why so much love for ritcheys ?

[videojetman]

please excuse my ignorance but since joining this site i see so many people who see ritchey bikes and get so excited. I may have missed something in my 20 year absence from mtbing.
Don't get me wrong the ritchey looks like a very traditional bike.
But i'm puzzled by the admiration for this bike.
So please educate me. And let me know what all the fuss is about.
And i apologise in advance if this post causes any offence.
I'm just a curious person who may need educating.

 

[Stylus]

Maybe because tom ritchey is one of the best frame builders and founding fathers of the genre?

http://www.klunkerz.com/castcrew-ritchey-1.html

 

[tintin40]

and they had one of the best pro riders ever Tomas. For me they took steel frames to a new level of low weight than ever before.

 

[halaburt]

http://mtnbikehalloffame.com/page.cfm?pageid=6&year=1988

Of the 10 initial inductees into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1988, there were 3 frame builders. Only 1 of those (Breeze) seems to get much love here -- and that's mostly for his later 90's mass-produced bikes.

Interesting. And confusing.

 

[velomaniac]

I think its a build quality thing. Ritchey, Potts, Cunningham just build their bikes so blooming well you can feel the quality. Personally though other than quality there's nothing inovative or special. A suits a suit unless its Saville Row

 

[FluffyChicken]

IF you have a while you may like to have a browse around this website

http://oldmountainbikes.com

But I think for some, they just look nice, others they remember them, and some others because they made some nice fine looking components (well had them made for them)

 

[hollister]

history, craftsmanship, ride quality

the same reasons a lot of people are into retrobikes I would assume

ymmv

 

[matthew71]

tom

i just have man love for tom because off his tache

 

[yo-Nate-y]

I echo all the earlier comments. Aside from craftsmanship and the progenitor of the sport angle, Ritchey frames have a classic style that persisted through the flashiness of the early 90s boom, and they ride really really well. I wouldn't have even thought of wanting one when I started riding (I went for a Yo Eddy), but I respected their trad panache. At the time Ritchey struck me as a "roadie" mtb brand....but I was a youngin.

In some ways, as a brand it kind of reminded me of a higher end Bridgestone. By that I mean, well balanced, well thought out, not necessarily trendy/flashy.....and of course it didn't hurt that they had great racers.

 

[Thunderchild]

IF you have a while you may like to have a browse around this website

http://oldmountainbikes.com

But I think for some, they just look nice, others they remember them, and some others because they made some nice fine looking components (well had them made for them)

Thanks you! Thank you! for the link to that website!

Thunderchild