One of Grant Peterson's early designs. He headed up the American division of Bridgestone in the 80s, and he was an iconoclast. The RB series were his take on Italian racing bikes, with the RB-1 being top of the line. But Peterson eschewed some things that industry considered de rigueur. Moreover, these were built in Bridgestone's Japanese shop and were very high quality.

Peterson later went on to found Rivendell Bikes. Regardless of how one might feel about Rivendell's design philosophy, they are seriously great steel bikes that feel amazing, all without resorting to the voodoo that other modern bikes need.

So, finding an RB-1 at a decent price is a bit of a big deal. Finding one in great condition is a coup.

Indeed it has 126mm spacing (and yes, is steel,) but my 11s hub slides in without too much squeezing.

I appreciate you sharing your perspective. I’m largely committed to upgrading to 11s now, but can I ask did 10s require spreading or cold-setting the rear dropout spacing?