When you think of the ideal bicycle, what image comes to mind?

I’m a fan of vintage items, whether that be cars, cameras, or watches, so it should be no surprise that I’d also get into classic bikes.

Everything about a rando bike looks just right for me—drop bars, quill stem, lugged frame, horizontal top tube, and a curved fork. I didn’t hesitate to get one when the opportunity arrived.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my Bridgestone Eurasia ever since I got it in November 2023. It looked like my dream bike, but it rode like a nightmare.

That’s why I went through great lengths to transform it into a modern gravel bike. After many hiccups, the conversion was a success. But something about it still didn’t feel complete.

Who knew that a different paint job could completely change how I felt about my favorite piece of shit?

Mang Buboy to the rescue

After finishing the 200km Subic Audax, I noticed rust on one of the lugs. The bike had been recently painted, and given how I meticulously take care of my bikes, it was weird for the paint to chip off and for rust to develop so soon.

I felt frustrated over the shop’s response. The bike needed a repaint to prevent the rust from worsening. And if I’m going to be charged again, I might as well try a different painter—especially since I wasn’t that happy with the current color, to begin with.

I asked some friends for recommendations, and Jilson Tiu recommended Mang Buboy to me. The colors he uses come from older Japanese cars, and I was impressed with his work on Jilson’s Crust Romanceur.

I started the conversation on Messenger while going home from Subic, and settled on the color Power Blue Metallic.

Fixing my poor life choices with the Bridgestone Eurasia

Since my Bridgestone Eurasia was going to be disassembled, I might as well have the bottom bracket (BB) shell replaced to avoid future headaches. The threads had gone loose, and I was only able to make it work thanks to a unique BB from Poor Life Choices.

I decided to have Ave Maldea (also known as Mang Ave) repair the frame first before having it repainted. He’s the most reputable frame builder in the country, and his shop is much nearer than DJ Cycleworks. Since Mang Ave and Mang Buboy have worked with each other, I had the frame picked up directly from the shop after the repair.

And so I spent the Christmas season with my Bridgestone Eurasia out of commission once again. After I got back from Singapore, I wasted no time and built the bike at Tambay Cycling Hub. The New Bike Day was a bit of a downer when I noticed the steerer turned right on its own.

Aside from getting the BB shell replaced, I also had Mang Ave check the alignment of the frameset, to be safe. According to him, the fork blades had significant deflection, so he fixed it. For whatever reason, this caused the steering issue. In the end, I had to go back to Mang Ave to cold set the fork.

I never planned to have a bike fit. But Mervin Santiago offered to give me one at Bikespot. He essentially raised the saddle, adjusted its angle, and made the handlebars more upright. I didn’t expect that minor adjustments would have such a big effect.

The bike was no longer a tractor since it felt lighter to pedal from a stop. And I felt significantly less pressure on my wrists when my hands were on the hoods. The final session was held just in time for A Sketchy Ride by Path Less Pedaled.

Never-ending questions and budol

It’s hard to believe that, after countless worryful nights thinking of the next major budol, the day—rather, an era—would come when I could happily say “It is finished.”

I didn’t realize how much I disliked the previous paint job, which is why I kept tinkering with the color scheme. Do I go with black or tan wall tires? Do I go with blue, purple, or coyote brown for the bags? How do I make the funky color-shift work with the silver parts?

No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to work.

The power of Power Blue Metallic

“Color speaks when words fail.”

I remember hearing it during an art exhibit. Based on my research, Power Blue Metallic was used by Toyota in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This makes it the ideal choice for someone passionate about JDM cars from that era. The color is sporty, elegant, and nostalgic.

And when I paired the bike with a coyote brown Swift Industries Catalyst, everything clicked into place. I liked how the color complemented the tanwall tires, and highlighted the curves of the handlebar, wrapped in black bar tape.

I now had the perfect secondary color. But I wasn’t going to order a full kit from Swift Industries. Even if I could afford it, I didn’t want to splurge since I believe that my bike builds need to be practical at the end of the day. Thankfully, Coyote Bikepacking Gear was able to provide the bags that had the aesthetic I wanted.

GT-R

All my hard work paid off when I saw the many comments complementing my bike in the video of Path Less Pedaled.

Whereas my favorite car, the Nissan Skyline GT-R, is a Gran Turismo Racer, my Bridgestone Eurasia is a gravel touring randonneur. At this point, I already know what I want out of my bikes, and the Eurasia serves its purpose well—an all-road bike that rides just as well as it looks.

Lifting the bike is a bit of a pain because of the added weight from the rack, fenders, and stand. But once I start pedaling it, the bike comes alive.

The ride is supple with the thick 650b by 48mm Panaracer GravelKings, while the steering is light without being twitchy. If I put down the power, I can go pretty fast. Each gear shift is smooth and satisfying with the Rivendell downtube shifter. I don’t have to squeeze for my life thanks to the feather-light Growtac Equals.

The Bridgestone Eurasia is one happy camper

One of the challenges when building a bike is figuring out what bags to put on it. Whether you’re commuting or touring, you need something to carry all the stuff you need for the ride. Since my Bridgestone Eurasia is a multi-purpose bike, I thought of different loadouts for different use cases.

Most of the time, a large handlebar bag, such as the Tapir of Coyote Bikepacking Gear, is enough for my regular commutes. It can fit spare clothes and a U-lock, in addition to my personal belongings and a repair kit (inner tube, tire levers, pump, and multitool).

Should I need to bring more items (such as food or drinks), then I’ll swap the Tapir for my Leon Denim rando bag. For long rides where biking is the only activity, I have a small handlebar bag from Conquer that fits the minimum essentials.

There’s also a special setup for when the day comes that I actually go bike touring with my Bridgestone Eurasia. I had Rack en Roll custom-make a rear rack inspired by the Nitto Campee. It has two layers, giving me flexibility on where to put panniers.

Just like the rest of the bike, the panniers had to be classic-inspired, so I had Coyote Bikepacking Gear make a pair. I normally don’t use a stem bag (since it obstructs the quill stem), but I have a pair so that I can easily take photos, if needed.

Finding meaning in the build

I normally don’t ascribe meaning to inanimate objects, but I began to notice some parallelisms. Similar to how Myta built Lucien while grieving for her mother, I was rebuilding my Bridgestone Eurasia at the lowest point in my life when my mental health was in shambles.

The year 2025 was rough for me, and the same could be said for the rides I’ve gone with the Eurasia: an overnight trip to Tanay, Lobo Loop with Gabay Cycling, a day trip to Dampalit Megadike, and the most grueling of them all, the 200km Subic Audax. The year was filled with nothing but hardships, and this bicycle helped me get through it.

This wasn’t intentional, but the Bridgestone Eurasia also shifted me away from e-bikes. I have nothing against them, and I think they’re wonderful for bike commuting. However, I’d like to spend as much time riding my favorite bike while I am still physically able.

Sweet Bike of Mine

I encountered the song Sweet Child O’Mine by Guns N Roses through Gundam Hathaway. Although the title of this article is an Initial D reference, this Gundam ending better expresses how I feel about my Bridgestone Eurasia.

Looking at my rando bike reminds me of simpler and happier times, particularly when I was a 10-year-old kid playing Pokémon Emerald, whose favorite car was the Nissan Skyline GT-R.

Eventually, the music transitions into Slash’s hypnotic guitar solo, where the ecstasy and energy encapsulate the freedom and bliss of cycling.

At this point, I don’t have any more headaches with my Bridgestone Eurasia. All that’s left is to keep riding and enjoy it while I still can. So the remaining question is:

Where do we go now, o sweet bike of mine?