KC007

Looking for Italian mountain bike builders that used Tom Ritchey (Ritchey) dropouts...

Names and/or pictures if at all possible. Thanks!

Note: I have seen 1 vintage (90ish) Mountain Bike with Columbus tubing and Ritchey dropouts, researching for more info

Please help!

Thanks!

Davet

Unlikely the bike you saw was Italian. Columbus tubes have been/are being used by hundreds of bicycle and frame builders throughout North America.

Andrew R Stewart 

And even fewer MtB frames of merit came out of Italy, regardless of the dropouts. Andy

79pmooney

You might see if there is an email or website where you can ask him. (Tom Ritchie) He has always struck as one who is engaged at might find that an interesting question.

KC007

Andrew, the Italian-made mountain bike I am doing research on is listed on eBay. The Seller, does not know the brand name (builder). This bike frame has a Columbus Custom Thronic tubing sticker on the frame - it also has Ritchey dropouts (it is tig welded).

Note: I am looking for an extra frame set (as a quality replacement) just in case anything ever happens to my Ritchey fillet brazed frame (hand made by Tom Ritchey), I want to go with New, NOS frame from 90's - and definitely leaning towards Ritchey but don't have thousands of dollars to spend. This bike frame on eBay is less than $1K.

I know Columbus tubing is strong and light, because my Ochsner Road Bike has Columbus tubing.

Any of your insight will be appreciated. Thanks!

unterhausen

This is not a framebuilding topic and your only hope would be that someone from C&V stumbled upon it in framebuilding. So I moved it to C&V.

As Andy said, this is most likely not an Italian frame. The seller is possibly confused by the frame tubing sticker. If they don't know the builder, they are unreliable on this topic. My frame parts collection is full of Italian parts. I doubt an Italian builder would have thought to buy Ritchey dropouts when they could get dropouts from an Italian company down the street.

retrofit

As Davet said, use of Columbus tubes does not make the bike Italian-made.

In fact, the top tube cable guide of what I will assume is the bike on eBay (easily found) is very similar to the custom cyclocross bikes made by CyclePath out of Portland, OR.
CyclePath uses Columbus tubes, though Thronic is not currently listed. You might send them a photo of the bike in question and ask if it's one of theirs.

Here is a photo of the CyclePath Holeshot cable routing for comparison. (Of course it could just be a common method of cable management.)

KC007

RetroFit and Davet,

I appreciate your input with my thread regarding this Mystery Bike with Columbus Thronic Tubing. Ironically, the Seller said the Columbus Thronic Sticker was wrong and that the bike was actually built with Columbus Max Tubing. So, your comments leading to the fact that Seller does not know what he is talking about is probably TRUE!

At this point, I think I want to pass on this Mystery bike (with Ritchey Dropouts and Columbus Thronic Tubing) listed on eBay. Will now focus on American-made mountain bikes, either Ritchey frame or another brand with Ritchey dropouts (as I like hard-tail bikes).

Thanks again everybody!! And of course feel free to send more comments...

sheddle

I do love seeing Italian MTBs when they pop up - the Colnagos with their trademark chromed lugs and crimped tubes look so bizarre in MTB format (naturally with a full Campagnolo Record OR group) - like seeing Ferrari try to make an ATV. Apparently ALAN made some MTB models as well, including some early carbon-fiber models.


Cinelli made some pretty good looking ones as well. Other than that, the Bianchi bikes I know of are basic Tange-framed bikes sourced from Japan and are generally of excellent quality, albeit a bit plain compared to the weirdness of the Master MTB.

also more on topic, I'm not aware of ones which used Ritchey drops.

'02 nrs

with Ritchey dropouts.

KC007

Thanks for the reply to this thread.

Question: is your Scott frame tig welded ?

Thanks!

Markeologist

Bike looks bigger than a 47cm...but if you want something that small and you want TIG welded, why note just buy the 18 in Japanese-built Ritchey Aspen and save nearly $200.00??? or the Rocky Mtn or Bridgestone MB-0...lots of solid choices besides the mystery frame.

veganbikes

That Ritchey you have sounds nice. Would hate for it to give up the ghost. That is the sucky part they are kind of rare so you don't want to ride but it is such a great ride built by someone who knows what they were doing so you gotta ride it.

You might consider these and get a custom frame builder to build something around them?

reconnaissance

My Bianchi Virata, 1993:

KC007

VeganBikes,


Yes, my Ritchey fillet brazed (hand made) bike is my Go To and Only Mountain Bike. The paint is Yellow and Red racing colors - it looks similar to the bikes that Tom Ritchey built for NORBA Series / Team Ritchey (Circa 89-90) which were RED, WHITE & BLUE.


I bought it used in the early 90's in Palo Alto, CA for $700. Recently, I have been restoring it:

• Added new, NOS Ritchey Logic Crankset (Sugino)
  
• added new, NOS Ritchey ForceLite handlebars (to replace the standard Ritchey handlebars)(coupled with Old School, SoftRide Suspension Stem)
  
• added new, NOS Ritchey Comp Rims
  
• and now adding new, NOS Shimano XT Front & Rear derailleurs
  
• 
  

I am gonna keep riding it, but am not going for big aerials or anything like that 🦅 I'm worried it will snap someday.


Thanks for your comments !

Markeologist

Can we get picks of the Ritchey? Or have you posted on the Ritchey Bikes thread? What model is it? The TIG-welded Japanese built Ritcheys from 80s are pretty easy to find (i.e., Ascent, Aspen)...you should consider one of those as a companion. Back in 80s I bought both a filet-brazed Fisher Comp (many folks who have seen it says it is a Ritchey-built frame) as well as a Fisher Montare. I raced the Comp and the Montare was for general, day to day mtn biking...it was a nice set up. Sold the Montare long ago, still have the Comp. Very very rare aluminum bull moose bars.

KC007

Yes, I'll send some pictures of my bike in a few weeks. I'm currently out of town on business. But I can tell you that my Ritchey looks very similar to the 1989 SuperComp (built for Team Ritchey - Riders / NORBA).
I am attaching a page from 1989 Ritchey Brochure ...


Thanks for your comments !! I really want a nice NEW, non-Ritchey frame with Ritchey dropouts or a Ritchey frame (man, that bike with Columbus tubing has my head spinning - it just looks cool 😎 and durable

Choke 

You never know.....I owned a Pinarello funny bike that had Shimano dropouts.

My Scapin MTB is in storage at the moment but it has some odd dropouts as well, though I can't recall if they are Ritchey or not.

'02 nrs

Fillet brazed top tube on both ends,down tube at head tube-all other joints are tig welded.not much info on this model.

KC007

Hello All,

Where is the Ritchey Thread located ?

Thanks!

KC007

The serial number on mystery bike with Columbus Thronic Tubing plus Ritchey dropouts is: 0H9 4002

I wish I could find out the builder by the serial number

To Choke - thanks for your picture of the Scapin, I've heard good stuff about that company