1980 Ritchey Mountain Bikes
After Tom Ritchey created the initial batch of bikes for the MountainBikes shop owned by Charles Kelly and Gary Fisher in 1979, he continued to produce a small number of bikes which did not receive serial numbers. This included the ignominious bikes with forks that were made too long as well as the bike on this page, which was likely produced some time in 1980. In the busy year that followed, hundreds of Ritchey Everest models would be sold through the shop, with characteristic details such as reinforcement sleeves on the seattubes with a ring, forks with angled biplanes with an upper that protruded on the sides, and serial numbers which included an "R". By contrast, this pristine example from 1980 lacks all of these details. The top of the seattube makes a smooth, fillet-brazed transition with the toptube. The fork has a top plane which is straight and finished flush with the sides of the legs. Custom "MountainBikes" decals on the rims are the only indication of where the bike was sold. Incredibly, soft goods such as the women's-specific saddle, foam grips, and Snakebelly tires are original to the bike. Based on the small handful of these bikes known to exist today, it seems likely that far less than 100 of these were made that year, and service to indicate how rapidly the mountain bike would developed.
The Build
Year: 1980
S/N: N/A Frame: Ritchey Mountain Bikes Fork: Ritchey Bi-plane Stem: Ritchey Bullmoose Headset: Campagnolo Nuovo Record Bottom Bracket: Cartridge Bearing Handlebar: Ritchey Bullmoose Shifters: Suntour Mighty Click Front Derailleur: Suntour Compe V Rear Derailleur: Huret Duopar Brake Levers: Magura Motorcycle "Shortie" Front Brake: Mafac Tandem Rear Brake: Mafac Tandem Crankset: T. A. Specialties Chainrings: T. A. Specialties 26-36-46 Pedals: MKS BMX-7 Hubs: Phil Wood Cartridge Bearing Rims: Ukai 26 x 1.75 Tires: Cycle Pro Snakebelly 26 x 2.125 Wheel QR: Phil Wood Bolt-on Seatpost: SR Laprade Seatpost QR: Campagnolo Nuovo Record Saddle: Avocet Touring WII Grips: Grab-On Plain Foam Cogs: Suntour Winner Freewheel Chain: Sedis Bottle Cage: T. A. Sepecialties Pump: Silca Impero |
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