Mid-80s Ritchey - Unknown Tig Model
04-18-20, 07:26 PM
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Mid-80s Ritchey - Unknown Tig Model
I picked up this bike off the local classifieds in the winter, and just got a chance to clean it up now that spring has arrived.
I think I am the 3rd owner. The guy I got it from picked it up at an estate sale a few months prior but was moving and clearing things out.
I had originally thought that this was from the batch of Japanese bikes for the Canadian market (as described on "The Ritchey Project" website). But a more careful reading of the information saws that those bikes were all lugged:
"Ritchey frames that are built using lugged construction were built in Japan by Toyo and imported into Canada by Rocky Mountain Bicycles. These frame were produced in the time period just after Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher ended their working relationship with each other. Tom, in search of a new distributor for his bikes, contacted Rocky Mountain who offered to sell whatever he could produce. Tube sets went to Toyo, who only built lugged frames, and completed Ritchey bikes were sent to Canada. At roughly this same time other Japanese-made Ritchey frames were being imported into the US, however these were TIG-welded"
Anyway, this is a tig welded frame, very likely made in Japan, that was found in Canada (so a good chance it was sold in the Canadian market.
As for the build, from what I can tell it is all original. Shimano "Deer Head" group, welded bullmoose bars (with "MountainBikes" branding), Tagaki Tourney XT cranks, Shimano 600 headset. Serial number does not follow that of the "normal" tig welded models.
Le me know your thoughts.
I think I am the 3rd owner. The guy I got it from picked it up at an estate sale a few months prior but was moving and clearing things out.
I had originally thought that this was from the batch of Japanese bikes for the Canadian market (as described on "The Ritchey Project" website). But a more careful reading of the information saws that those bikes were all lugged:
"Ritchey frames that are built using lugged construction were built in Japan by Toyo and imported into Canada by Rocky Mountain Bicycles. These frame were produced in the time period just after Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher ended their working relationship with each other. Tom, in search of a new distributor for his bikes, contacted Rocky Mountain who offered to sell whatever he could produce. Tube sets went to Toyo, who only built lugged frames, and completed Ritchey bikes were sent to Canada. At roughly this same time other Japanese-made Ritchey frames were being imported into the US, however these were TIG-welded"
Anyway, this is a tig welded frame, very likely made in Japan, that was found in Canada (so a good chance it was sold in the Canadian market.
As for the build, from what I can tell it is all original. Shimano "Deer Head" group, welded bullmoose bars (with "MountainBikes" branding), Tagaki Tourney XT cranks, Shimano 600 headset. Serial number does not follow that of the "normal" tig welded models.
Le me know your thoughts.
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04-20-20, 01:47 PM
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I picked up this bike off the local classifieds in the winter, and just got a chance to clean it up now that spring has arrived.
I think I am the 3rd owner. The guy I got it from picked it up at an estate sale a few months prior but was moving and clearing things out.
I had originally thought that this was from the batch of Japanese bikes for the Canadian market (as described on "The Ritchey Project" website). But a more careful reading of the information saws that those bikes were all lugged:
"Ritchey frames that are built using lugged construction were built in Japan by Toyo and imported into Canada by Rocky Mountain Bicycles. These frame were produced in the time period just after Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher ended their working relationship with each other. Tom, in search of a new distributor for his bikes, contacted Rocky Mountain who offered to sell whatever he could produce. Tube sets went to Toyo, who only built lugged frames, and completed Ritchey bikes were sent to Canada. At roughly this same time other Japanese-made Ritchey frames were being imported into the US, however these were TIG-welded"
Anyway, this is a tig welded frame, very likely made in Japan, that was found in Canada (so a good chance it was sold in the Canadian market.
As for the build, from what I can tell it is all original. Shimano "Deer Head" group, welded bullmoose bars (with "MountainBikes" branding), Tagaki Tourney XT cranks, Shimano 600 headset. Serial number does not follow that of the "normal" tig welded models.
Le me know your thoughts.
I think I am the 3rd owner. The guy I got it from picked it up at an estate sale a few months prior but was moving and clearing things out.
I had originally thought that this was from the batch of Japanese bikes for the Canadian market (as described on "The Ritchey Project" website). But a more careful reading of the information saws that those bikes were all lugged:
"Ritchey frames that are built using lugged construction were built in Japan by Toyo and imported into Canada by Rocky Mountain Bicycles. These frame were produced in the time period just after Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher ended their working relationship with each other. Tom, in search of a new distributor for his bikes, contacted Rocky Mountain who offered to sell whatever he could produce. Tube sets went to Toyo, who only built lugged frames, and completed Ritchey bikes were sent to Canada. At roughly this same time other Japanese-made Ritchey frames were being imported into the US, however these were TIG-welded"
Anyway, this is a tig welded frame, very likely made in Japan, that was found in Canada (so a good chance it was sold in the Canadian market.
As for the build, from what I can tell it is all original. Shimano "Deer Head" group, welded bullmoose bars (with "MountainBikes" branding), Tagaki Tourney XT cranks, Shimano 600 headset. Serial number does not follow that of the "normal" tig welded models.
Le me know your thoughts.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...tain-bike.html
04-20-20, 02:14 PM
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Wow! that bike appears to be in almost new condition. Bikes like that are so versatile, they can be ridden as is or with minimal modification they can become touring bikes, cyclocross bikes, or commuters. Please don't tell me the price you paid, I am already as green from envy as the colour of the frame
04-20-20, 04:07 PM
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It’s a Montare made for the Canadian market. There is a thread on here about it.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...tain-bike.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...tain-bike.html
Thanks!
Last edited by cchmilar; 04-20-20 at 04:25 PM.
04-20-20, 04:24 PM
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Wow! that bike appears to be in almost new condition. Bikes like that are so versatile, they can be ridden as is or with minimal modification they can become touring bikes, cyclocross bikes, or commuters. Please don't tell me the price you paid, I am already as green from envy as the colour of the frame
I won't tell you what I paid, but it wasn't very much considering, haha.
I guess, as detailed in the thread above, it isn't a rare bike, but a very nice one at least.
Last edited by cchmilar; 04-20-20 at 05:53 PM.
07-12-23, 09:37 AM
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Hey I found this exact same bike, I think! I considering buying it. Sorry to redirect old thread. I will DM you about it
07-15-23, 03:54 PM
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This one, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada is going to be up for grabs as soon as I determine fair value. The bike is in very nice shape. A Rivendale handlebar bag is also included.
Top Tube (c-c) = 57cm
Seat Tube (c-c) = 52cm
Top Tube (c-c) = 57cm
Seat Tube (c-c) = 52cm
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