Family friends in Colorado put me onto it and a friendly bike shop over there boxed it and send it over to me about 15 years ago - it needed period parts, a strip and clean, some colour matched touch-up paint (which turned out to be an Alfa colour as the closest match) to touch-in any stone chips etc I didn't want to repaint it. I have been collecting Deerhead parts, period wheelset etc for some time now for it. Like most of us, I struggle to get good early amberwall tyres that are still usable, so the Panaracers are okay on it. Yes its a cross between a cruiser/clunker/steelMTB and a lovely ride still - and yes the stick on it actually says "built by Tom Ritchey" on the frame sticker as opposed to "designed by Tom Ritchey" like my later Ritchey. You could say I love Tom's handy work - its a pleasure to behold. Thanks for your comments its good to share the fruits of our labours for eachother to appreciate and see what's out there
... Its would be nice to put a handmade Ritchey bull-moose bar on it at some point, However, its comfortable and the alloy bar/stem fitted is from the early 80s and do also suit it, but I'm always on the look out for a lovely matching bar by Tom too, something might turn up or I could have something fabricated to spec. one day.
Bike looks great as it is. Some skinwalls would certainly help make it look period, but would cost you some big money if you wanted period correct ones from the early 80s.
