RIP Richard Ballantine

[Rich34]

A sad loss - I've got a copy of "Richards Bicycle Book", I had a copy back in the day and found one a few years ago in a bookshop. I still refer to it today. The Telegraph obituary is here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... ntine.html

A great quote - one of many:

“Today is as golden an age of cycling as has ever been,” Ballantine wrote in a revised edition of his classic book in 2000. “The questions are no longer, 'Should I have a bike?’ and 'How do I make sure I get a good bike?’, but rather, 'How many bikes?’ and 'What kinds?’ Bikes are so wonderful, so much fun, so useful, it makes perfect sense to have several.”

I'm sure most of us here wouldn't disagree...

RIP.

 

[roadking]

Just collected my Telegraph and read the obituary... RB made a huge and significant contribution to cycling and should be in the Hall of Fame.

Roadking.

 

[notsofast]

As above...and still have my original copy of his book and still refer to it these days

 

[jimo746]

As above...and still have my original copy of his book and still refer to it these days

I was only looking through my copy the other week too.

 

[Repack Rider]

Sad to hear this. I got the news from our mutual friend Richard Grant. I had exchanged emails with Richard Ballantine just a couple of months ago to get the contract info for R. Grant.

 

[PANZR]

I picked up an '81 edition of 'Richard's Bicycle Book' in an old book shop about two months ago...it's a really great read
Sorry to hear of his passing

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Just collected my Telegraph and read the obituary... RB made a huge and significant contribution to cycling and should be in the Hall of Fame.

Roadking.

Richard Ballantine was also instrumental in introducing mountain bikes to the UK. In 1982 he brought two Ritchey's from the States use on a Saharan expedition by Tim Gartside and Peter Murphy in February 1983. London bike shop, F.W. Evans Cycles were asked to equip and prepare these mountain bikes. However Evans were so impressed that they asked Bluemels/Saracen Cycles to produce copies for them. These became the F.W. Evans ATB, Saracen ATB the first British produced mountain bikes in early 1984.

And the magazine and newspaper articles Richard Ballantine and Richard Grant were first to introduce British cyclists to the mountain bike. They also presented the bikes to the cycle trade by exhibiting the US bikes. It is highly likely that this early publicity speeded up the introduction of mountain bikes to the UK. And may well explain why the first Ridgeback mountain bikes to be sold in Britain were available from Errol Drew's Madison Freewheel catalogue and Beta Bikes shops a full year before other foreign imports first arrived.

In February 1983 Richard put a Ritchey on the cover of Bicyce magazine. Probably the first UK mountain bike cover ever!

Yes, if justice be done, his story should be in a variety of cycling "Halls of Fame".

 

[colnagolover]

I wouldn't hazard a guess as in to how many languages "Richard's Bicycle Repair Manual" has been translated but Danish is one of them. It first came out in 1994 and the 6th reprint in Danish was published in 2005 - I have this copy and refer to it - admittedly infrequently - but it's easy to understand for neanderthals like me, so it stays on the book shelf!

In Danish, the expression is "AERE VAERE HANS MINDE" or, roughly translated, May his memory be honoured.