combination of "fast-riding" and "standard".






Two road-racing models were introduced in this page.

RR-7110 was composed of CrMo frame; low-priced model RS-7110 and RS7010 were composed of high-tension frame.
As for the low-priced model, two frame sizes were prepared, RS-7010 was a 510mm small model. The half plating of front fork, rear fork, and chain-stay was a standard in those days. Tire was a tubular type SOYO #100 (370 grams, 26 mm height, 25 mm width). It was a heavy weight model in those days. It must have been selected because of the road condition on those days.

As for the frame geometry, 73 degrees parallel and 430 mm of rear-center were ordinary for Japanese road-racing model of those days.
Gear ratio was closer than fast-riding model, was F51T*47T and R15-21T. Nowadays, this combination is impossible.
The price of RR was 83,000 yen, RS 60,000 yen.






Two track-racing models were introduced in this page.
TR-7000 and TR7100 were composed of CrMo frame. TS-7000 and TS-7100 were also composed of CrMo frame, but equipped with low grade parts. Two sizes were prepared in both models.

The last two numbers indicated the gear combination. Hence single gear had to be 01. But it was 00. I guess it's because of no gear change.

Frame geometry was rather suitable for a sprint. Tire was SOYO #50SS which had a English valve dedicated to track-racing model.

The price of TR was 75,000 yen, TS 58,000 yen.










The specification table is in last two pages.
Only the parts specs were written in the catalog of Bridgestone of those days. However, neither of parts maker names nor brand names.







inserted by FC2 system