Ritchey

San Carlos, California is home to Ritchey Design, recognized around the world as one of the cycling industry’s premier innovators of high-quality bicycle components. Formed in 1974 by Tom Ritchey, the company actively designs a steady stream of new products, while constantly improving upon existing components, refining their lightness and durability with untiring drive, we call it; ‘relentless innovation.’ Modern day enthusiasts are very knowledgeable about their choices in the parts upgrade quest, and Ritchey strives to be their very first choice.

The company is well-known for its technical merits through attention to detail during the product design phase, combined with rigorous fatigue testing, resulting in high-quality, road and mountain bike components. Under its Fit Logic philosophy, Ritchey Design offers a wide range of “cockpit” components (handlebars, stems seatposts, and headsets) that help riders custom fit their bikes for a more efficient and comfortable ride. Ritchey Design also offers complete bikes, framesets and a complete line of innovative products including: pedals, carbon wheels, carbon forks, saddles, and tires suitable for professional racers to the serious weekend rider. Additionally it designs, markets and sells a line of “Break-Away” travel bicycles for cyclists on the go.

RITCHEY INNOVATIONS OVER THE YEARS

Tom was the first frame builder to custom-design superlight steel tubesets to meet his needs for a new paradigm in mountain bike frame-building. Logic Tubing was designed for non-lugged, fillet brazed joinery and had elongated, thin walled center sections to reduce weight. Additionally, he refashioned the single bend chain stay combined with an ovalized seat tube at the bottom bracket to stiffen this region for better power transference.

Other Ritchey Innovations:

• Modernized mountain bike geometry by departing from slack angles of balloon tire bikes to steeper seat angles for more efficient pedaling position.
• Butted and tapered Unicrown forks.
• Bullmoose bars – first integrated bar stem combo, a drastic improvement in steering control.
• Pressed seal bearing and Cartridge-style bottom brackets – to allow for proper bearing loads while reducing weight.
• Vector Force Analysis Tire designs – parabolic curve to achieve highest traction moments.
• Front / Rear specific tire tread patterns.
• Compact Rescue Tool for minimalists.
• Break-Away travel bikes.
• Dual Spring release tension system for pedals.
• 2x9 drive-train.
• 3-D and 4-D net shape forging for superior alloy and carbon parts.
• Logic Butted spokes with elongated center sections to reduce weight.
• Logic Headset with differential bearing sizes upper/lower.
• Bias cut steer clamps for stems with opposing bolts for clamping delicate carbon and lightweight alloys.
• Biomax Ergonomic handlebars.